JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Biltmore GC, Coral Gables, Florida
NEWS RELEASE
Coral Gables, Florida: At the halfway stage in the Girls' Championship Slovenia’s Ursa Orehek holds a single-stroke lead over USA’s Nicole Morales and Puerto Rico’s Kyle Roig. In the Boys division France’s Julien Brun carded a best-of-the-championship 66 to take a three-stroke advantage over Germany’s Max Rottluff.
For Orehek, who added a 72 to her opening 73, after Monday’s cold and windy conditions a warmer day came as relief. “It was so much better to play without wind,” the 17-year old from Domzale said. “The back nine is very long for me so I have to try and make birdies on the opportunity holes. I did not think I played well today but if I’m in the lead, then that’s a good thing for my confidence.”
Nicole Morales, a 14-year old from South Salem, New York, moved into contention with 71 for 146, playing the back-nine in 2-under.
“I certainly played better as the round went on and I was fortunate at the final hole, where I chipped in for birdie.”
Kyle Roig’s even-par 70 was the day’s low in the girls' section.
An early-morning freeze delay had everyone struggling for traction. Even boys' leader Brun admitted he has not yet found his best game.
“I had a great day chipping and from bunkers but truthfully it was not really good golf,” the 18-year old from Antibes, France admitted. “I hit, I think, just eleven greens in regulation but made birdies when the chances came and am really pleased with the way it worked out.”
Overnight leader Rottluff posted an even-par 70 for solo-second and he too felt he needed one more day to find his complete game:
“I putted well and took advantage of shorter holes on the front nine (birdies on 4, 5, 9) but I couldn’t find my rhythm on my long irons,” he said. “I missed a number of greens on the wrong side of the hole and on this course that makes scoring very difficult.”
Local hopeful Curtis Thompson from Coral Springs moved into solo third, a solid round marred by a closing bogey.
“I was trying to squeeze a final birdie out of the round and the course bit back,” he said.
Four players are tied for 4th spot on 144, including Argentina’s Jorge Fernandez Valdes, who posted 71 despite two back-nine double bogeys.


LEADING HALFWAY TOTALS
Boys
138 Julien Brun, France
141 Max Rottluff, Germany
142 Curtis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fl.
144 Gudmundur Kristjansson, Iceland; Juan Alvarez, Uruguay; Jorge Fernandez Valdes, Argentina, Adam Strom, Sweden
Girls
145 Ursa Orehek, Slovenia
146 Nicole Morales (S Salem, New York) Kyle Roig, Puerto Rico;
147 Margaux Vanmol, Belgium; Doris Chen, Bradenton, Fl;

148 Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand

149 Celine Boutier, France; Su-Yeon Kim (South Korea).

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