Halfway Done

On a cloudy, wet, rainy day at The Fox Hill Club in Longmont, several players who know what it’s like to win a Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Junior Series Championship find themselves at or near the top of the leaderboard in the regular season-ending tournament for 11-13 year-olds.

Liam Wood of Boulder, who won the 10 & under Junior Series title in 2015, shares the top spot in the boys tournament after Monday’s opening round, and 2014 10 & under champion Traejan Andrews of Windsor is a shot behind.

And in the girls tournament, defending 11-13 champion Sofia Choi of Littleton built a 12-stroke lead at the halfway point. If Choi prevails, she’ll become the first two-time winner of the girls 11-13 Junior Series Championship.

The 13-year-old Choi, winner of three JGAC tournaments this year, made four birdies in Monday’s round of 2-over-par 74. She’s a dozen strokes up on Hadley Ashton of Erie and 13 ahead of third-place Kaylee Chen of Highlands Ranch, the season-long points leader in the division.

In the boys tourney, Wood shot a 4-over-par 76 and shares the lead with Jake Chesler of Firestone and Alex Chitkoksoong of Aurora.

Chitkoksoong made an eagle on Monday, while Chesler had two birdies and Wood one.

Andrews, the points leader in the division, and another two-time winner in 2017, Gage Messingham of Arvada, are tied for fourth place at 77, one behind the leaders.

The tournament will conclude on Tuesday for both boys and girls.

The Junior Series Championships for other age divisions will take place later this week, with the 10 & under event set for Wednesday (Aug. 9) at Pinehurst Country Club’s Pfluger 9, and the 14-18 tournament scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 12-13) at Pelican Lakes in Windsor.

For the scores from Fox Hill click on the following: BOYS, GIRLS.