Germany’s Max Rottluff and Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim Lead First-day Play at JOBC Golf Championship

By: David Mackintosh

Boys defending champion Max Rottluff took advantage of an early morning calm to lead the opening day’s play with a four-under par 67.

Six players share second place on 68, including Chile’s Juan Cerda, who birdied the opening hole and closed his round with an eagle-3 while Czech Republic’s Simon Zack recovered brilliantly from a sticky start with five birdies in his final seven holes.

 “My iron game wasn’t too sharp today but I drove well and my putting was very good,” Rottluff declared. ‘I caught the softer part of the weather but in truth I actually enjoy playing in the wind and using it to shape my shots.”  

The 18-year old German from Meersbusch, who claimed the Orange Bowl title last year in sudden death playoff, had just one bogey, the 17^th, the same hole that cost him outright victory last year. Also tied for second place are Mexico’s Juan Carlos Serrano, Austria’s Markus Maukner, Hungary’s Daniel Kovari and Peru’s Eithel McGowan.

In the Girls Section Korea’s 16-year old Hyo Joo Kim posted a 3-under par 68 for a two-stroke lead over Puerto Rico’s Maria Fernanda Torres, three ahead of the French duo of Claudia Chemin and Celine Boutier, Denmark’s Emily Pedersen and Brazilian Vitoria Teixeira.

Through an interpreter, Kim said she was surprised to be leading but was very happy with the way she played, particularly her short game. “I holed a lot of important putts and that always gives me confidence in the rest of my game,” adding that although the wind was severe at times, the conditions did not affect her play.   

Torres’ success focused on the par-threes, which she played three-under par while Chemin’s 1-under par round was a remarkable recovery, after opening with a double-bogey when her tee shot caromed out-of-bounds.

The 48^th edition of the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship features a 103-player field from 35 countries.