RINGGOLD TELEPHONE JUNIOR CLASSIC QUALIFIER
WindStone Golf Club
Ringgold, Georgia
June 6, 2004
YOUTH PREVAILS AT WINDSTONE
14-year-olds English and Kim earn medalist honors
RINGGOLD, Ga. – Harris English, 14, of Moultrie, Ga., carded a 5-under-par 65, and Joy Kim, 14, of Lawrenceville, Ga., turned in a 74 to take medalist honors in their respective divisions in Sunday’s Ringgold Telephone Junior Classic Qualifier.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Qualifier was held at the WindStone Golf Club. The juniors were competing for 15 spots (12 boys and 3 girls) in this week’s 54-hole tournament, which will feature 99 players, including nine Rolex Junior All-Americans.
English broke his round open with birdies at Nos. 6, 7 and 9 to fire a 3-under-par 32 on the front nine, then continued his torrid pace on the back nine shooting a 2-under-par 33 and leaving himself four shots clear of the next-best competitor.
English said his putting played a major role in his success. “I made a lot of putts that I usually don’t,” he said. “the greens were really good. If you just get the ball rolling, they roll true. I just tried to give myself the chance.”
The stellar round won’t put English in the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic field, however, as he elected instead to opt out of the tournament in order to improve his Performance Based Entry status.
Benjamin Tewes of Lincoln, Neb., was the only other competitor in red numbers, carding a 1-under-par 69. Matt Cunningham of Chattanooga, Tenn., shot 70 for the second of 12 qualifying spots. Rounding out the boys qualifiers are Matthew Hammock of Hinesville, Ga., Michael Saari of Lilburn, Ga., Tyler Dingman of Raleigh, N.C., Ryan Willis of Alpharetta, Ga., Shane Rhatigan of Alpharetta, Ga., Joshua Lawson of Hixson, Tenn., Graham Shurley of Dunwoody, Ga., David Cline of Atlanta, Cameron Lawrence of Brentwood, Tenn., and Peter Yoo of Norcross, Ga.
Kim, who put herself in prime position for Girls Division medalist honors with an even-par 35 on the front nine, had to bounce back from bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11 and a double-bogey at No. 12 to get back on track.
“My putting was pretty bad during that stretch,” Kim said. “I just focused more on my putting and just made sure that I made pars.”
Kim made pars on the last six holes to take the top qualifying spot by one stroke.
Rolex Junior All-American Whitney Myers of East Berlin, Pa., and Ashley Lance of Franklin, Tenn., each shot 75 to make the qualifying field.
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA has a membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.
Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
First-round tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday off the #1 tee. For more information about the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic Qualifier, please contact tournament headquarters at (706) 935-4355.
#AJGA#
