Links: Round 1 Results | Round 2 Tee Times | Photos
Day one of the 19th Northern Junior Championship concluded under fair skies and light winds as 111 competitors made their way around the historic New Haven Country Club in Hamden, Connecticut. The 36-hole stroke play championship is being contested August 3-4 and features players from 27 different states, provinces and countries.
In the Boys Championship, Tyler Lee of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey set the pace early with a round of four under-par 66. Lee, playing in the first group of the day at 7:00am, made six birdies and just two bogies for the low round of the day. Lee is seeking his first Northern Junior title and came into the tournament playing well, having just finished runner-up in the 104th Met Junior Championship and finishing 6th in the Bubba Conlee National Junior Tournament.
Trailing Lee by just two strokes is the two-time defending champion Benjamin James of Milford, Connecticut. James, the #2 ranked junior golfer in the country, started out two under-par through his first six holes and played solid throughout the day, making four birdies and just two bogies. James will begin tomorrow in the final group looking to become the first three-time champion of the Northern Junior.
In the Girls Championship, a total of six players recorded scores of two over-par 72 to share the overnight lead – Jieming Yang (China), Samantha Galantini (West Orange, New Jersey), Lauren Jones (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Sophia Li (New York, New York) and Laniah Moffett (Waterbury, Connecticut).
Sitting just one stroke back in the Girls Championship is Gianna Pappa of Foster, Rhode Island and Amelie Phung of Forest Hills, New York, both of whom shot rounds of three over-par 73.
The final round of the 2021 Northern Junior Championship begins tomorrow at 7:00am, with the leaders teeing off at 12:30pm and 1:10pm, respectively. Live hole-by-hole scoring will be available at NorthernJunior.com.
Three Things to Know
- Wednesday’s final round is shaping up to be a tight race in both championship divisions. A total of fourteen players are within four shots of the lead in the Girls Championship, all of whom are seeking their first Northern Junior title. While Tyler Lee carries a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Boys Championship, he is being chased by a host of top junior players, which includes a total of fourteen players within five strokes of the lead.
- The reachable par-5 10th hole played the 2nd easiest of the day, with 23 birdies recorded. However, it is followed by the stretch of holes from #11-14 which recorded just 18 birdies combined. Hole #11, which measures 321 yards for the Girls Championship and 424 yards for the Boys Championship, averaged 4.64 strokes across the field and was the hardest hole on day one.
- Laniah Moffett of Waterbury, Connecticut shares the lead in the Girls Championship and is looking to become the player to win the Girls Championship in their home state since 2011 (Nathalie Filler). She recently captured the Northeast Junior Swing to earn the final spot in the Northern Junior Championship field.
Weather Forecast: A thick cloud cover is expected in the morning followed by a mix of sun and clouds for the afternoon, with a high temperature of a brisk 75 degrees. Winds are expected at 6mph with gusts to 13mph out of the Southeast.
About the Tournament: The Northern Junior Championship is a nationally ranked junior golf tournament that was created in order to provide the highest level of competition for top junior players. The 36-hole stroke play event is contested over two days at New Haven Country Club in Hamden, Connecticut and is open to amateur boys and girls under the age of 19 who have not entered their first year of college. The field of 111 players consists of 78 Boys Competitors and 33 Girls Competitors, and 27 states, provinces and countries are being represented.
Schedule of Events:
Wednesday, August 4 – Second Round of Stroke Play
7:00 a.m. – 1:10 p.m. – Starting Times (Players will be paired by score, with leaders going off last. All play will be in threesomes.)
6:15 p.m. – Awards Ceremony and Trophy Presentation
Social Media: In addition to full championship coverage on our website at NorthernJunior.com, players and spectators can join the conversation using the hashtag #NorthernJunior.
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