KOCOLOWSKI, LAWSON, AGNELLO EARN MEDALIST HONORS AT SRIXON QUALIFIER
Top finishers qualify for Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol

ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — Matt Kocolowski of Apopka, Fla., and Andrew Lawson of West Chester, Pa., both shot 1-under-par 71s to earn medalist honors in the Boys Division at the Srixon Qualifier Monday. In the Girls Division, Nicole Agnello of Longwood, Fla., shot 2-over-par 74 to medal in her American Junior Golf Association Srixon Qualifier debut.

Conducted by the AJGA, the Srixon Qualifier for the Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol was an 18-hole stroke play event held at The Links at Madison Green. The 72-player field featured players from 9 states and Switzerland. The Girls Division played The Links at Madison Green at 5,742 yards, while the Boys Division played at 6,585 yards. The top nine players in the Boys Division and the top three players from the Girls Division qualified to compete in the Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol, June 5-8.

After starting off the day with a tee shot into the water hazard on No.1, Kocolowski managed to sink a 40-foot putt to save par and tie for the top spot in the Boys Divison in his first AJGA event.

“I knew it was going to be a good day after that,” Kocolowski said. “I feel good, I'm playing good, and we'll see where it goes from here.”

Lawson, who had taken a day off of school to play in the event, chose to take an AJGA Performance Based Entry tournament exemption in lieu of playing in this week's event.

Also taking tournament exemptions for the day were Andrew Kim of Old Tappan, N.J., Michael Ferranolo of Wellington, Fla., and Brandon Park of Weston, Fla.

Eight other players from the Boys Division also qualified to play in the Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol. Brandon Ramirez of Orlando, Fla. and Carl McCauley of Parkland, Fla., shot even-par 72s to finish tied for third. Finishing tied for fifth were Connor Barry of Jupiter, Fla., T.J. Vogel of Cooper City, Fla., and Yao-Chun Yang of Bradenton, Fla., with 1-over-par 73s. Sterling Searcy, Jr. of Vero Beach, Fla., and Robert Meador III of Miami Lakes, Fla., shot 2-over-par 74s to tie for eighth.

Winning in a five-player sudden-death playoff for the last qualifier position was Andy Quintero of St. Petersburg, Fla., who finished the day at 3-over-par 75.

In the Girls Division, Agnello fired even par on the front nine on her way to medalist honors. The Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol will be Agnello's first AJGA Open event.

“I've heard a lot about AJGA tournaments from other people so it will be a new experience all around for me,” she said. “I'm excited to see what it's like.”

Maria Castellanos of Stuart, Fla., and Kristen Hill of Weston, Fla., shot 76 and 77, respectively, to take the last two qualifier positions in the Girls Division.

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 49 states and 25 foreign countries.

SRIXON Sports USA, Inc., based in Lawrenceville, Ga., has been distributing premium golf balls and equipment in the U.S. since 1997 and is a subsidiary of SRI Sports Limited. SRI Sports Limited is the number one golf club manufacturer in the world's second largest market, Japan, and is one of the world's leading patent holders in golf ball technology. SRIXON golf balls earned 26 tournament victories on multiple professional tours around the world in 2006.

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 Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

First-round tee times for the Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol will run from 7:30-9:27 a.m. Wednesday, June 6 off the No. 1 and 10 tees. For more information on the Birks & Mayors Junior Championship at Mirasol, please contact tournament headquarters at (561) 776-4949, ext. 216.