Late Birdies Give Wu and Salonek a Share of the Lead at MN State Junior Girls' Championship

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  HASTINGS, Minn. – Helped by a late surge of birdies Tuesday, Selena Wu and Olivia Salonek each carded a 2-under 70 to earn a share of the first-round lead to open the 78th Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship.

Posting Tuesday’s only rounds below par, Wu and Salonek share a three-stroke lead over Bella Leonhart and Lexi Bartley heading into Wednesday’s second round.

Wu, a soon-to-be sophomore at Minnetonka High School, played her first 13 holes Tuesday with a clean scorecard at even par before rolling in her first birdie of the championship at the par-3 14th.

Taking advantage of the par-5 16th with a birdie, Wu moved to 2-under for the round, but gave back a stroke with her only bogey of the day at the par-4 17th.

Finishing on a strong note, Wu carded one final birdie at the 18th to earn a share of the lead at 2-under 70, in search of her first state tournament victory.

Salonek, winner in 2021 at Le Sueur Country Club, played her first 12 holes in even par before taking the outright lead with a birdie at the par-5 13th.

She moved to 2-under following a second birdie at the 16th, but tallied her only bogey of the round at the 17th.

Salonek, who will begin her collegiate career at the University of Iowa this fall, finished her day by sinking her third birdie of the round at the 18th to earn a share of the early lead with Wu at 2-under 70.

Hannah Boraas, winner of the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship late last month at St. Cloud Country Club, posted a 2-over 74 Tuesday, and will begin the second round Wednesday in fourth.

Shayla Nordlund posted a 3-over 75 Tuesday to take a four-stroke lead over Lexi O’Donnell in the First Flight.

The second round of the 2023 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Emerald Greens.