ANYBODY THERE SEEN KELLY? PATRICK GOES SEVEN SHOTS CLEAR IN JUNIOR ORANGE BOWL

English U18 stroke-play champion Patrick Kelly from Boston, Lincolnshire has gone seven shots clear of the field after three rounds in the Junior Orange Bowl international boys' championship over the Donald Ross-designed Biltmore course at Coral Gables near Miami Florida

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CORAL GABLES, Florida: With a solid 5-under par round of 66 and a three-day total of 199, 14-under par, Patrick Kelly hopes to become a wire-to-wire winner of the 49^th Junior Orange Bowl international boys' golf titles - provided he can keep the objective in sight.

For the past three days the 18-year old Englishman from Boston, Lincolnshire has struggled with severe conjunctivitis and has been seeing the ball with only one eye.

“I’ve got used to it, I suppose,” he said, after extending his lead to seven strokes on a blustery overcast day.

In the Girls section, a tough-it-out 74 by Megan Khang was just enough to maintain the lead, reduced from five overnight to a single stroke ahead of Puerto Rico’s Maria Torres, who returned a superb bogey-free 66.

After her round Torres said she wasn’t sure why everything went so smoothly:  “I really don’t know. I was just in my zone today. Everything worked, especially putting. I only missed four greens and got up and down each time, twice with good chips and twice from bunkers. I just felt so good, so in control for the entire round.”        

Khang, who bogeyed four consecutive holes on the front nine, took consolation from the fact she was able to bounce back in the closing stretch. “I think I went out with an over-aggressive mind set, trying to extend the lead early. That did not work out so well, but one thing, I did not get down on myself and I was able to finish strong.”

Nicole Morales, three behind the leader and in solo third slot after her third round of 72, commented wryly,” Well, if nothing else I’m consistent. But I’m still waiting for the one day when my driver and putter both work together. Hopefully that happens tomorrow.”

Khang on the other hand has decided her Sunday plan is simplicity. “I have to get back to my basic routine, play one shot at a time, to concentrate on the task at hand and not on my opponents’ play.”  

Kelly started the day with a single stroke lead but quickly moved ahead with birdies at the 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th.  

“Once again I got off to a really fast start. I’ve been four, three and three under for the first five holes each day, which really helps a lot, particularly today because when I bogeyed 7 and 8 I really wasn’t concerned.”

A birdie at 9 got him back on track and after that he produced some wonderful golf which included a 25-foot birdie putt at the 15^th, followed by a wedge shot from 105yds that finished inches from the cup.

“I’ve never had this sort of lead going into a final round,” Kelly said, “so I don’t know what to expect but I feel confident in my game, so I’ll just try and do what I’ve been doing and see what happens. I still really don’t expect to win, but I’ll be very disappointed if I don’t with this sort of lead.”