Two local golfers made the cut to today’s final round of the American Junior Golf Association Circle K Junior Championship hosted by Otter Creek, while another missed by the slimmest of margins.
Columbus East’s Kody Reynolds and Columbus North’s Nathaly Munnicha, both of which just finished their freshman years of high school, survived the 36-hole cut. Recent North graduate Danbi Kim missed by one shot.
Munnicha slid in right at the girls cut line of 158 after following an opening-round 77 with an 81 on Wednesday to put herself in a tie for 21st. When she completed her round, she didn’t think she was going to make it.
“I’m not happy with that (score),” Munnicha said. “I left so many shots out there. I wasn’t feeling it. I was in the rough. I was just not there today. But I came back at the end.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Kim, who is headed to Findlay (Ohio) University, was playing in the tournament for the third year in a row. She made the cut last year after not making it in 2016.
This year, Kim’s scores nearly mirrored Munnicha’s. Kim carded a 77 on Tuesday and an 82 on Wednesday to finish in a tie for 26th at 159.
“My putting was a lot worse than (Tuesday), and everything else was pretty much the same,” Kim said. “I was hoping to improve a little on my irons today, but it stayed the same, unfortunately. But it was really fun getting to play in my last AJGA here at Otter Creek.”
Meanwhile, Reynolds is making the most of his first AJGA tournament. He fired his second consecutive 74 on Wednesday and is tied for 37th at 148.
Reynolds shot 39 on the front nine and 35 on the back. His round consisted of four birdies and six bogeys.
“The front nine wasn’t that good, so I know I had to go pretty good on the back nine,” Reynolds said. “I left a few shots out there, but I will every tournament, for sure. But I didn’t play too bad. I’m pretty happy with how I’ve played. I played pretty well. I had a few too many bogeys, but 4-over for two days (for) first AJGA is not terrible.”
Another local golfer, Henry Kiel, finished in a tie for 61st in the boys division at 151, two shots off the cut. Kiel, who will be a senior at North, followed a first-round 75 with a 76 Wednesday.
“It was pretty much how I played (Tuesday),” Kiel said. “I played terrible on the front, and I kind of picked it up on the back. I think I played better (Tuesday), honestly. I had a lot more birdies (Tuesday), and I didn’t really hit it very close today.”
All of the boys field is chasing Matt Camel of Greenwich, Connecticut. Camel fired a course-record 10-under-par 62, highlighted by a hole-in-one on No. 8, and is at 17-under 127 after 36 holes.
Kornkamol Sukaree of Huntington Beach, California, leads the girls field at 3-under 141. The Illinois recruit carded a 71 on Wednesday.
