Sarah Brown Shoots 70 In Tough Conditions, Grabs Early Lead For Medalist Honors

By David Shefter, USGA

Bedminster, N.J. – Considering the conditions – consistent rain, wind and wet turf – the 2-under-par 70s that Sarah Brown and Ani Gulugian posted Tuesday morning at Trump National Golf Club’s New Course might have been the equivalent of a 65.

Brown, a 17 year old from nearby Lopatcong Township, N.J., took the early lead on stroke-play medalist honors at the 61st U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship with a 36-hole total of 2-under 142. She owned a one-stroke advantage over Gulugian (143), 17, of Irvine, Calif., the only other golfer among the morning-wave golfers to finish under par for two days.

Korean-born Kelly Shon, 17, of Port Washington, N.Y., posted a second consecutive even-par 72 to finish two strokes back at 144. Defending champion Alexis Thompson, 14, of Coral Springs, Fla., struggled in the conditions, firing a 4-over 76 for a 1-over 145 total.

Sarah Brown of Lopatcong Township, N.J., was one of two players to shoot sub-par rounds on the New Course at Trump National on Tuesday. (John Mummert/USGA)

First-round leader Erynne Lee, 16, of Silverdale, Wash., who shot a 5-under 67 on the Old Course Monday, had an afternoon starting time. Following Tuesday’s second round, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play beginning on Wednesday at the Old Course.

But others who played well on the Old Course Monday did not fare as well in the tougher conditions Tuesday on the 6,186-yard New Course layout. Kimberly Kim, 17, of Hilo, Hawaii, the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, shot a 78 (149). Danielle Kang, 16, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., posted 77 (147) and Jennifer Johnson of La Quinta, Calif., one of five golfers to shoot 69 Monday, had a disappointing 80 (149). All should be safe into match play.

While the greens repelled the moisture, the maintenance staff at Trump National did have to squeegee several puddles on fairways. Thompson twice had to take drops for casual water, but said the greens rolled the same as Monday.

Nevertheless, scores were a little higher than Monday.

“I just wanted to stay around par,” said Brown, a quarterfinalist at the 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior. “I thought a couple over would be a good score. So it felt really good to get under par today.

"On that course, 70 is probably an average score for most of the people out here, but today in these conditions, I think it's pretty good. I am happy with it.”

Brown, one of nine children, registered four birdies and two bogeys. She turned at 1-under 35, birdied the par-5 11th hole and finished with seven consecutive pars as the rain began to subside.

“My dad told me before the round to just not over-swing out there,” said Brown, who advanced to the third round of this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at Red Tail Golf Club. “That worked out pretty well.”

Brown’s biggest issue was dealing with her rain grips, which she only used on the first hole.

“I hate playing with rain grips,” she said. “I switched to a [regular] glove after the first hole and it was fine from there.”

Playing most of her golf in sunny southern California, Gulugian rarely sees the adverse playing conditions she faced Tuesday. But the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier adjusted quite well to shoot one of two sub-par rounds among the morning wave. She finished with five birdies and three bogeys. Two of her better birdies came at par-3s. She knocked a 3-wood to 6 feet at the 207-yard seventh and holed a 20-footer at the 155-yard 10th.

“It was pretty tough,” said Gulugian, who has verbally committed to attend UCLA in the fall of 2010. “The wind, the rain, I had it all.”

Like Brown, Gulugian’s biggest adjustment might have been choosing the right club. At the outset, she was going up two clubs for each shot, but as the rain subsided toward the end of the round, it went down to one.

“You got no roll whatsoever,” she said.

By the third hole, Thompson was ready to get inside the comfortable confines of the Trump National clubhouse. Her grips were soaked and the pelting drops were just annoying enough. Thompson, who doesn’t wear a rain glove, only managed one birdie at the par-5 fourth hole after she had just four-putted the 267-yard third with a lob wedge from the fairway.

“After the third hole and non-stop rain, I was ready to be done,” said Thompson, who comfortably will be in the match-play draw.

And even though the rain subsided by noon, Thompson believed the afternoon wave would still be facing difficult conditions.

“It’s not really going to dry up any,” said Thompson. “It’s just going to play really long.”

David Shefter is a USGA Digital Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.