WIND MAKES BENT CREEK TOUGHER ON JUNIORS

JACKSON, Mo. -- Brutal.

That, in a word, is how young golfer John Kelly described conditions at Bent Creek Golf Course Wednesday in the second round of the Heartland Junior Championships.

With wind gusts strong and inconsistent, the second round wasn't as kind as Tuesday's round where several youngsters shot in the mid-70s.

Kelly, who, along with three other golfers in the 15-16 age division shot a 74 on Tuesday, carded an 84 one day later.

"The wind threw my talent down the drain," said the St. Louis golfer. "The wind even effects your putting. I started off rough; I had an eight on a par-3 and that made my whole round pretty bad."

Said Mike Litzelfelner, tournament organizer: "The course played really hard today. I watched (holes) five and six and they played as hard as I've ever seen. Anyone who shot around 80 today did an excellent job."

The wind didn't affect Dexter's Kyle Christian as much as it did some others. After shooting a 74 on Monday, he responded with a 78 and is currently tied for first place in the 15-16 division heading into today's final round. His two-round score of 152 is a tournament best in any age division.

"It was pretty tough," said Christian, who took second place in the Class 3A state tournament earlier this spring. "But I missed a few 10-foot putts that I should've made. You have to keep the ball down and try to stay mentally in the game."

In the 17-18 group, Billy Woosley maintained his lead, shooting an 80 for a two-round score of 156. The next closest golfer is five strokes back, while Craig Schumer of Perryville sits in fifth place, six strokes back.

In the 13-14 division, Zach Barlow of Percy, Ill. has set the pace with a two-day total of 155. He is four strokes in the lead. Ty Gramling of Cape Girardeau is in fourth place, seven strokes off the lead while Matt Bain of Sikeston shot a 166.

Justin Yoder is leading the 11-12 field with a 75 as two strokes separate first place from fourth place.

For the second-round leaders, see Scoreboard on Page 2B.