> Named “Aces and Eights,” the eighth hole lived up to its name Saturday. Zecheng Dou’s 6-iron from 177 yards found the bottom of the cup, giving him the ninth hole-in-one of his career. The ace helped him to an even-par 72, which is good for a share of eighth place. Grayhawk Golf Club will give him a commemorative flag and add his name to the “Hole-in-One Club” plaque that hangs in Phil’s Grill.
> Matt Gilchrest of Southlake, Texas, posted a seemingly nondescript 1-over-par round today, but his 73 shots don’t accurately reflect the last 73 hours of his life:
Wednesday, Matt was 1,070 miles from Grayhawk Golf Club and sixth on the alternate list.
Thursday, Matt got a call with an invitation to fill the void left by Shun Yat Hak’s withdrawal.
Friday, Matt and his dad flew from Dallas to Phoenix, but his clubs missed the flight and remained in Dallas overnight.
Saturday, Matt planned on playing with the head pro’s clubs during the first round. After spending hours at the airport, Matt’s dad arrived at the golf course with his clubs 20 minutes before his 8:05 a.m. tee time.
An eagle and a birdie highlighted a bogey-free front nine 33, and Matt even held the lead for portions of the morning. Though he fell to a tie for 15th through 18 holes, Matt’s next three days will certainly be more predictable than the last.
> While an international boy has never won the Thunderbird International Junior, Max Orrin (United Kingdom) and Hannes Ronneblad (Sweden) have put themselves in good position through one round. Max is part of the four-way tie for second after a 2-under-par 70, while Hannes is tied for sixth at 1-under-par.
> Recent success seems to be paving the way for four players in the top seven in the Girls Division. Shannon Aubert won in her last start at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational in March and is one of three co-leaders, while Moriya Jutanugarn won the Scott Robertson Memorial last weekend and is tied for fourth. Alison Lee (T4) also has a win this season, as she opened with a victory at the ANNIKA Invitational, and Ashlan Ramsey (T7) won the Sea Pines Junior Heritage in February.
- Chris Richards, AJGA Communications