Padungsiriseth fires eight birdies in the first round at the Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior
Maymon shoots 6-under-par in the Girls Division to lead at Deer Brook Golf Club

SHELBY, N.C. —Meechai Padungsiriseth of Bradenton, Fla., carded a 6-under-par 66 to lead the Boys Division after the first round at the Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior. In the Girls Division, Giovana Maymon of Huixquilucan, Mexico leads by two strokes after firing a 6-under-par 66 first-round score at Deerbrook Golf Club.

The Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Deer Brook Golf Club in Shelby, N.C. The tournament field includes 114 boys and 29 girls, ages 12-18 from 21 states, Thailand, Mexico and Canada. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,968 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 5,966 yards.

Despite hot weather, Padungsiriseth used two sets of four-in-a-row birdies to take him to the top of the leader board. Padungsiriseth holds a one stroke lead going into the second round.

“My confidence got a boost today,” Padungsiriseth said. “Golf is always a play as you go type of game, and I plan on being in the moment going into tomorrow's round.”

Patrick Cover of Huntersville, N.C., shot a 5-under-par 67 to take second in the Boys Division. Tied for third, Cory Sciupider of Etowah, N.C., Quinlan Prchal of Glenview, Ill., Mitchell Schneider of Charlotte, N.C., and Andrew Klasing of Charlotte, N.C., all finished at 4-under-par 68.

In the Girls Division, Maymon shot her “best round ever” putting together six birdies to give her the lead going into the second round.

“Shooting a 66 feels amazing,” Maymon said. “Tomorrow I plan on being really patient and positive. This was the best round I ever had.”

Kailey Walsh of Boca Raton, Fla., came in second firing a 4-under-par 68. Rounding out the Girls Division top three, Mary Ellen Shuman of St. Simons Island, Ga., came in at 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 more than 40 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, 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 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

Second-round tee times for the Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior will run from 7-8:50 a.m. for the first wave and 12-1:50 p.m. for the second wave off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at Deer Brook Golf Club. For more information about the Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior, contact Tournament Director AJ Donaldson at (678) 386-1487.