Around the Green

Sadie Englemann Extends Lead at Texas State Junior

Sadie Englemann Extends Lead at Texas State Junior
 
HORSESHOE BAY – Sadie Englemann of Austin set one goal heading into Round 2 of the 2017 Texas State Junior Championship: “go low.” It is never easy to follow an opening round 66 with solid play on day two, but Englemann continued to play aggressive en route to an 8-under-par 64. She leads the field by five strokes heading into tomorrow’s final round.
 
“I really figured something out in my putting right as I entered this tournament,” Englemann said. “I made a lot of putts today, and there were actually were a few that I could have made but a lot of them dropped and I was thankful for that.”
 
Englemann started out of the gates with a birdie of the par-4 first and rode the momentum throughout her round Thursday. She carded consecutive birdies on holes three, four and five. Her only dropped shot of the day came on the par-4 seventh, but she turned in 3-under 33.
 
The Westlake High School sophomore began her closing loop with four straight birdies. She carded red figures on the par-5 10th, par-4 11th, par-5 12th and par-3 13th. Following two pars, Englemann added a ninth birdie to her scorecard on the par-4 15th. She stood over a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to fire 63. The ball caught the right edge and spun out, but Englemann’s bogey-free back nine totaled her at 14-under par through 36 holes.  
 
Englemann finished tied for fourth at the 2016 Texas State Junior Championship and won the AJGA Bishops Gate Golf Academy Junior at Horseshoe Bay in April. She said she is confident with her game but knows there is plenty of golf left to play. Englemann said she will simply stick to her aggressive game plan throughout the final round.
 
“There is no reason to play safe,” Englemann said. “There are girls out here that can shoot just as low and I know they will so I’ll just keep on fighting.”
 
Two-time defending champion, Hailey Jones of Dallas, followed her first round 69 with a 6-under-par 66. She sits in solo second and five shots behind Englemann. The feat will be challenging, but the two-time Legends Junior Tour Girls Player of the Year seeks to become the first player in history to win three-consecutive Texas State Junior Championships.
 
Zoe Slaughter of Houston and Austin’s Sara Camarena are currently tied for third at 2-under par overall. The field was cut to 29 players following Round 2.  
 
The final round begins Friday at 7:30 a.m. For more information on the 2017 Texas State Junior Championship click here.