Pasternak Sets Course Record, Leads Boys Championship; Three Share Lead at Junior Girls’ at Cobblestone Creek
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Defending champion Liam Pasternak fired a new course record 3-under par 67 to lead the 51st New Jersey State Golf Association W.Y. Dear Boys Championship by five strokes after the first round Wednesday at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Lawrenceville. Three players in Angelina Tolentino, Ellison Lundquist, and Ysabel Liu shot 1-over 71 to pace the 67th Junior Girls’ Championship after the opening 18 holes.
All players will return tomorrow for 18 more holes of stroke play in the final rounds at Cobblestone Creek.
Starting on the back nine, Pasternak opened with a birdie at the 10th -- the first of his seven birdies on the day.
“My putter was outstanding,” Pasternak said. “I didn’t really miss that often. I probably had under 27 putts.”
His onslaught of birdies led to a course record; the first 67 registered at Cobblestone Creek since the course was revamped by Bobby Weed in 2018.
“I was just surprised and excited,” Pasternak said of setting the course record. “I didn’t really have that in my mind at all during the round, but it’s a pretty cool thing.”
Pasternak won last year’s Boys Championship at Watchung Valley by four strokes. He is looking to become the first NJSGA event champion to successfully defend a title since Kelly Sim won the Women’s Amateur in 2017 and 2018, and the first back-to-back W.Y. Dear Boys champion since J.P. Longueil in 1997 and 1998.
Three players share the lead at 1-over par in the quest for the Junior Girls’ Championship.
Tolentino was 1-under after a birdie at No. 14, but after a pair of late bogeys, Tolentino converted an up-and-down from 50 yards to save par at the last.
“I played pretty solid,” Tolentino said. “I was able to keep it in the fairway. I’m pretty happy about how I played.”
And on her mindset for tomorrow? “Just stay patient and stay present. Have fun. Don’t chase for birdies, don’t chase for making putts.”
Lundquist carded a pair of birdies in her 1-over round, while Liu converted 15 pars to share the lead with Tolentino. Sammie Dolce and Madeline Zang (+2) are tied for fourth, as nine players are within four strokes of the lead after the first 18 holes.
The final rounds will commence tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. off of split tees at Cobblestone Creek. Be sure to follow live scoring at NJSGA.org, and stay tuned to the NJSGA’s social media platforms @njsga1900 for updates, news, and player interviews throughout the championship.
