LANCASTER, Pa. (July 10, 2013) -- Sam Burns of Shreveport, La., fired a 6-under-par 64 to take the lead in the Boys Division. Burns was one stroke off the Lancaster Country Club course record, and made six birdies on the day. Karen Chung of Livingston, N.J., and Bethany Wu of Diamond Bar, Calif., lead the Girls Division of the Rolex Tournament of Champions after the first round. Both shot 2-under-par 68, and lead by one stroke.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Rolex Tournament of Champions is a 72-hole stroke play competition played on the par-70 Lancaster Country Club. The event features 72 boys and 60 girls, ages 12-18, from 31 states and six countries. The Boys Division plays the course at 6,679 yards, while the Girls Division plays the course at 6,082 yards.
Burns built momentum from a hot start and took the lead in the Boys Division. He birdied his first three holes, and added three more on the back before coming in at 6-under-par 64. Burns used consistent putting to earn his low score.
“Putting was the best part of my game today; making a 12-footer on No. 14 was huge,” said Burns.
Robert Deng of Irvine, Calif., is alone in second after a 4-under-par 66. In third is Brendon Doyle of Louisville, Ky., who posted a 3-under-par 67. There is a three-way tie for fourth at 2-under-par 68, with Harold Calubid of Long Beach, Calif., Matt Gilchrest of Southlake, Texas, and Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights, Ill.
Chung made four birdies on the front nine, including three in a row on Nos. 2-4, en route to 3-under-par 32. She added one more birdie on the back nine to finish at 2-under-par 68.
“My front nine helped a lot, the three-hole birdie stretch got me going, putting was working really well today,” said Chung who has committed to USC and is playing in her fifth and final Rolex Tournament of Champions.
Chung has been close to taking the Rolex Tournament of Champions title before. She finished second in 2009 and 2012.
Wu birdied both par-5s in the first round and only made one bogey to card 2-under-par 68.
“I was trying to get on the greens today, putting and iron play was the key,” she said.
Wu, who is ranked fifth in the Polo Golf Rankings, welcomes the challenge of an event like the Rolex Tournament of Champions. “[Lancaster Country Club] is just long, this course will test your skills.”
Wu, who is committed to play golf at UCLA, won the 2013 ANNIKA Invitational.
Lilia Vu of Fountain Valley, Calif. trails the leaders by one stroke after posting a 1-under-par 69.
View results for Rolex Tournament of Champions
ABOUT THE Rolex Tournament of Champions
The Rolex Tournament of Champions features 84 of
the best junior
golfers in the world. The tournament assembles
the
Rolex Junior All-Americans with the past year’s
champions to create The Greatest Week in Junior
Golf.
Format is
72 holes of stroke play, with boys and girls
competitions.
View Complete Tournament Information