Matthew Bonnell of the Blomidon Golf Club in Corner Brook tops the field after Monday, the opening day of play at the Newfoundland and Labrador junior golf championships being played on the Twin Rivers Course at Terra Nova Resort & Golf Community in Port Blandford.
Bonnell, who was the runner-up to Andrew Bruce in the 2017 provincial juniors at the Grande Meadows course on the Burin Peninsula, fired a two-over par 73 in this year’s opening round.
That put him two strokes ahead of Ryan McNeil-Lamswood of the Harmon Seaside Links in Stephenville. McNeil-Lamswood had been third behind Bonnell and Bruce (not competing this week) at last year’s event.
A trio of golfers out of St. John’s clubs — Gavin Connors of Clovelly, along with Ethan Efford and Alex Dolomount of Bally Haly — are tied for third with first-day scores of 80. Age eligibility means that also puts Efford and Dolomount in first place in the juvenile boys division.
In the bantam division, Jack Pelley-MacHardy of the Grand Falls Golf Club scored a 96 and holds a one-stroke lead over Karsen Best of Bally Haly.
The only female in the field, Taylor Cormier of Blomidon had a 103 in fine conditions played under sunny skies.
The second of three rounds of stroke play is set to begin this morning.
The top three finishers in the provincial juniors will be eligible to represent the province at the Future Links Atlantic Championships later this month at Terra Nova and at the 2018 Canadian junior national championships later this summer.
This year, the national boys championships is at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta., July 30-Aug. 2, while the national girls championship will be at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C., July 31-Aug. 3.
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