Tran, Saithip lead in AJGA tourney

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Two leaders emerged after a long first round of the American Junior Golf Association’s Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation Junior All-Star on Tuesday.

Play at Mill Creek Golf Course went well into the evening as there were delays due to inclement weather.

Aiden Tran and Thitaporn Saithip each hold one-stroke leads in the boys and girls sides of the tournament, respectively.

Tran, a Fresno, Calif., native, shot a 68 to sit at 2-under par for Tuesday. Birdies on No. 16 and No. 18 allowed him to finish his round with the lead. He shot no worse than even on the front nine with a birdie on No. 2.

He has five other golfers just a stroke behind him: Sean Curran (New Lenox, Ill.), Papon Sawatyanon (Bangkok, Thailand), Topher Reed (Fairview Park), Johnny Gruninger (Syracuse, N.Y.) and David Luo (Centreville, Va.).

Saithip was the only female golfer to shoot under par with a 69, but it wasn’t smooth sailing the whole round.

The Thai golfer went through the front nine 1-under with two birdies and a bogey, but took a double bogey on No. 11. She undid the damage with an eagle on No. 5. She added one more birdie and bogey to her total on the final two holes.

Charlotte Ryoo of Pleasanton, Calif., is a stroke back with four birdies and four bogeys. Shannon Kennedy of Beverly Hills, Mich., is in third with a 71.

Play is scheduled to resume in the second round at 7 a.m. today.