Watertown, Connecticut (July 9, 2024) – It wasn’t always easy but when the dust settled Yvette O’Brien had managed to extend her lead at the 3rd Connecticut Junior Girls’ Amateur. O’Brien followed up her opening day 6 under 65 with an up and down 2 over 73 and she will now head into the final round at Watertown Golf Club 4 under and ahead by five shots.
Beginning the day with a three-shot lead O’Brien (Greenwich CC) quickly extended her advantage to five shots with birdies on each of the first two holes to move to 8 under.
For a brief moment, it looked as if O’Brien was going to run away and hide but six bogeys in the next nine holes slowly brought the 2022 champion back to the field. At one point her once five-shot lead over Juyeon Paek (YOC Connecticut) was trimmed all the way down to a single shot.
“I had difficulty hitting the fairway today, which obviously made it harder to hit greens in regulation,” Yvette O’Brien said of her up-and-down round. “But I am in a good position (heading into the final round). I am just going to take it one shot at a time and see where it ends up.”
Needing to steady herself, O’Brien parred the par-4 12th and when Paek bogeyed the same hole the lead was back to two shots. On the ensuing hole, the par-4 13th, O’Brien wedged her approach shot to 25 feet and then capitalized on the birdie opportunity rolling in the putt dead center.
With some momentum back on her side O’Brien found some more magic with her putter rolling in a 45-footer from off the green on the par-3 14th hole to jump back to 4 under and regain firm control of the tournament.
O’Brien did bogey No. 16 but she once again bounced back with a birdie, this one from 10 feet, on the closing par-4 to conclude her round.
Paek, who was within one shot of the lead midway through the second round, will begin the final round at 1 over, Arabella Lopez (Redding CC) is in third place at 8 over, defending champion Annie Dai (Fairview Farm) is in fourth at 9 over while Laniah Moffett (EClub of Connecticut) and Jun Xi Guo (EClub of Connecticut) are tied for fifth at 12 over.
The final round of the 3rd Connecticut Girls’ Junior Amateur will begin at 8:45 a.m.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Girls’ Junior Amateur is one of 20 championships conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association. The CSGA functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
