LOCKTON KANSAS CITY JUNIOR
Milburn Golf & Country Club
Overland Park, Kansas
August 9 -12, 2004
CHEN AND LONG MAINTAIN LEAD BY ONE-STROKE
Yocum takes over Girls Division lead
Overland Park, Kan.—The competition became fierce as the four first-round leaders faced the heat of the second round at the Lockton Kansas City Junior. Jeffrey Chen and Jace Long remained at the top with two-day totals of 4-under-par 140. Shannon Yocum snuck out from behind and snatched the Girls Divison lead with a two-day total of 5-over-par 149.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Lockton Kansas City Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event featuring 101 of the nation’s premier junior golfers, ages 12-18, from 24 states and China, including 11 Kansas natives. The event is being held at Milburn Golf & Country Club.
The competition may be getting hotter by the second, but Jeffrey Chen, 15, of Walnut, Calif., said that he’s going to outlast it by focusing on playing his own game and hoping for the best.
“It’s a new experience for me to keep up a lead,” he said. “Today I tried to hit fairways and the middle of the greens and I tried not to get too aggressive. Birdies were a lot easier because I was hitting the ball a lot closer to the hole. For the final round I’m going to keep playing my game, same strategy, and I’m going to have fun out there.”
Chen shot a second-round score of 1-under-par 71 and hopes to match or go lower than his first round score of 3-under-par 69 in the final round.
Consistency was the key to the second round for Jace Long, 14, of Dixon, Mo., who also shot a 1-under-par 71. Seventeen pars and a lone birdie on No. 17 helped Long to remain at the top.
“The competition is going to be tough tomorrow,” he said. “Everyone is looking to do well, so I’m just going to play some golf. If I hit my driver straight and make putts, then I’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to it.”
Following the leaders are Brent Potts of Broken Arrow, Okla., with a 3-under-par 141, and Brad Gershon of Overland Park, Kan., and Nick Geyer of Agoura Hills, Calif., with even-par 144s.
Emerging as the leader in the Girls Division is Yocum, 17, of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., who said that the course really suits her game. Yocum shot an even-par 72 in the second round, improving her first round score by five strokes.
“I really like the course a lot,” she said. “I played pretty consistently today. Nothing really stood out. I had a lot of pars and some nice approach shots. I feel confident going into the final round. All I need to do is play the course like I did today.”
Behind Yocum are Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., with a 7-over-par 151, and Lucy Nunn of Lawton, Okla., with a 8-over-par 152.
Final round tee times will run from 7 a.m. – 11:57 a.m., Thursday at Milburn Golf & Country Club.
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 largest association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior 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 U.S.A., a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became an AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr and Beth Bauer.
For more information on the Lockton Kansas City Junior, contact Tournament Headquarters at (678) 617 - 2424
