Hu used an eagle on No. 9 to recover from a double bogey on No. 8, and that helped him secure a lead after the second round. The first round left Hu in uncharted territory, tied for the lead in an AJGA tournament. The rising sophomore was encouraged by how he responded, and he will rely on that experience entering the final round.
“I chipped in on hole 9 for eagle which put me back on my game,” Hu said. “I was quite nervous last night to be honest because it was my first time leading an AJGA tournament. I focused on my game, my shots, not how many I am leading by. I think it is really important to have the feeling of being in the lead.”
C.J. Easley of Oxford, Miss., sits in second at 7-under-par 135. Simms Abney of Madison, Miss., is in third at 5-under-par 137. Hayden White of Benton, La., Connor Howe of Ogden, Utah and Brendan Patton of Alpharetta, Ga., are in fourth at 4-under-par 138.
Bae maintained her composure while playing with the lead in just her second AJGA tournament. Bae struggled with accuracy at times, but she relied on her putting to overcome wayward shots. After two straight rounds below par the incoming freshman is growing quite fond of WindStone Golf Club.
“My shots didn’t always go the way I wanted to but my putting helped,” Bae said. “I think the course actually suits me really well, I like the course. Even though tomorrow is the final round I need to just relax and play at my own pace.”
Katherine Muzi of Walnut, Calif., holds second place at 5-under-par 137. Michaela Morard of Huntsville, Ala., is in third at 3-under-par 139.
Final round tee times will run from 8:00 a.m. – 10:01 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at WindStone Golf Club.