GRANITEVILLE – The players faced a whirlwind of weather challenges Thursday during the second round of the junior invitation to Sage Valley. After fighting the rain and the wind while a cold front passed in the region, Pimpis Rubrong still leads in the girls ‘division, while Luke Colton shares the head of the boys’ division with Joshua Bai.
Rubrong, from Thailand, pulled a 69 sous 69 to extend his advance at three strokes at 5 sous. Aphrodite Deng, Canada, pulled a 72 equal to 72 to settle in second place at 2 sous, followed by the American Scarlett Schremmer (1 sous), Yujie Liu, from China, (even) and two players at 1.
While several golfers fought with weather conditions and conditions, Rubrong remained stable and made a series of birdies on the nine rear.
“With the rain in the morning and it was so windy, the conditions were more difficult today, but the right thing was that the t-shirts were further forward, so that facilitated a little more birdie on one by 5,” said Rubrong. “I have only done two bogeys so far, so I have to continue making pars.”
In the boys’ division, Colton, of the United States, has made three stews and an eagle in the nine rear to shoot 69 and charge to the top of the ranking, joining the leader of the first round Bai, New Zealand, at 6 years old. American Miles Russell (5 Under) is one third blow with three players equally in fourth row.
“I was a bit from top to bottom – I started a bit next to the first nine – but I was able to play better and have a good section on the nine rear, so I was happy to have been able to recover it,” said Colton. “Sage Valley is an excellent lesson and it’s very difficult, so you really have to choose your spots and try to do a stinks when you can.”
Like Colton, Bai had a hard time going on the first nine, leaving in 1 against 37, before rallying on the back half of the round. He sorted out the 18th hole to make a card of 71 and keep a share of the head. However, the weather elements and the elevation of the Sage valley were felt.
