Furlong still leads field in provincial golf championships

If Mike Furlong was disappointed when the provincial amateur golf championships were moved from his home course of Bally Haly in St. John’s to The Wilds on Salmonier Line, he hasn’t shown it through two days of of competition.

On Tuesday, the day after he tied the course record with a three-under-par openinground 69, Furlong followed up with a 75, giving him a seven-shot overall lead in the championships which feature nearly 100 male and female golfers competing in eight divisions.

The event was relocated to The Wilds when it was determined winter damage to the course at Bally Haly meant it couldn’t provide was the provincial golf association deemed as “championship conditions”

Like many of the competitors this week, Furlong is eligible for more than one division, so he also leads the men’s midamateur.

Jaron Flynn of Bally Haly, who had a 76 Tuesday, is second in both divisions, followed three golfers at 153 — senior division leader Chuck Conley of Bally Haly, Nikashantess Penashue of Sheshatshiu, and Golf NL Hall of Famer George Chaulk of Harmon Seaside Links in Stephenville. In all, there are seven golfers within four shots of Flynn. It would be eight if super-senior leader Don Boland (155) was entered in the men’s amateur. Judy Gillam of Humber Valley Resort leads all four women’s divisions after an 81 Tuesday gave her a 167 total.

She leads the first-round co-leaders — Bally Haly’s Janet Mills and Gale Roberts — by two and five strokes respectvely, carded 84s to tie for the lead in the women’s amateur, mid-amateur and senior divisions, and are two strokes up on

Play concludes today. The championships are also used to select provincial teams for Atlantic and national championship later this summer.