JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT, SCORES

NEWS RELEASE
By DAVID MACKINTOSH
Coral Gables, Florida: Germany’s Max Rottluff regained the boys' championship lead with a third-round 70, a single stroke ahead of four others including Italy’s Emanuele Sesia, the first-round leader who vaulted back into contention with a three-under par 67 at the Biltmore Country Club.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, GolfWeek’s No 1 ranked girl junior, posted a 68 to share the lead with New York State’s Nicole Morales.
Ideal scoring conditions produced sporadic bursts of birdies but nobody was able to take control.
In the girls' section Jutanugarn opened with a seemingly unstoppable run, five under after eight holes, but consecutive bogeys at 11, 12, and 13 killed her momentum.
Morales, a 14-year old from South Salem, New York with a +3.0 handicap, was also running the lead but a sand-plugged second shot at the 17th led to a double-bogey, bogey finish.
“I was very happy with the round despite my finish. I was able to stay in the moment throughout and I hit the ball very nicely all day. It was a good confidence builder.”
France’s Celine Boutier moved into third place with a solid 71, tied with Puerto Rico’s Kyle Roig. Overnight leader Slovenia’s Ursa Orehek slipped to fifth with 76 but was optimistic, commenting: “I played very poorly today but there’s always a better tomorrow.”
Max Rottluff, 17, runner-up in this year’s British boys' championship, matched three birdies with three bogeys for an even-par round.
“I got my long game straightened out, although my distance control could still use some work but unfortunately I did not putt well. But I’ll take the round because it puts me in good position, and that’s what counts.”
Sesia, who has been suffering from a strained back all week, bounced back into contention with seven birdies, a brilliant charge derailed by a double-bogey at the water-guarded 17th.
Gudmundur Kristjansson also charged with a five-birdie 68 but he too dropped a valuable shot at the 17th:
“I really don’t know what happened,” Iceland’s dominant junior player said. “I hit a seven-iron 40 yards longer than usual. From where I finished I was happy to make a bogey.”