"It was a flat-out hard round," Udovich said. "I just hung in there and, honestly, I think my short-game performance was one of the best I've had in months."

The short game was fully on display on Nos. 2 and 3, where the TCU verbal commit made a pair of birdies from off the green. After chipping over the green on the par-5 second, Udovich rolled in a 15-foot putt from the fringe. He also chipped in for birdie on the par-3 third.

"If I would've put myself in some better positions, I think I maybe could've gone a little lower, but I knew it would be really tough coming to the course today," Udovich said. "I would've paid money if it meant I'd walk away at 1-under."

Joining Udovich in the tie for second at 1-under is Talan Harrison, of Kannapolis North Carolina; Will Gordon, of Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Albert's future Auburn teammate and fellow Virginia native, Logan Reilly, of Lovettsville.

Reilly's 69 also included four birdies to three bogeys in the difficult conditions.

"I thought I'd avoid the wind since I had a morning tee time today," Reilly said. "But I'm standing on the range at 7 a.m. and it's blowing like 25. I said, 'Well, I guess we're in for it.'"

Sitting in the tie for seventh at even par is Rich Wills, of Cramerton, North Carolina; Shawn Coultoff, of Winter Garden, Florida; Brett Moore, of Hollywood, Florida; Nolan Harper, of St. Augustine, Florida; Preston Albee, of Choctaw, Oklahoma; Matthew Javier, of Canada; and Peyton Blackard, of Fort Branch, Indiana.

Fifty-five players are within six shots of Albert going into Wednesday's second round, after which the field will be cut to the low 44 and ties. The final 36 holes will be played Thursday.

The winner this week will join Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler and Jim Furyk as a Western Junior champion. The top three finishers and ties receive exemptions into the Western Amateur at Moraine Country Club Dayton, Ohio, on July 29-Aug. 3.

Recap courtesy of the Western Golf Association