After a shotgun start for the second-round of the Rolex Tournament of Champions, play was suspended due to darkness.
Meja Ortengren, the reigning 2021 Rolex Tournament of Champions champion, moved into the top spot of the Girls Division after recording a 5-under-par 67 in the second round. In the Boys Division, Johnnie Clark extended his lead to seven strokes and carded a 3-under-par 69.
The 45th edition of the Rolex Tournament of Champions features 84 of the best junior golfers in the world from nine different countries. The tournament combines the 2022 Rolex Junior All-Americans and Rolex Scholastic Honorees with many of this year's AJGA champions to create The Greatest Week in Junior Golf.
Past winners of the Rolex Tournament of Champions include Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Charles Howell, David Gossett, Webb Simpson, Sam Burns, Heather Farr, Kellee Booth, Inbee Park, Morgan Pressel and Alison Lee.
Ortengren of Stockholm, Sweden, started off the second-round strong with an eagle on the par 4 No. 1. She went on to birdie No. 3 and finish off the front nine with five consecutive pars. On the back nine, she went on to birdie Nos. 11, 12 and 18. Ortengren finished the round with a 2-stroke lead heading into round-three.
Elise Lee of Irvine, California, moves up three spots to second on the leaderboard with a 4-under-par 68 round. Lee carded six birdies throughout the round on hole Nos. 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 17.
Round-one leaders, Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, and Alice Ziyi Zhao of (China) Irvine, California, round out the top three tied in third place at 5-under-par 139. Both juniors recorded four birdies and three bogeys during the round.
Clark of Mesa, Arizona, starting on hole No. 10, began his round just like the first round, with a birdie. He recorded two other birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 to finish up his first nine. His last nine included a lone bogey on the par 3 No. 4 and a birdie on No. 6. He now sits atop the leaderboard at 12-under-par 132.
Jackson Koivun of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, are tied second place at 5-under-par 139. Both juniors recorded 5 birdies throughout their round.
After wrapping up the second-round in the morning, the third-round tee times began shortly after from 8:30 - 10:40 a.m. on the Canyons Course.
Ortengren held onto her top spot after the third-round. She recorded a 3-under-par 69, giving her a one stroke lead in the Girls Division. Johnnie Clark, a 2022 Rolex Junior All-American, keeps the Boys Division lead for the third day in a row. He shot an even-par 72 and has a three-stroke lead heading into the final-round.
Ortengren started the third-round off with two consecutive birdies on Nos. 2 and 3, with her other birdie coming on hole No. 7. She also carded another eagle on par 5 No. 6, her third eagle of the tournament. Ortengren had two back-to-back bogeys on holes 9 and 10 before recording eight consecutive pars to finish out the back nine.
Zhao, co-round one leader, moves into solo second with a 5-under-par 67. She carded an eagle on the par 5 No. 2 and now sits one-stroke back ahead of the final-round.
Remaining top-5 Girls:
Third place at 7-under-par 209
- Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California
Fourth place at 6-under-par 210
- Elise Lee of Irvine, California
Fifth place at 5-under-par 211
- Leigh Chien of Irvine, California
Clark stands alone on the leaderboard for the third day in a row. He holds his lead at 12-under-par 204. Clark carded three birdies on Nos. 3, 7 and 15 and three bogeys on Nos. 11, 14 and 18. He currently holds a three-stroke heading into the final round.
Jackson Koivun moves into solo second with a strong 4-under-par 68 after carding six birdies throughout his round. Koivun sits at 9-under-par 207.
Remaining top-5 Boys:
Tied third place at 8-under-par 208
- Gerardo Gomez of (Mexico) Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
- Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Fifth place at 7-under-par 209
- Bryan Kim of Brookeville, Maryland
The final round of the Rolex Tournament of Champions will be played on Wednesday, November 23 with tee times from 8-10:10 a.m.
About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. It's Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, Rolex is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.