Bluegrass Junior second round: Singh turns it up

Jun. 17—BELLEFONTE — Even the sound of a par putt falling into the cup would be music to her ears.

Morehead's Athena Singh maintained her early lead with another solid outing on the course at Bellefonte Country Club. She increased the margin to six strokes with a second-round 70 in the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior presented by Encova Insurance on Thursday.

The soon-to-be high school freshman's birdie effort on No. 18 rolled just by the hole. She still tapped in to finish her round with five straight pars after a bogey on No. 13.

"I had started to lose my putting a little bit," Singh said, "but then I came back strong. It really helped."

Singh started Round 2 at 3-under, two strokes clear of Chloe Tarkany, who stays tied in second place with Anna Huang of Coto de Caza, California, at 3-over.

Singh knew she needed a steady round to keep her advantage. She will approach her final 18 holes the same way she did her first 36 as she attempts to claim her first victory on the American Junior Golf Association tour.

"(On Wednesday), it was more open," Singh said. "I didn't have to stress about some shots. I had a lot of confidence about my putting. It was a little bit less today, but I still did pretty well.

"My focus will go back to a clean slate and not think about what I did on the previous days."

The top 22 players and ties made the cut into the final round today on the girls side. The group includes Paintsville's Isabella Christy, who followed a round of 73 with an 80 on Thursday, as she battled her way to advance.

"I hit a lot more errant shots and could not find the fairway," Christy said. "I didn't hole as many putts so that was definitely a reason (to Thursday's score)."

The reigning Region 11 Tournament champion and All-Area Player of the Year relishes the experience of playing in the Bluegrass Junior. She's already accustomed to quality competition after a top-10 finish at the state tournament last fall.

Christy feels she is ready to rebound and will take a more relaxed mindset moving forward.

"I want to stay calm," Christy said. "I feel I know where to hit the ball now and I can barrel the ball. The state tournament is more nerve-wrecking. This tournament is quite fun. It's good experience to play against players I wouldn't normally play, especially in high school tournaments."

Donina Zhou of San Clemente, California, carded a 72 to hold fourth place. Jordyn Arts of Trophy Club, Texas, rounds out the top five after her 70.

Cameron Jarvis was battling more than the heat as he walked the course in the second round. The Barboursville, West Virginia native has Type 1 diabetes and his insulin pump started to malfunction on the sixth hole.

"It made it very difficult on the front nine," Jarvis said. "I was up and down. I was able to hone it back in and managed to play a great stretch on some different holes today with the wind and heat. I kept myself in it. I am ready for tomorrow."

Jarvis birdied No. 8 and 10 and shot even par coming in to produce a score of 72. He's currently sharing second place in the boys field at 3-under with Jionchen Li of Bradenton, Florida.

The hot and humid elements didn't help matters for Jarvis.

"Type 1 diabetes will always be the top priority," Jarvis said. "It happens every time I play. It's usually different because I have my pump. I had to operate outside that. It was like playing a game within a game. I was very happy with how I finished."

Jarvis and Gavin Clutts of Hazard started the day in a tie for first place at 5-under. Jarvis, who is headed to Kentucky in the fall, double-bogeyed the sixth hole and followed with a bogey on No. 7. Jarvis was quick to say the short stretch of holes "was totally on me."

Jarvis said his strategy stays the same even when battling for the lead.

"It doesn't change," Jarvis said. "If anything, I get more aggressive. Today, the course was harder. The greens were a lot firmer. I missed in a couple of spots that I didn't miss yesterday."

Clutts agreed with his competitor about playing out front. He doesn't think it about it much. He still swings away.

"Honestly, I take it really passive," Clutts said. "I just want to treat it as another day every time I play."

Clutts has spent three years on the junior tour. He's held leads but never hoisted hardware yet. He showed his steady play on the back nine after consecutive bogeys before he made the turn.

"I really wanted to birdie No. 10 and 11, but it didn't happen," Clutts said. "I just tried to stay in the moment."

Clutts's strategy for the final round is as calm and collected as his swing — "Play 18 holes," he said.

Grayson's Connor Calhoun did not finish his second round the way he wanted, but he will still be playing another 18 holes today.

Calhoun hovered around the cut line during his time on the back nine. He fought his way through the tough stretch to par the final hole, then had to sit and wait.

"I really don't know what happened, to be honest," Calhoun said. "It all kind of fell apart. I didn't have my swing. There's nothing you can do. I was trying, but it just wasn't there."

Calhoun has been a fixture in the Bluegrass Junior field and the chance to play one more round in this final tournament will be special. He will tee off for the last time today at 7:10 a.m.

"It means a lot," Calhoun said. "I want to play a good round (today). It's been really good. You get to come out and compete against the some of the best locals and best in the country. This is basically my home course. It's been really fun."

Russell's Gunner Cassity shot a 77 and missed the cut at 12-over.

Cameron Roberts (Robinson Creek), Jake Albert (Blacksburg, Virginia) and Bradford Lacefield (Versailles) each finished at 1-under and are tied in fourth place heading into the final round.

Jeff Bostic, general manager and PGA Head Golf Professional at Bellefonte Country Club, has been named the 2021 Golf Executive of the Year by the AJGA for his work with the Bluegrass Junior.

Bostic applauded the team effort on the AJGA website.

"This award means a whole lot to me," Bostic said. "I wouldn't be able to do his without the great staff I have here at the Bellefonte Country Club, as well as my wife and two kids, who have the patience to let me be away so I can dedicate my time to an event like this one. I'm just hoping we hit the 50-year mark and more."