By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
July 31, 2002
A three-way tie exists at the top of the leaderboard following the first round of the Mississippi Golf Association's Boys Junior Amateur held Tuesday at the Mississippi State University Golf Course.
Greg Gowen of Oxford, Kyle Smith and Michael McElroy both of Madison, shot two-under-par 70s to share the first round lead for the 16-17-year-old boys. Play continues today with the second round on the 6,390-yard MSU Golf Course.
Meridian's Winston Powell is two shots back in fifth place after shooting an even-par 72. Kevin Jones of Crystal Springs is in fourth at 71.
Two more Madison-based golfers round out the top 10. Matt Garren is tied with Powell at 72. Jake Lambert is tied with Nick Beale of Pass Christian with a 73. Becker Sams of Jackson, Brady Brock of Myrtle and Kevin Cooper of Oxford are all tied at 74 for ninth place.
Meridian's Derrick Smith is in 12th following a three-over 75. Blake Smith is in 58th after shooting a 95.
Reid Kennedy is in fourth place in the Boys 14-15-year-old division. Kennedy fired a two-over 74 to trail first round leader Matt Fast of Hattiesburg by three strokes. Fast shot a 71.
Chris Garrett of Gulfport and Michael Naaman of Greenville both are two shots back with 73's. Joshua Ivy of Quitman is tied with Kennedy in fourth place with a 74.
In Group C (12-13-year-olds), Meridian's Elliot Tramontana is in second place in the championship flight after shooting an even-par 72. Clay Bounds, also of Meridian, is in third place following a five-over 76.
Freddie Janneck of Madison leads the group with a one-under 71. John Everett of Meridian is in sixth place at 81.
Brock Hollingshead of Meridian is second in the first flight in Group C following an 87. Nicholas Brown of Meridian is fourth at 91.
In Group D (10-11), Easton Key of Meridian is tied for fourth after shooting a 45. Meridian's Will Fuchs is eighth and Scott Bounds is in ninth place. Fuchs had a 49 while Bounds shot a 50. The Group D leader is Joseph Henderson of Laurel at 41.
The Group E leader (9-and-under) is Blake Breedlove of Canton with a 39. Nicholas White of Meridian is in fourth with a 50.