BELLEFONTE — A second consecutive Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior boys’ championship is well within Justin Thomas’ reach.

The 16-year-old from Goshen, Ky., shot a 5-under par 65 in Thursday’s second round to go from three shots down to a three-shot lead at Bellefonte Country Club.

Girls’ leader Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., will also carry a three-shot advantage into today’s final round, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m.



While rain wreaked havoc with day one of the U.S. Open in New York, the Bluegrass Junior dodged afternoon thunderstorms forecast for the Ashland area.

That allowed Thomas to bolt into first place by displaying the form that last week enabled him to capture the prestigious FootJoy Invitational in Greensboro, N.C.

Thomas made two quick birdies Thursday and nailed five more on the back nine.

“I putted a lot better today,’’ said Thomas, who shot 69 in the opening round. “I caught fire on the back and made some putts when I needed to.’’

Only a bogey on No. 18 — where he hit a tree branch — prevented Thomas from matching his score of 64 from last year’s opening round here.

“I can’t go around complaining about a 65, I guess,’’ he said. “I need to keep hitting it in the right spot. I had a lot of good birdie chances on the front. I could have shot 61.’’

Instead, Thomas’ 65 tied for the low round this week with Lexington’s Ben Fister (also on Thursday). But Thomas knows he still has plenty of work to do to become the first boy to win two Bluegrass Junior titles in the tournament’s 26 years at Bellefonte.

“I need to shoot another low round tomorrow and see what happens,’’ he said.

Sandy Hook’s Jared Flanery is part of a trio tied at 137. Andrew Cho of Howey in the Hills, Fla., and first-round co-leader Tyler Smith also trail Thomas by three shots.

“Justin is a good player,’’ Flanery said. “You’ve got to expect him to do what he’s got to do. This course fits him well and he played well today.’’

Flanery, a Morehead State University signee, is excited about his own position on the leaderboard in the 90-player boys’ division.

“This is the best junior series in the country,’’ Flanery said of the American Junior Golf Association, whose alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel. “Everybody comes from all over to play. It feels great to be good through two days in one of these tournaments.’’

Especially in his home state. Flanery tied for 20th in last year’s Bluegrass Junior.

“It’s a blast coming here,’’ he said. “I love the competition.’’

Flanery capped his 1-under 69 Thursday in fine fashion. His shot from the 18th fairway landed on the green and spun back to within 8 feet of the pin. Flanery drilled the birdie putt after parring the previous 10 holes.

“I played solid all day, just a couple of birdie putts stayed on the edges,’’ he said. “I finally got one to go in on 18.’’

Cho also shot 69 in the second round, while Smith posted a 71 after his first-round 66.

In the girls’ division, Talley settled for a 75 that she chalked up as a bad day. Her two-day total is 143.

Kentucky’s runaway high school champion last fall as a freshman hurt her ankle while shooting a first-round 68 Wednesday. Talley said the ankle was feeling a lot better Thursday, but that she couldn’t get untracked.

“My tee shots weren’t good,’’ Talley said. “Nothing was quite right. I played well the last four weeks and I guess I was due for a bad day. Hopefully, tomorrow I can fix it. As bad as I played, 75 isn’t that bad.’’

College coaches are showing up to watch the up-and-coming player who earlier this month won the AJGA’s John Deere Classic Junior Open in Iowa by 11 shots. Thursday’s crowd was represented by Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, Alabama and Marshall. Talley has noticed the attention.

“It’s cool to see who is out there watching,’’ she said. “It’s fun.’’

Allison Emrey of Charlotte, N.C., and Kendall Martindale of Jefferson City, Tenn., are tied for second at 146.

Martindale, who played in the same group with Talley the first two rounds, shot 71 on Thursday including two birdies in the final four holes.

“I like the course,’’ Martindale said. “It fits my game because I’m a short hitter. I only had one double (bogey) today. It was a pretty good round, but I think I can do better.’’

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.