Price, Duan lead Lewis Invitational after two rounds

JOHNSON -- Tip Price entered day two of the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational tied for fourth place in the boys' division of stroke play, but an impressive four-under 68 vaulted the Greenville, S.C. native atop the leaderboard Wednesday afternoon at the Blessings Golf Club.

Price, 14, said getting a feel for the course on Tuesday helped him perform better in round two.

"Really yesterday my 71 was more difficult than today's round," Price said. "I was really having to scramble, and I birdied my last two holes just to get in red figures. I think getting that round in yesterday really helped me."

On the back nine, Price bogeyed consecutively on Nos. 11 and 12, but bounced back with three birdies on the next four holes, including on the par-five No. 15.

"I felt like on the two holes I bogeyed it wasn't that I had bad swings, I just maybe got too aggressive or poorly judged the wind," Price said. "I was able to rebound on the par-five which was big. I never really overthought or lost confidence which makes me really feel good for tomorrow."

Entering today's final round of the invitational, he holds a four-stroke lead over Sihao Cong. The performance gives him a five-under score, leading the invitational overall.

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On the girls' side of play, Olivia Duan posted her second straight even-par round, putting her atop the standings on her 15th birthday.

"It felt really great," she said. "Usually my first round is good and I follow up with a not-so-good second round, but having a good day today, it definitely helps me heading into tomorrow."

Duan, from Cupertino, Calif., entered the day trailing Lucy Yuan by three strokes. Consistency and avoiding major mistakes helped her slowly climb to the lead, she said.

"I think it's a really difficult course," Duan said. "It's very punishing so you definitely have to have a good long game, but also a good short game on top of it, too. Hopefully I can do well tomorrow to close it out. As long as I don't make big numbers, I think I'll be OK."

She'll enter today with a six-stroke lead over Yuan who posted a six-over, dropping to second place.

Duan said gaining familiarity with the course on day one helped her know what to expect for the second round.

"You can't have bad putting because it'll be very devastating here," she said. "Some of the greens are really speedy. From different angles, there are different speeds, and I learned a lot yesterday about the speeds of the green which helped me out today."

Round three today will conclude the 54-hole event, with an awards ceremony immediately following play on the 18th green.