Coloradans Carter Surofchek and Luke Cushman and Arizonan Camden Braidech share boys lead, while Arizona’s Zoe Newell ahead in girls tourney at AJGA Colorado Springs Junior
By Gary Baines – 7/27/2021
Two 16-year-old Coloradans — Carter Surofchek of Colorado Springs and Luke Cushman of Castle Rock — share the boys lead with Camden Braidech of Scottsdale, Ariz., after Tuesday’s opening round of the AJGA’s Colorado Springs Junior by Centura Health at The Club at Flying Horse’s Phil Smith Course.
In the girls tournament, Zoe Newell of Oro Valley, Ariz., fired a 3-under-par 69 and leads by three. Emma Bryant of Aurora, who recently won the Colorado Junior Amateur, is the top Coloradan, holding seventh place at 75.
Surofchek, Cushman and Braidech matched 4-under 68s for the boys lead. Cushman, who placed third at the Colorado Junior PGA this year, carded seven birdies and three bogeys on Tuesday. Surofchek, who placed 28th at the Colorado Junior Am earlier this month, made six birdies and two bogeys. Braidech went bogey-free, carding four birdies.
Lucas Schulte of Lone Tree, the 5A boys state high school individual champion last year, also finished under par, holding seventh place at 71.
Newell built her three-stroke lead on the girls side with a four-birdie, one-bogey day.
The 54-hole tournament will continue through Thursday.
The Colorado Springs Junior by Centura Health is the second of three AJGA events being held in Colorado this year. The AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior was conducted last month at Walnut Creek in Westminster, while the AJGA Junior Open at The Bridges presented by the City of Montrose is set for Aug. 3-5.
For scores from the Colorado Springs Junior, click on the following: BOYS, GIRLS.
Elsewhere in national and regional junior golf:
At the national Girls Junior PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., Aubri Braecklein of Northglenn opened with a 7-over-par 80, while Jessica Mason of Westminster carded an 82.
Braecklein, the 2020 CGA Women’s Stroke Play champion and winner of the 2021 3A girls state high school title, made three birdies on Tuesday and shares 96th place out of 145 players. Mason, the Colorado Junior PGA and 4A girls state champion, recorded one birdie and is tied for 115th place.
For all the scores from the Girls Junior PGA, CLICK HERE.