| HERRING RECEIVES MEDALIST HONORS AT SRIXON QUALIFIER
Johnson is top medalist at Mid Pines Golf Club
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — William Herring of Lillington, N.C., earned medalist honors in the Golf Pride Junior Classic Srixon Qualifier after carding a 4-under-par 68 Sunday. In the Girls Division, Whitney Johnson of Greenville, N.C., shot a 1-over-par 73 to take home medalist honors.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Golf Pride Junior Classic Srixon Qualifier was an 18-hole stroke play event being held at Mid Pines Golf Club. The 99-player field featured juniors from 14 states. The course was played at 6,502 yards for the Boys Division and 5,887 yards for the Girls Division.
After finishing first in the shotgun start event, Herring will play in this week's tournament. He opened strong with birdies on No. 4 and the par-5 5th hole. The 15-year-old said that in order to stay out of trouble and shoot par or better he had to play the par 5s well. He knocked down three more birdies throughout the rest of the round.
“I was pretty confident at the beginning of the round even though I wasn't expecting too much coming into today,” Herring said. “But I hit the ball straight down the middle and on the greens and made some good putts.”
Herring is excited about playing in this week's tournament, he said, and plans to practice putting so that he can make more good putts this week.
Other qualifiers in the Boys Division include: Brandon Wright of Raleigh, N.C., Troy Spencer of Archdale, N.C., Jeremy Wells of Hopewell, Va., Andrew Knox of Cary, N.C., Ryan Fricke of Raleigh, Conner Sock of Hickory, N.C., Grant Gaugler III of Bradenton, Fla., Jackson Taylor of Wilmington, N.C., and Zachary Garrison of Arden, N.C. Instead of playing in the tournament this week, Wilson Day of Raleigh, Luke Vivolo of Carmel, Calif., and Parker Page of Louisville, Ky., chose to take exemptions.
In the Girls Division, Johnson, 17, said that she felt good throughout the round because her game came together. She made three birdies, including one on the par-5 6th hole. There, Johnson had an easy birdie putt after hitting the ball one foot from the hole with a sand wedge.
“This morning I felt solid mentally, and my shots were really straight,” Johnson said. “I put a lot of hard work into today, and I am excited to see the results.”
Johnson opted to take a tournament exemption in lieu of playing in this week's tournament.
Both Anna Martin of Piedmont, S.C., and Virginia Mayer of Charlotte, N.C., also qualified and will play in the Golf Pride Junior Classic.
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 an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 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 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.
Tournament tee times will run from 7 — 11:48 a.m. off the No. 1 tee at National Golf Club Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
For more information about the Golf Pride Junior Classic, please contact Tournament Headquarters at (910) 295-4300 ext. 231.
|
