ROACH FIRES 64 TO LEAD RINGGOLD TELEPHONE COMPANY JUNIOR CLASSIC
Lendl and Kim tie for Girls Division lead after first round

RINGGOLD, Ga.—After one round of play at the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic, Wes Roach of Knoxville, Tenn., leads the Boys Division by three strokes, turning in a 6-under-par 64 Tuesday. Tied for the lead in the Girls Division are Marika Lendl of Bradenton, Fla., and Joy Kim of Duluth, Ga., who both shot even-par 70 at WindStone Golf Club.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic is a 54-hole tournament being held at the WindStone Golf Club. The tournament's 99-player field consists of 75 boys and 23 girls, ages 12-18, from 15 states. Included in this field are seven Rolex Junior All-Americans including the defending champion of the Girls Division, Candace Schepperle.

Roach's 6-under-par finish included six birdies and one eagle. Roach finished strong with four birdies in the last six holes of play, giving him a 4-stroke lead going into round two.

“It feels good to be leading, but I know there is still a lot of golf to play,” Roach said. “Hopefully I can keep making putts and hitting fairways.”

Following Roach are: David Yujin Chung of Fayetteville, N.C., who shot 3-under-par 67; and Harris English of Thomasville, Ga., and Lee Bedford of Cary N.C., who both shot 68. Also under par are Spencer Cole of Greer S.C., and William Miller of Venetia, Pa., who turned in matching 69s.

In the Girls Division Lendl and Kim share a 1-stroke lead going into round two. Kim had a strong front side, making two of her three birdies within the first eight holes. Lendl played a solid round making one birdie to match her only bogey.

Kim is satisfied but hoping to improve. “I putted well; I just think I'll have to work on my shots.”

Also looking for improvement, Lendl said, “I played really well; I just want to make more putts, if I do that I should do well.”

Just behind Kim and Lendl are Candace Schepperle of Hoover, Ala., and Jillian Brodd of Knoxville, Tenn., who turned in matching 71s.

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, the largest Association of its kind, has an annual 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 USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural 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, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr, Candie Kung and Paula Creamer.

Second-round tee times for the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday at WindStone Golf Club. For more information, call tournament headquarters at (706) 965-2542, or visit ajga.org.