SEAN O'HAIR JUNIOR ALL-STAR CHAMPIONSHIP
A Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series Event
The Rawls Course att Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
July 5 - 8, 2010

Eoff, Fernandes Share Early Lead at Sean O'Hair Junior All-Star Championship
Abe shines at The Rawls Course at Texas Tech University

LUBBOCK, Texas — Austin Eoff of Benton, Ark., and Rigel Fernandes of Bradenton, Fla., shot 4-under-par 68s to take an early lead heading into the second round of the Sean O'Hair Junior All-Star Championship. In the Girls Division, Lakareber Abe of Angleton, Texas, shot a 4-under-par 68, giving her a two-stroke advantage on her competition.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Sean O'Hair Junior All-Star Championship is a 54-hole stroke-play event held at The Rawls Course at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The 94-player field features 77 boys and 17 girls from 17 states, Barbados, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,816 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 5,971yards.

The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series is a collection of 10 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. The series concludes with the Montverde Academy Junior All-Star Invitational over Columbus Day weekend for winners and top finishers in the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events.

Playing in his first AJGA event, Eoff wasted no time getting off to an early lead, making birdie on No.1. Eoff would go on to birdie Nos. 4, 7 and 8, making the turn at 4-under. Eoff finished the day with six birdies in total, crediting familiar greens to his success.

“This is the first tournament I have ever played in with bent greens and that is all we have at home so it was definitely easier to putt,” Eoff said. “On No. 4 I birdied to get to 2-under and once I got to 2-under I didn't look back the rest of the day. It felt like home out there.”

Fernandes' start to the round was not as smooth as Eoff's, shooting 2-over through his first six holes. However, an eagle on No. 7 was followed by a flurry of birdies on Nos. 9, 11, 16, 17 and 18.

“I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdies but didn't capitalize until late in the round,” Fernandes said. “The fairways were in great condition and gave me great lies. If I can putt a little better tomorrow it'll be good. Other than that, though, I'm going to come out with the same attitude and mentality in the second round.”

Daniel Jaramillo of Medellin, Colombia, sits in third place with a 3-under-par 69. Jordan Batchelor of St. Johns, Fla., Bernardo Curbelo of Bradenton, Fla., Tsz Fung Tony Mak of Richmond, British Columbia, Justin Jennings of Amarillo, Texas, Austin Duhon of Orange, Texas, and Aaron Guanlao of Haslet, Texas, currently sit tied in fourth place, posting scores of 2-under-par 70.

After a successful practice round, Abe came into the first round looking to take some chances off the tees. Those chances paid off, as she was able to notch six birdies in total.

“I like this course a lot because you can take risks out there,” Abe said. “I took a lot of risks off the tee and hit my driver a lot more than I typically would. My approach shots into the green could improve a bit, but I told myself not to think of the score too much and just get through the day.”

Jordan Ferreira of University Place, Wash., and Hee Wook Choi of San Diego, Calif., round out the Girls Division leaderboard tied in second place with scores of 2-under-par 70.

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 provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

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. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

Second round tee times will run from 7:45 a.m. — 12:55 p.m. off of the No.1 tee. For more information about the Sean O'Hair Junior

All-Star Championship, please contact Tournament Director Katie Jared at (806) 742-4653.

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