Teagan Stephenson, from Frederick, fired a 2-under-par 33-36–69 at the University of Maryland Golf Course and took a one-stroke lead halfway through the 90th Junior Amateur Championship of the Maryland State Golf Association, June 23.
From a field of 117 starters, Peter Knade, from Easton, was the only other player to better par of 35-36–71 for the 6,772-yard course in College Park. Knade finished with 33-37–70.
With 24 and ties (and those within eight shots of the lead) advancing to the final round, 38 players at 77 will play June 24.
Stephenson, a 16-year-old Urbana High School junior, started on No. 10, turned even, then birdied Nos. 7 and 9 to assume the lead. His birdie putts were from inside 12 feet, and his only bogey came when he missed the green at the 443-yard 12th and failed to save par. The Holly Hills CC member finished fourth in last week’s Frank Emmet Schoolboy Championship at Worthington Manor GC.
Knade, 16, a Woodberry Forest School junior, had an up-and-down tour with three birdies on each nine and five bogeys. He had one long putt among the six birds, from 25 feet, but the others were from inside 12 feet.
Mike Blasey (71), from Columbia CC, and Phil Colevas (72), from Manor CC, each eagled the 531-yard 13th, but otherwise both struggled with erratic play. Blasey ended with three birdies and five bogeys, including his last two holes, Nos. 17-18. Colevas was three over par after the opening nine, then birdied 10 and 15-16-17 before ending with a double-bogey six. Will Rosenfield, of Baltimore, tied Colevas at 72.
Tyler Olmsted, Congressional CC, and Nicholas Mejia, Waverly Woods GC, took opposite paths to tie for sixth at 73. Both started on No. 10, but where Olmsted bounced back from a 40 to shoot 2-under 33 on the front, Mejia shot 3-under 33 on the back, then slipped back with 40 on the starting nine.
Final-round play will begin at 7 a.m.
-Reported by John Stewart from University of Maryland GC