Green Slips, Klimek Maintains At Jr. PGA
WEST LAFAYETTE – After a sparkling first round, Columbia City’s Tyler Green has fallen off the pace at the PGA Junior Series at the Kampen golf course on the campus of Purdue University.
Green, who will be a sophomore at Columbia City High School this fall, was the first round co-leader after posting a 69 but did not have similar success in Tuesday’s second round, hanging a 79 on the board. Green is currently tied with eight others in 11th place with a two-round score of 148.
Qi Wen Wong of Singapore, soared to the lead in the boys’ division after firing a second-round six-under-par 66 to leave him with a two-day-total of 139. Wong, already a champion on the series this summer, will be playing in the 38th Junior PGA Championship presented by Under Armor and Hotel Fitness at Trump National Golf Club, D.C. in Potomac Falls, Va.
“Today went really well,” said Wong. “I hit a lot of good shots and made plenty birdie putts. A big part of this week is to keep myself in a competitive mode for the PGA Junior Champ and to keep my game in check and I feel really good about it after today.”
Thomas Frazier of Huntington, W.Va., stands in second after scoring a second-round two-under-par 70 to leave him three-strokes behind Wong.
Kavan Eubank of Japan, who was tied with Green for the lead after the first round, and Nathan Pirtle of Sullivan, Ind., are tied for third after both combining for a two-day-total of 144.
Kokomo’s Tyler White fired a second round of 77 to leave him with a 156 while Fort Wayne Dwenger’s Spencer Gillig shot a second round 87 to tally a 165 to comprise area golfers in the tournament.
In the boy’s 13-15 age tourney, Columbia City’s Spencer Klimek remained at the front of the pack after carding a 78 Tuesday to give him a two-day score of 150. Klimek, who led the first rounders with a 72, sits at 150 and first place but is tied with Columbia Station, Ohio’s Harrison Vonderau, who has posted identical rounds to Klimek to stay tied atop the leaderboard.
Jessica Porvasnik of Hinckley, Ohio, leads the girls’ after sailing to a second-round three-under-par 69 to leave herself with a two-day-total of five-under-par 139 and a eleven-stroke lead.
“Today went as great as could be,” said Porvasnik. “I had no bogeys and three birdies and made a lot of putts. I feel great about tomorrow and I just need to stay focused.”
In a three-way tie for second is Shawn Rennegarbe of Addieville, Ill., Lindsay Murray of Tipp City, Ohio, and Morgan Gonzales of Chandler, Ariz., after posting three two-round-totals of 150.
Area girls in the tournament include Fort Wayne Blackhawk’s Jaycee Bunner (82-83-165) and Penn’s Kathryn Willenbrink (87-93-180).
The final round at Purdue will conclude Wednesday. The final tournament will take place July 30 through August 2 at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va.