Cronkhite and Johnson Chasing South Dakota's Westra For Jr. Boy's PGA Championship in Chaska

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  CHASKA, Minn. – Tyler Westra’s round of 3-under par 69 Thursday put him on top of the leaderboard following the opening round of the 2017 Minnesota Junior Boys’ PGA Championship at Chaska Town Course.

Westra, a Sioux Falls, S.D., native, will take a slight one-shot advantage to Friday’s final round over Gavin Cronkhite and Jack Johnson who both fired rounds of 70 to begin the championship.

Stumbling out of the gate with a bogey on the opening hole, Westra quickly found his footing by rolling in a short eagle putt at the third, rolling his tee shot at the 287-yard, par-4 to inside of 10 feet.

A pair of birdies at the fourth and fifth holes would put Westra on to the final nine holes at 3-under par, where he would card a two more birdies that were erased by a pair of bogeys as Westra jumped out to the early lead at the 36-hole event with a 69.

Cronkhite, from Lakeville, Minn., finds himself only one shot back entering Friday’s final round despite taking a double-bogey on the opening hole Thursday. He quickly bounced back with birdies at the third and eighth holes to turn at even par.

Rolling in birdie to begin the final nine, Cronkhite gave back a stroke on the following hole with a bogey, but finished strong by sinking a pair of birdies on the final two holes to shoot 70.

Johnson, of Chaska, Minn., also fired a 2-under par 70 Thursday, thanks to three birdies with one bogey over the front nine. Unable to get up-and-down at the par-3 12th, Johnson fell to 1-under, but took advantage of the par-5 18th to join Cronkhite in second place, one shot back of the lead.

South Dakotan Will Grevlos will begin Friday’s final round in fourth place after shooting a 1-under par 71, while Benjamin Warian and Joe Abdo finished the opening 18 tied for fifth at even par 72.

The top two players from the field of 79 golfers will earn an invitation to the national championship July 31-August 3 at The Country Club of St. Albans in St. Albans, Mo.

The final round of the 2017 Minnesota Junior Boys’ PGA Championship is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Chaska Town Course.



2017 MN SECTION BOYS JUNIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
CHASKA TOWN COURSE
CHASKA, MINN.
6,687 YARDS, PAR 72


THURSDAY’S RESULTS
1. Tyler Westra, Sioux Falls, S.D., 33-36—69
T2. Gavin Cronkhite, Lakeville, Minn., 36-34—70
T2. Jack Johnson, Chaska, Minn., 34-36—70
4. Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls, S.D., 37-34—71
T5. Benjamin Warian, Stillwater, Minn., 36-36—72
T5. Joe Abdo, Edina, Minn., 36-36—72
T7. Joshua Yang, Cottage Grove, Minn., 36-37—73
T7. Caleb VanArragon, Blaine, Minn., 36-37—73
T7. Connor Glynn, Waconia, Minn., 36-37—73


For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpgajr.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpgajr17/event/mnpgajr1729/contest/17/leaderboard.htm