Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Daly II sinks hole-in-one in first round
FAYETTEVILLE — John Daly II sank his first hole-inone to highlight the first day of the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational on Tuesday.
The 13-year-old son of former Razorback and professional golfer John Daly, “Little John” came up huge on Fayetteville Country Club’s second-longest par-3.
Daly II didn’t whoop and holler after his eagle on the 190-yard seventh hole. He raised both arms with his fiveiron in his left hand, but mostly had a been-there, done-that reaction to the rare feat.
“I was pretty excited, but celebrating, that’s just not me,” Daly II said. “I thought it was going to come up short, but it got a good kick and went in.”
Playing in the heat of an afternoon flight with his father following along in a golf cart, Daly II finished the day tied for ninth with a 1-over 71, putting him four strokes off the lead. He couldn’t wait to hit the putting green after his round because of “a few bad breaks” and in preparation of today’s 10 a.m. start.
Thirteen-year-old Jackson Van Paris of Pinehurst, N.C., shot a 3-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round. Van Paris said the greens were slick and “pretty small,” so staying in fairways and hitting greens “in the right portion made for some
easy putts.”
Four birdies in his first six holes also helped.
“I started with two good wedge shots that landed twoto three-feet from the hole,” said Van Paris, who also birdied the 13th. “That got my under round going and I just had to keep playing after that.”
Austin Liu of Oak Park, Calif., is one stroke back of Van Paris at 2-under while three golfers are tied for third at 1-under.
Elina Sinz of Katy, Texas, shot a 3-under 67 to lead the girls division by two strokes. Like Van Paris, a fast start keyed her low round. She had birdies on two of the first three holes and sandwiched birdies on Nos. 13 and 18 around a bogey on No. 15.
“On the first hole, my third shot was a wedge shot six or eight feet from the hole,” Sinz said. “I hit the putt and it gave me good motivation to have a good round.”
Two other Texans, Makenzie Niblett and Sadie Englemann, both of Austin, are tied for second at 1-under along with Zoe Antoinette Campos of Valencia, Calif.
Both Sinz and Van Paris said the course plays shorter than what they’re accustomed to at other American Junior Golf Association events. That rewards players for distance off the tee and for accurate approaches to the greens.
“This course plays really well for me,” Sinz said. “I hit it pretty far for a girl, so coming into greens with shorter irons and wedges felt really good to me today.”