Zamzow keeps head above water

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This article was published 12/07/2020 (1382 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SELKIRK — Play was delayed twice as thunderstorms roared through the area but Swan River’s Crystal Zamzow kept her cool Monday, firing a 7-over 77 to push her lead to two shots with a 156 total after the second round of the Manitoba Junior Golf Championships at Selkirk Golf and Country Club.

The 14-year-old Zamzow will attempt to claim her first provincial junior women’s crown when she tees off with Killarney’s Cala Korman in the final group of Tuesday’s final round. 

Korman, also 14, was second at 158 after a 77 Monday. 

Mikyla Albert, who recently completed her rookie season on the University of Manitoba golf team, was another shot back at 159 after a 9-over 79.

Albert was the runner-up to Kate Gregoire of Quarry Oaks at the 2019 provincial juniors at Pine Ridge. Korman finished third.

Zamzow, Korman and Albert started their rounds in the early afternoon and, with the two weather interruptions, completed their work more than seven hours later.

Zamzow said she struggled after the first restart. 

“I bogeyed the first two holes after we came back — it was pouring rain, which didn’t help any, and I was all scared of how the greens would react and everything else,” said Zamzow.

“The second (restart) was nicer, so it was just getting back in the groove and getting refocused.”

Zamzow finished fourth in this event in 2019 and said she didn’t consider herself a serious threat for the title heading into the event.

“I didn’t even think it was a possibility,” said Zamzow, who still has four more years of eligibility at the junior level. “Getting top three this year was the goal.

“So, the first few days were great but, yeah, it’s a possibility and we’re gonna play the best you can tomorrow.”

Korman said playing six holes before pausing for two hours, then playing another four holes and breaking for another hour before finishing her day was a challenge.

The steady rain didn’t help, either.

“It didn’t bother me much but it did bother me at the same time because I wanted to know what was going on and I wanted to know if we would be playing 27 (holes) tomorrow or finishing today,” said Korman.

“But I think more that the ground was soft for me. So, I chunked a few of them — I was having trouble hitting them clean.

“After each delay I had a bad hole.”

Meanwhile, poor weather also played havoc with the men’s competition.

Only 10 of the 65 competitors were able to complete their second round, leaving the remainder to finish Tuesday morning with the third and final round of the 54-hole event slated for Tuesday afternoon.

Neel Soni of St. Charles carded an opening round 2-under 68 Sunday to open up a two-shot cushion on Rossmere’s Carter Johnson. Ryden Hargreaves of the Wheat City was another shot back in third.

Meanwhile, Defending champ Jacob Armstrong of St. Boniface was four back of the lead after Day 1.

All of the players near the top of the first-day men’s leaderboard had only started their rounds before play was suspended.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14