Riverhead, N.Y. — Xander McDonald-Smith of Rockaway Park, N.Y., is all by his lonesome at Long Island National Golf Club. McDonald-Smith carded a bogey-free round of 6-under-par 65 Tuesday to take the lead after the first round of the Lessing’s AJGA Classic. In the Girls Division, Jordan Lippetz of Bradenton, Fla., grabbed the top spot with a 1-under-par 70.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Lessing’s AJGA Classic is a 54-hole stroke play event held at Long Island National Golf Club. The field features 74 boys and 22 girls, ages 12-18, from 15 states, Canada and Thailand. The par-71 course is playing at 6,776 yards in the Boys Division and 6,030 yards in the Girls Division.

McDonald-Smith wasted no time getting his round going as he picked up birdies on two of his first three holes before parring his way in for 33. After the turn, McDonald reeled off another string of birdies, this time grabbing ones at Nos. 10, 12 and 13.

“I shot 2-under on the front, so I didn’t want to hold back, so I just kept trying to make birdies and was trying not to be defensive,” McDonald-Smith said. “It worked out and I just started making putts. I got into a zone and just kept going.”

But McDonald-Smith wasn’t finished there.

On the difficult par-5 18th that stretches to a lengthy 590 yards, he grabbed another. After laying up with a 3-iron, McDonald-Smith left himself a short wedge into the green. From 70 yards out, he stuck his approach to two feet for a tap in birdie to tie his personal best and a bogey-free round of 65.

“I’d rather have no bogeys, then have the six birdies,” McDonald-Smith said. “I’ve never had a bogey-free round before. That’s the best part and the number one thing I’m going to take away from today.”

Three back of McDonald-Smith in second is Luke Edelman of Mahwah, N.J., at 3-under-par. Kevin Kim of Torrance, Calif., is third at 2-under-par. Theo Humphrey of Greenwich, Conn., Brian Tohir of New Canaan, Conn., and Sean Gaudette of South Hadley, Mass., are tied for fourth at 1-under-par.

Lippetz also got out to a quick start with birdies on Nos. 2 and 4. But if it hadn’t been for some key putts Lippetz said, bogeys on Nos. 7 and 16 really could have set her back, leading her to feel as though there is still plenty of room for improvement for the next two rounds.

“I just need to play the course one shot at a time because I know you can definitely lose shots but you can definitely pick up shots on different holes,” Lippetz said. “You can’t think about the last hole or the last couple of holes or the last putt. It’s just one shot at a time. I always know I can improve on the shot that I hit before and improve on my score.”

Tied for second, one back of Lippetz are Hana Ku of Basking Ridge, N.J. and Courtney Hooten of Del Mar, Calif., with rounds of even par.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.
                Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA’s second Premier Partner.
                AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

Tee times for the second round of the Lessing’s AJGA Classic will run from 7 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. off the No. 1 tee. For more information, please contact Tournament Headquarters at 678-617-2417.

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