For Lecroy, the journey begins

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: July 14, 2015

UPDATED: Donoho ninth-grader opens IMG Academy Junior World Championship with 87, ends round with birdie

Jacob Lecroy drives into a 15-mph wind on the 470-yard 12th hole of Torrey Pines South during one of his practice rounds for the IMG Academy Junior World Championship.

SAN DIEGO — A long course compounded by a strong wind made for a “pretty interesting” day for Jacob Lecroy.

The Donoho ninth-grader began his Excellent West Coast Golf Adventure Tuesday with an 87 in the opening round of the IMG Academy Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines.

“I didn’t play awful I just had some bad holes that hurt me,” Lecroy said. “I played decent on the holes I did play good. Some of them are just too long. It’s really hard to make par.”

Playing in a steady 20-25 mph wind most of the day, he started the round with a triple bogey and didn’t make his first par until No. 5. The triple left him “a little unhappy,” but not discouraged. He made two birdies, including one to close the round at 18.

“I was thinking I can get this back, I’ve got 71 holes left, but I couldn’t get anything going. The birdie on 18 made it a little better.”

Lecroy shot 80 in both of his practice rounds. The course played at 7,150 yards the first day, 7,450 the second. The length challenges his 15-year-old game compared to his competitors, but the rest of it appears solid. He made a birdie on the 226-yard 11th hole in his practice round, hitting it to five feet.

“The course is really nice,” he said. “I’ve been hitting the ball great; I just can’t get off the tee box. I played with a guy from Colombia who drove it 100 yards past me. There were four par-4s I couldn’t reach driver and 3-wood. I’m thinking I need to par two of them.”

He plays at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday.

While Lecroy was on the West Coast preparing to play in the biggest tournament of his young career, close friends Ott and Dalton Chandler were back home winning the Sunny King Charity Classic in record fashion.

“I’m really proud of them,” Jacob said.