Barr fires a 68 at Blue Bell to grab lead in Junior Tour event

   Anthony Barr of Harleysville put together a solid 3-under-par 68 to grab a three-shot lead in the 16-to-18 division as the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour opened a two-day event at Blue Bell Country Club Thursday.

   There is also 13-to-18 overall scoring for both the boys and girls and men’s and women’s 17-to-24 divisions in this 36-hole event. The Graham Company is the title sponsor of the Junior Tour.

   Barr had three birdies on the back nine and didn’t have a bogey on his card in a surgical tour of the 6,447-yard, par-71 Blue Bell layout. Rishi Bhat of Singapore is in second place after matching par with a 71.

   Alex VanScoy of Newark, Del. is third after a 2-over 73. Episcopal Academy sophomore Jacob Zeng, who helped the Churchmen claim the Inter-Ac League title last fall, heads a group of three players tied for fourth at 3-over 74. He is joined at that figure by A.J. Adams of Malvern and Nicholas Scott of Harleysville.

   Caleb Ryan, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier as a sophomore at Norristown last fall, heads the group of three players tied for seventh at 78. Ryan is coming off a solid 72 at Lu Lu Country Club Wednesday that earned him a berth in the Pennsylvania Amateur, which will be held July 31 to Aug. 2 at White Manor Country Club. Joining Ryan at 7-over 78 are Troy Kelleher of Clarks Summit and Alec Ryden of Moorestown, N.J.

   Rounding out the top 10 is Matthew Law of Yardley at 79.

   Logan Paczewski of Dallas is leading the way in the 13-to-15 division with a sparkling 2-under 69 that is just a shot behind Barr in the overall 13-to-18 scoring. Paczewski had three birdies on the front nine. Matthew Lafond of Blue Bell is in second place, six shots behind Paczewski at 4-over 75.

   Dylan Gooneratne of Plymouth Meeting and Ryan McCabe of Media are tied for third at 76. Gooneratne won the 13-to-15 division in a Junior PGA Championship qualifier Wednesday when he fired an even-par 70 at Pennsauken Country Club.

   Jack Cooley of Chadds Ford and Jake Maddaloni of Newtown Square shared eighth place at 80. Rounding out the top 10 are Jacob Sokalsky of Garnet Valley and Alec Stern of Bryn Mawr, who are tied for 10^th at 81.

   Olivia Gardenhour of Waynesboro carded a solid 8-over 79 to take the lead in the girls 16-to-18 division. Savanah Scott of Quantico, Md. is in second place after an 88.

   Liv Juliana of Malvern is third with a 92, Elaina McGarrigle of Wernersville is fourth at 97 and Lindsey Fogarasi of Collegeville is fifth at 102.

   Kayla Gutierrez of Little Egg Harbor, N.J. is ahead of the pack in the 13-to-15 division with an 82. Gutierrez, who had a solid 40 on the front nine, is second in the overall 13-to-18 scoring, just three shots behind Gardenhour.

   Madilyn Siuta of Quakertown is in second place after a 99.

   Angelina Tolentino of Mount Laurel, N.J. leads the way among the nine-holers with a 2-over 37. Tolentino, who has made great strides on the Junior Tour this season, had birdies on the 16^th and 18^th holes at Blue Bell.

   Nicholas Ciocca of Devon is in second place, five shots behind Tolentino at 42. Nicholas Joyce is in third place at 43. Henry Stone of Kennett Square and William Huntley are tied for fourth at 44.

   The Baggas of Blue Bell account for the next two spots in the standings for the nine-holers as Serena Bagga is in sixth place with a 45 and Ajeet Bagga is seventh at 48. Kevin Lafond of Blue Bell is eighth with a 50, Samuel Cottone of Wayne is ninth at 51 and Marshall Kain of Newtown Square rounds out the top 10 with a 53.

   Andrew Simpson of Perkasie birdied his first hole on his way to a 7-over 78 that gave him the lead in the men’s 17-to-24 division. Shea Murphy of Wilmington, Del. is in second place after an 85.

   Former Perkiomen Valley standout Carly Dorminy is the only competitor in the  women’s 17-to-24 division who completed her opening round, posting an 82.