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Two share first-round lead;
defending champ opens with 76

See Slideshow galleries No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4

Austin Berkovsky got off to a slow start Monday, July 16, in his attempt to become the first to win three consecutive boys titles in the Fort Worth City Junior Boys Championship. Austin, an Aledo High graduate who's on his way to the University of Arkansas, opened with a 5-over-par 76 at Meadowbrook Country Club.

Austin Berkovsky is five behind two 16-year-olds from Mansfield, Gregory Yates and Mitchell McLeroy. A scorecard mishap cost Boom Sritart, a 16-year-old from Keller, a share of the lead. Boom, who had dipped to as low as 3-under on his five-birdie round, signed and turned in a scorecard that had a wrong score on Hole 13. He had birdied 13, but the score had been carded as a par and he had to accept the higher score and finish with a 72. He's tied with Austin Struble and Michael Levy.

``It was my fault. I was in kind of shock,'' Boom said, but still exuded confidence about his game as the 14-18-year-old boys move to Z Boaz Golf Course for Tuesday's (July 17) second round. ``I'm getting ready to rip ol' Z Boaz tomorrow.''

The girls championship also begins Tuesday at Rockwood Golf Course. Prisela Campbell will be trying to be the first to win back-to-back girls titles since Stephanie Dukes did in 1998-99.

Although Austin is five behind, he had fallen behind by seven last year when Tanner Mayo opened with a 64.

``I'm probably pretty spoiled, but I play better on the harder courses and faster greens,'' Austin said, though he added that Meadowbrook is no pushover. `` You can make some birdies out here, but you can make bogeys, too. There are some tricky holes out there.''

He said he has definitely thought about being the first to win three boys titles. When he won in 2005, he became the second to join his father on the winner's list. ``If I can get through today and tomorrow and keep myself in it, I'll be fine,'' he said.

Gregory, who finished third at the Starburst in Waco in the 16-year-old division and second in the Junior Amateur this summer, said he played ``pretty good. But I had some rough patches and my driver was a little off.''

One of those rough patches came when he four-putt the par-3 sixth hole.'' His four birdies were offset by three bogeys and the double-bogey on the sixth.

Mitchell said he bought a new driver yesterday ``and I hit it really well today,'' he said. ``I had tested it for about a week and ended up buying it yesterday because mine had caved in. I played good. I hit 14 out of 14 fairways, got most of my ups and downs.

``I had a rough start. I three-putted my first hole (the 16th as the groups teed off in a shotgun start). After that, I put my head down and played well.''

Mitchell carded two birdies and two bogies, and said ``I had a lot of good saves.''

Younger competitors played at Glen Garden Golf & Country Club and Rockwood Golf Course.