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WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio -- Chris DeForest of Coteskill, N.Y., shot a 3-under-par 68 Thursday to extend his lead at the 2007 Westfield Junior PGA Championship to six strokes. He tied the 36-hole record of 133 set by 2006 winner Joe Monte of Chantilly, Va., and accomplished the feat in 2005 on the South Course at Westfield Group Country Club.
DeForest, son of PGA Head Professional John DeForest of Rondout Golf Club in Accord, N.Y., has only two bogeys to go along with nine birdies and one eagle through his first 36 holes.
His strategy and comfort level, having played in this Championship four previous times, both seem to be working extremely well.
"Though I did not make many birdies, making par was still really good and I was able to eliminate any huge mistakes," said DeForest, whose previous best finish was a tie for tenth in 2004. "What saved me today was my chipping, which was the worse part of my game coming into the tournament. But I got the ball up and down on seemingly every occasion after missing the green, which turned out to be really good."
Monte, who finished several hours earlier, moved into a tie for second after a 68. He joined a group at 139 that included Luke Guthrie of Quincy, Ill., who also had a 68, Mark Johnson of Tulsa, Okla., who turned in a 67 for the day's low round, and Connor Driscoll of Encinitas, Calif., who came with a 71.
"My whole round was really topsy-turvy," said Monte, who is committed to attend Georgia Southern University in the fall. "It was unfortunate with how good my round could have been today. I felt really good over some putts but overall it could have been a lot better then my score indicated."
Also making a second-round push in the boys' division was 14-year-old Anthony Paolucci of Dallas, Texas. His Thursday 67 matched Johnson for the best round of the day.
"I was able to recover from my poor shots much better then yesterday," said Paolucci. "I was able to get off to a really quick start and then finish strong so I am more then happy with my round today."
Kimberly Kim of Pahoa, Hawaii, the reigning U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, grabbed one-stroke lead in the girls' division on a gusty afternoon thsat left 22 players within six strokes of the lead.
Kim played her second consecutive solid round after posting a 1-over-par 73. She was 1 under par through 17 holes, but struggled on her final hole of the day, recording a double bogey on the 424-yard, par-4 18th.
"I had played a solid round through 17 but I did not stay focused on the final hole of the day," said Kim. "They made some of the holes longer, which made it tough, but it is in good shape and well-maintained."
Lisa McCloskey of Montgomery, Texas, and Sarah Brown of Stewartsville, N.J., both sit one stroke back of the leader Kim. McCloskey came in with a 70, the second-lowest round of the day, and Brown had a 72 to keep them in contention going into the third round. Five other girls sit at 5 over par for the Championship, including Cheyenne Woods of Phoenix, Ariz., the niece of 12-time major winner Tiger Woods.
Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., posted the lowest second-round girls' round of the Championship with a 3-under-par 68. Her round included four birdies and only a single bogey. She sits four strokes back heading into the third round.
"There was a major difference in my game today compared to yesterday; 13 strokes better is a drastic change," said Hurst, who is ranked No. 2 in the latest junior golf rankings. "I hit a lot of greens and gave myself a chance for some birdies on both the front and back."
The Westfield Junior PGA Championship, which has traditionally produced stellar golf performances for more than three decades, brings together the best junior golfers to compete for the Jack Nicklaus Trophy in the boys' division and the Patty Berg Trophy in the girls' division.
Since 1976, the Championship has been a stepping stone for competitors to either collegiate or Tour professional careers. The list of past Champions includes some of the most prominent current Tour professionals: Billy Andrade (1981), Billy Mayfair (1982), 2001 PGA Champion David Toms (1984), Sean O'Hair (1998), reigning U.S. Women's Open Champion Cristie Kerr (1995), Trevor Immelman (1996), Grace Park (1996), Aree Song (1999, 2000), In-Bee Park (2001, '02) and Angela Park (2004).
Since 2001, Westfield Group Country Club, owned by title sponsor Westfield Insurance, has been home to the Westfield Junior PGA Championship. The site features the most Tour-like experience in junior golf for players and attendees.
Golf Channel will present a highlight show from the Westfield Junior PGA Championship at a date to be determined.
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