In-state golfer shares lead at All-Star

ASPEN Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village fired a 4-under-par 68 on Tuesday to share the lead with Charlie Saxon of Tulsa, Okla., after the opening round of the Junior All-Star at Aspen.In the girls division, Regina Alonso of Huixquilucan, Mexico, leads a field of 17 heading into today’s second round at the Aspen Golf Club after shooting an even-par 72. Clark was the model of consistency on the Aspen course among the boys field of 57, recording matching 34s on the front nine and back nine. He birdied five of the course’s holes, compared to seven for Saxon.”I want to try to hit my ball off the tee a little better,” Clark said in an American Junior Golf Association press release. “I played solid, I’m just going to try and stick with my game plan, hit the green and make par.”Saxon said he felt his round started on No. 2 when he chipped in for birdie. His seven birdies included four in a row on holes 11, 12, 13 and 14. “My putter was hot the whole round,” Saxon said. “It couldn’t miss. I had 27 putts with three on the last hole. I was just making all the putts I looked at.”Marcel Puyat of Bradenton, Fla., who carded two eagles on the day, and Christopher Ingham of Pinecrest, Fla., are tied for third, each with a 2-under-par 70. Rounding out the boys division in fifth is Evan Markley of Scottsdale, Ariz., with a 1-under-par 71.The boys division for this year’s AJGA tournament is playing the par-72 course at 6,836 yards, while the girls division is playing the course at 6,042 yards. With her performance on Tuesday, tournament officials might consider making Alonso play from the boys tees for the final two rounds. Her 72 gave her a seven-shot lead over her nearest competitors: in-state golfer Katy Dyachkova of Centennial and Olivia Lavy of Fayetteville, Ark., who both shot 7-over-par 79s to tie for second.”My driver was straight and I hit 16 greens,” Alonso said of her round, which included just two bogeys. “The altitude helped me because I’m from Mexico City and it’s kind of the same.”The two Aspen players in the boys division, Bobby Moyer and Omri Gildor, fired rounds of 89 and 96, respectively.Wednesday’s second-round tee times begin at 8 a.m. from holes No. 1 and 10.