Windsor’s Ly retains slim lead at Ontario junior girls championship
Maple City Country Club doesn’t seem nearly as big as it once did to Jasmine Ly. The 17-year-old from Windsor carries a one-stroke lead into the final day of the Ontario junior girls’ golf championship after shooting a 2-over 74 in the third round Wednesday.
Ly was just 13 when Maple City last hosted the tournament back in 2014.
“The course definitely played a lot longer than it did now,” the Team Ontario player said, laughing. “I just hit it a bit further now. Makes it’s a bit easier.”
Ly’s third-round score was her worst of the tournament, but it was still good enough to put her atop the leaderboard. She started with rounds of 72 and 70. “It was good,” said Ly, who plays out of Kingsville Golf & Country Club. “I had a rough start. I started off with a double, but I came back. Then the last four holes were kind of tough because the wind picked up, which made it a little bit more difficult.”
She recovered from her double bogey on No. 1 with two birdies on the front nine, then birdied No. 10 to reach 1-under on the day. She ran into trouble late in the round, posting three straight bogeys on Nos. 15 to 17.
After three days at Maple City, she has a plan for handling the course in the final round. “Back nine, stay below the hole. Do not go above it. Makes it really tough,” said Ly, who has committed to Northern Illinois University for 2019. Second-round leader Sarah Beqaj of Toronto is one stroke behind at 1-over.
She shot a 78 after setting the women’s course record in the second round with a 67.
“Not my best round today,” said Beqaj, 16. “Putts did not go in. I was expecting them to go in, but they did not. It was a little tough, but that’s OK.”