BERNARD BURSTS INTO LEAD AT BALLANTYNE WITH 2-UNDER-PAR 70
Jackson sets course record; extends her lead with a  4-under-par 68

Charlotte, N.C. — Michael Bernard of Huber Heights, Ohio, fired a 2-under-par 70 to take a three-shot lead and make the jump from a tie for third to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Junior All-Star at Ballantyne. Janie Jackson carded the first under-par round in the Girls Division for the tournament after a 4-under-par 68 to extend her lead to five shots.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Junior All-Star at Ballanytyne features 78 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-15, from 23 states, Canada and Mexico. The 54-hole stroke play event is being played at the par-72 Ballantyne Country Club. The Boys Division is playing the course at 6,750 yards while the Girls Division is playing at 5,922 yards.

Bernard recorded three birdies on his round against only one bogey. All three of his birdies came on Ballanytne Country Club’s par-5 holes, including a two-putt birdie at No. 11. After a 69 yesterday, the 15-year-old Bernard sits at 5-under-par 139 in his first AJGA event.

“I was hitting a lot of fairways and greens,” Bernard said. “I wasn’t giving myself a lot of short birdie opportunities, but I only made one bogey. I didn’t get myself in any trouble and I played solid. If I hit the ball close and make a few putts, I can go low. I don’t want to give anything away.”

Jack Maguire of St. Petersburg, Fla., is in second place with a 2-under-par 142 total after firing a 3-under-par 69. William Zalatoris of Plano, Texas and Lucas Kim of Toronto, Canada are tied for third at 1-under-par 143. In a tie for fifth place at even-par 144 are Jordan Sweet of Bowie, Md., Wil Brown of Statesville, N.C., Sawyer Shaw of West Palm Beach, Fla., Dylan Siebenaler of Sugar Land, Texas and Matthew Gerard of Rocky River, Ohio.

Jackson’s round featured six birdies against two bogeys. She birdied Nos. 11, 14 and 18 on the back nine for a 4-under-par 68 on the day. Jackson is the only player in the Girls Division under par for the tournament at 3-under-par 141.

“I hit everything straight off the tee, my approach shots were good,” Jackson said. “I kept confident the entire time. It’s nerve wracking to be leading going into the final round. I need to do the same thing I did today again tomorrow.”

Giovana Maymon of Huixquilucan, Mexico is in second place after an even-par 72 for a 146 total. In third place at 4-over-par 148 is Sierra Sims of Austin, Texas.

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 USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 200 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 350 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.

The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series is a collection of 11 events specifically designed for boys and girls ages 12–15 and presents opportunities for younger members to develop their skills and earn entry into Open tournaments. Juniors are limited to a maximum combination of five AJGA Open and Junior All-Star Series events during a calendar year. The series concludes with the Junior All-Star Invitational over Columbus Day weekend for winners and top finishers in the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events.

Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy, a full-time junior golf training and development program, enters its first year as an Official Partner of the AJGA. The partnership features an endowment of an Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and the naming rights to the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series, which will provide juniors access to national competitive golf opportunities.

Final-round tee times will run from 7 a.m. — 12:20 p.m. off the No. 1 tee, Thursday, June 11. For more information contact Tournament Director Andrew Greenfield at (770) 601-8922.