After a night of refreshment and enjoyment downtown in Emporia, KS players woke up bright and early to begin their first day of competition. With the sunrise came predictions of a day with strong winds and a temperature in the triple digits. This created a vicious environment for multiple rounds of tournament play. By the time the sun hit its apex in the sky thermometers read 105 degrees with a heat index of 111 for the 2013 Amateur and Junior World Championships.

This left players with a true test in endurance and the ability to sustain through hellish temperatures. This heat made it difficult for players to finish the competition. The event lost several competitors but the rest battled through the heat and left them anxious for the next day’s action.

In the Advanced Men division the sun set on the day with 1000 rated Joseph Stettinger of Oklahoma City, OK holding a two throw lead over his closest competitor. Stephen Economos of Worcester, MA is the man in second with a solid -14 for the day. In the Advanced Women division Kristen Chandler ended the day holding onto first by one throw leaving her in a battle with the next several competitors for the victory spot. Anything is possible in this division as the courses can be tough and the days are long and hot.

Advanced Master Keith Walker of Yukon, OK played a solid first round and came out on fire for the second round to sit above the rest. When his last putt splashed the chains he gave himself a three throw lead over Kansas native Danny Craig, the only other Advanced Master under par. On the flip side, Trina Lettig of Mesa, AZ gave herself a solid four throw lead over the rest of her field by maintaining smooth play and chipping away at the course. 

The Advanced Grandmasters division is the closest of the bunch with two players sitting at -4 and holding on to a one throw lead over the next two competitors.  Kansas native Tom Butler and Carrolton, TX resident Mike Anderson held their own and battled the heat until they walked away holding onto the top spot in their division. On the Grandmaster Women’s side SueB Lande of Laporte, CO stands well above the rest ending the day with a solid six throw lead over her closest competitor.

With hot skies radiating down on every player, the Senior Grandmasters had only one round for the day. After all cards were turned in Ernie Small of Bowling Green, KY led the pack with a solid 57 in the heat. This gave him a two throw lead over his closest competitors and left him hungry for the action on day two.

To top off the age brackets, Advanced Legend’s competitor Pete May of Augusta, GA played a solid round and left him with a one throw lead over his closest competitor, Bob Chard of Grants Pass, OR. The next closest competitor is 12 throws from the lead.

For our Junior divisions Austin Pfaff of Fredericksburg, VA and Omar Williams of Shreveport, LA sit tied for the lead with a three throw buffer over their closest competitors in the Junior Under 19 Boys division. The lead in Junior Under 19 Girls is held by Alex Liebman of Berthoud, CO by a strong 13 throws. Her place is pretty much locked in unless something unexpected happens.

The Junior Under 16 Boys division lead is currently held by Nick Papineau of Tulsa, OK by a strong three throws. Right behind him is the pre tournament favorite for the division, Nicholas Duran of Pinetop, AZ. The Junior Under 16 Girls division is pretty much set as Alex Lambert of Van Wyck, SC holds a insurmountable lead over her only competitor.

Getting close to the end of the divisional run down we find ourselves at the Junior Under 13 Boys division. Here the lead is held by divisional favorite Anthony Barela of Mesa, AZ. After falling short in the first round he burst from the gate in the second round beating everyone in his division by at least 6 throws. In the Junior Under 13 Girls division all is pretty much said and done as Michelle Nava of Beaverton, OR is cruising to victory while the rest of the division is falling far behind.

In the last competitive division at the 2013 PDGA Amateur and Junior World Championships Conall Stillwagon of the Woodlands, TX sits far above the rest. He looks to expand this lead even more as the days go by. His shooting has been excellent for a player in the Junior Under 10 Boys division.

With divisional scores adding up and the rounds getting notched into history, the Champions are beginning their march towards a crown. Tune in to pdga.com to check out updates, live scoring, and news on the event. Also feel free to check out the Flickr feed to see pictures of the 2013 Worlds as they are posted.