Alyssa Zhang stood on the 18th tee at Lebanon Country Club on Monday and made a half-serious prediction: She\u2019d make eagle on the par-4 hole and shoot 65.<\/p>\n
Her drive was long and straight, down the middle. Her approach was right at the pin \u2014 so right at the pin that it hit it, unluckily, and caromed 20 feet away.<\/p>\n
She settled for par, and a round of 5-under par 67, and the lead after one round of the Pennsylvania Golf Association\u2019s girls junior championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have been better,\u2019\u2019 said Zhang, a 16-year-old from Pittsburgh. \u201cI had a couple putts I left out there.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
A horseshoe lip-put of a 2-footer for par on the par-5 15th, for example.<\/p>\n
She did birdie the first three, and was 6-under after 10 holes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to play like I did today,\u2019\u2019 Zhang said. \u201cI\u2019m fine with that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Zhang, who will be a junior at Shady Side Academy, won the West Virginia Women\u2019s Amateur last year, and finished seventh in the Pennsylvania Women\u2019s Am. She also made the 16-player match play portion of the Women\u2019s Western Amateur, and finished third in the PIAA high school tournament as a freshman and sophomore.<\/p>\n
Zhang leads by just one stroke over Myra Tomer of Princeton, New Jersey, and Madison Koshko of State College, who shot 68.<\/p>\n
Among a large group at 2-over par, tied for sixth, is Piper Smith of Conestoga Country Club, who played high school golf at Manheim Township and then Warwick.<\/p>\n
Smith, who\u2019ll head to NCAA Division I Monmouth in the fall, was 2-under through seven holes. She got a brutal break at the tough par-4 11th \u2014 her tee shot lodged so firmly against a tree root that she had to take an unplayable-lie penalty and made a double bogey six.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy driver was good and my irons were solid today,\u2019\u2019 Smith said. \u201cGoing into this tournament, my main focus was fairways and greens, so the last two weeks of practice have been on that \u2014 hitting greens.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The field of 56 will play 36 holes Tuesday in what figures to be an endurance test, given the heat and humidity in the forecast.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the heat,\u2019\u2019 Zhang said bravely. \u201cIt\u2019s better than rain.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have it in me,\u2019\u2019 Smith said. \u201cEnough food and lots of water.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Boys championship<\/p>\n
Defending champ Chase Yenser and Merion Golf Club\u2019s Brad McDermott blasted over Hershey Country Club\u2019s formidable East course in 6-under 65 to share the first round lead in the boys state junior after Monday\u2019s first round.<\/p>\n
Yenser, of Daniel Boone High School, made nine birdies, and was 4-under par through six. McDermott started on the back nine and was only even par through seven holes. Then he went nuts, playing the next eight holes at 7-under par, including a birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie stretch.<\/p>\n
Two shots back in third, after a 68, is Carson Kittsley of Oakmont Country Club, who won the last two PIAA titles.<\/p>\n
The top local finisher was Benjamin Allwein, 15 and a sophomore-to-be at Annville-Cleona, who\u2019s tied for ninth after a 1-under par 71.<\/p>\n
Allwein won an American Junior Golf Association event at Penn State\u2019s Blue and White courses last month, shooting 8-under par.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a little surprised at the scores, they\u2019re low for sure,\u2019\u2019 Allwein said. \u201cDefinitely a good round for me, and I\u2019m excited for (Tuesday).\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The boys field was a massive 130 players, so the field was cut to the low 53 plus ties for Tuesday\u2019s 36-hole finals. Drew Gebhard of Lebanon CC made the cut on the number with a 76.<\/p>\n
Both the state boys and girls champions will earn a berth in the USGA Junior Amateur, to be held July 20-25 just up the road at Saucon Valley, near Allentown. The boys title also carries a spot in next year\u2019s Sunnehanna Amateur, a national-class men\u2019s amateur event in Johnstown.<\/p>\n
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