It was a scorcher for day one of the Boys and Girls Junior PGA Championships at Keney Park, hosted by the Connecticut PGA. There are two exemptions given in each division; the qualifiers will move on to the National Junior PGA Championship contested in West Lafayette, Indiana at the end of July.

In the boys’ division, three players are tied atop the leaderboard at -5 (65). Zhonger Zhang, Enze Miao, and Austin Perkins share the lead, followed closely by Charles Hathaway IV at -4 and Robby Rosati at -3.

When asked about his round, Miao said, “I relied on my putter on the back 9. I hit some amazing putts.” Perkins also caught fire on the back nine, shooting a 6-under 29. He knew the back nine was vulnerable and said he wanted to “keep making sure (I) had tap-in pars,” adding that the mindset “kickstarted” his back nine.

Heat was a factor all day. Miao said, “I had to change clothes on hole 6—I was drenched in sweat.” The high temperature in Hartford was 97 degrees, and the sun was out all day. However, Charles Hathaway IV, playing in his first Junior PGA Championship, had a different mindset. He said, “The weather kept my mind off my game. I was more focused on drinking water than worrying about the next shot.”

Heat will again be a factor tomorrow, as the high is expected to be 98 degrees.

Tee times will begin at 8 a.m. for Round 2 of the Boys Junior PGA Championship.

On the girls’ side, there was a two-way tie atop the leaderboard as Yin Wang and Teresa Esposito both fired rounds of -2 (68). In a close tie for third are Angel Yin and Juyeon Paek at even par (70).

Wang and Esposito both did a good job battling the heat, as their tee times put them on the course during the hottest part of the day. Esposito said, “I think that was the most water I have ever drank,” noting she had to fill up her water bottle multiple times just to stay hydrated.

This was Wang’s first time playing Keney Park, but she said she “relied on her yardage book and shot everything with her rangefinder.” On the other hand, Esposito noted that she “played many practice rounds, so (she) was comfortable.”

Only two girls were under par today; the course played noticeably tougher as the heat rose throughout the day. The girls will tee off after the boys tomorrow, starting at 12:48 p.m. from the first tee.

By Daniel Casanta