The leaderboard is starting to take shape at the Jack Newton Junior Golf State Age Championship, with two Victorians stamping their authority on day two.
Feiyu Xing is now six shots clear in the girls division, while Elbert Kim has surged to a three-shot lead in the boys after a big move at Moruya.
Xing backed up her opening 72 with a three-under 69 at Catalina Club, and she’s making it look almost too easy, despite admitting her putter has been cold all week. Concord’s Mirabelle Naaman holds second at two over par, while Jordyn Deen was the only other girl in the field to card an under-par round today, leaping seven spots into a share of third with a one-under 71 at Catalina. Kew’s Judy Zhu joins her there, with American Joyce Zhu rounding out the top five.
In the boys, Kim’s two-under 69 at Moruya was enough to blow past overnight co-leader Callum Misso and take control outright. Misso now shares second with New Zealand’s Jerry Zuming Tian at one-under, while Cromer’s Hamish Robb charged four spots up the board into a share of fourth alongside Avondale’s William Eldridge.
Xing’s flatstick has gone cold, but her up-and-down game has kept the card clean.
“My driving wasn’t that well today. I started with a driver mistake and finished with a driver mistake. But my par saves were doing really well, only one bogey on the card.”
She’s currently the lone player under par in the girls field.
“I’m not really surprised, because this course isn’t that hard. I’d like to shoot lower, but my putting’s been average, yesterday I missed like four 10-footers, today as well. I just have to make those.”
Catalina’s greens gave her a fright, though.
“I don’t know why I was getting so much backspin on the last couple. I was landing pin high with 10 metres to the pin and it just spun back on me. I reckon I lost five shots to that today.”
Playing alongside a group she clearly gelled with, Xing said the vibe out on the course helped her relax.
“This is one of my favourite groups ever. Everyone’s being really nice to me, even their parents were clapping for me. I’m having a blast out here.”
Fresh off a win at the Queensland Junior Amateur last week, her plan for the rest of the week is refreshingly simple.
“Play the stable game, hope my putting gets better, and just try not to spin it or slice it again.”
Deen’s charge up the leaderboard came off the back of a reset after what she descibed as a scrappy start to the week.
“Honestly, expectations were just to go out and have fun. Didn’t hit it the best yesterday, so I was glad just to have fun today. My driver was on, and I’m pretty happy with it.”
A regular at Catalina, Deen said the course holds a special place for her.
“I love Catalina. Always fun memories down here, so just continue with having memories and, yeah, have fun.”
Her game had been building nicely before arriving on the coast.
“I’ve had a few tournaments coming into this week, so honestly it was just, go out there and keep doing what I’ve been doing and get good results, it’s tracking good, I’d say.”
Round three tees off tomorrow, with the top half of the field heading to Catalina Club and the bottom half to Moruya Golf Club.
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