Staff report

MORGANTON — Two local golfers are playing in the 15th Joe Cheves Junior Invitational here this weekend at Mimosa Hills Country Club.

Salisbury’s Michael Childress is tied for 17th place after firing a first-round 1-under par 71. Childress, a senior at Cannon School in Concord and a University of Richmond commit, had four birdies on the day.

Charlie Barr, also of Salisbury and Childress’ teammate as a freshman at Cannon, struggled to a 5-over par 77 on Saturday. He is tied for 63rd place. Barr carded three birdies but two double bogeys hurt his round.

Childress and Barr are playing together in next weekend’s Crowder-Dorsett Labor Day tournament at the Country Club of Salisbury. They qualified on Friday with a 68.

The event, featuring 81 of the best junior golfers in the area, concludes with today’s second round. Akshay Bhatia, of Wake Forest, N.C., leads the tournament after Saturday’s 7-under 65.

Lexington’s Emily Hawkins is tied for second place in the girls’ tournament. She shot a 2-under par 70 and trails Rachel Kuehn, of Asheville, by two strokes.