Baker, Bryant, and Rudisill Take Charge, But All Eyes Were on Woods and Trump

Benjamin Baker (Broadlands, Va.) and Hampton Beebe (West Palm Beach, Fla.) each shot 3-under par 69 to lead the boys’ field after the opening round of the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship at TPC Myrtle Beach, while Kayla Bryant (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Elizabeth Rudisill (Charlotte, N.C.) shot matching 2-under par 70s to lead the girls’ tournament.

While the exploits of Baker, Beebe, Bryant and Rudisill earned them a spot on top of the leaderboard, the day’s largest galleries were following the world’s two most famous junior golfers – Charlie Woods and Kai Trump.

Unfortunately, both had difficulties, and their rounds unfolded in similar ways. Woods and Trump dug early holes and seemed to right the ship, only to struggle over their final nine holes.

Woods, who enjoyed the day’s largest galleries, began on No. 10 and bogeyed the first two holes. He birdied his fifth hole (No. 14) to get to 1-over and was in position to make a run heading to the par 5 18th hole (his ninth). A penalty stroke and 3-putt led to a double bogey seven, and his final nine holes were arduous ones on a sunny but breezy day. He finished with an 82.

Trump was 5-over after five holes before birdieing No. 6 and No. 9, a par 4 that is TPC’s toughest test, but she was unable to carry that momentum into the back nine. The University of Miami commitment made four double bogeys coming home and shot 85.

With only the top 36 boys and 18 girls making the cut after the second round, Woods and Trump will need a strong Saturday to play in the final round of the 54-hole event.

The news wasn’t all bad for famous offspring in the opening round of the DJ. Cameron Kuchar, long-time PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar’s son, made five consecutive birdies – holes 16, 17, 18, 1 and 2 – as part of a roller coaster round of 72, leaving him tied for 13th.

Afternoon winds made TPC progressively tougher as only 10 boys and two girls finished with under-par rounds.

Baker, a Virginia Tech signee, and Beebe, who has verbally committed to Auburn, lead the trio of Phillip Dunham (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), Drake Harvey (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Hamilton Coleman (Augusta, Ga.) by one stroke heading into round two.

Bryant, a Florida State pledge, and Rudisill, who has signed to play with Vanderbilt this fall, are two shots ahead of third place Amelie Zalsman (St. Petersburg, Fla.), who shot 72.

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