Christman still in hunt in AJGA All-Star event

June 23, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

By STEVE WILAJ

youngstown

Cole Christman was solid in Wednesday’s second round of the Mill Creek Foundation AJGA All-Star Golf Tournament at Mill Creek Park’s South Course, shooting a 73 for the day.

Thing is, it wasn’t quite the stellar performance the Boardman High sophomore put together in Tuesday’s opening round when he shot a 68 (which, at the time, left him tied for third place).

In turn, Christman — with his two-round score of 141 — enters today’s final round of the national tournament (ages 12-15) tied for eighth.

“I’m gonna have to play pretty much like I did the first day,” he said. “I’m gonna have to get myself some chances and I’m gonna have to make those putts.

“When I miss a green, I’ll have to get up and down and make pars. And I also can’t make stupid mistakes.”

Entering today’s final round, Tyler Isenhart (Geneva, Ill.) and Maxwell Moldovan (Uniontown) lead the 72-player field with a 136 each. Keegan Butler of Canfield, the lone other local in the boys division, shot a 74 on Wednesday and sits in 65th place with a 160.

Christman birdied two holes (No. 14 and 17) but took a crucial bogey on hole No. 5 — a par-three that “most of the people are expecting to birdie or at least par.

“It didn’t go as well as it did [Tuesday],” he said. “A lot of the things I did well yesterday, I didn’t do so much today. I wasn’t knocking approach shots close and I wasn’t making some putts — although I did drive the ball a little better. A lot of the bogeys I had were really silly mistakes.”

The three-day tournament, which has brought in players from all over the country, is being presented by Youngstown Live & ACDS.

Reese Guzman of Kahhului, Hi., leads the girls division with a 135.

Gillian Cerimele of Canfield shot a 77 on Wednesday and sits in 22nd place with a 160, Canfield’s Hannah Keffler shot an 82 and is in 23rd place with a 162 and Boardman’s Hadley Spielvogel shot a 91 and is in 24th place with a 173.

Here are today’s tee times for the locals: Christman (9:30 a.m.), Butler (8:30 a.m.), Keffler (9:10 a.m.), Cerimele (9:10 a.m.) and Spielvogel (9:10 a.m.).

“Even though I did drop a little today, I feel like I can still play well tomorrow and finish really high,” Christman said. “One or two strokes is really huge in this type of tournament.”

A trophy presentation will immediately follow the conclusion of the final round.