| KIM FIRES 3-UNDER-PAR 67 TO LEAD CORSEMAX/PHILADELPHIA RUNNER JUNIOR
Gunter, Hildebrandt share Girls Division lead
ELVERSON, Pa. — Danny Kim of Fairfax, Va., carded a 3-under-par 67 Tuesday to take the lead in the Boys Division of the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior. In the Girls Division, Courtney Gunter of Matthews, N.C., and Laura Hildebrandt of Ancaster, Ontario share the lead after firing 2-over-par 72s.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior is a 54-hole stroke-play event being held at Stonewall Links — North Course in Elverson, Pa. The 98-player field features players from 19 states and Canada. The Boys Division is playing the event at 6,591 yards, while the Girls Division is playing at 5,646 yards.
Kim took advantage of his five birdies and said he was able to combine solid approach and putting games to shoot the low round of the day.
“My putting was very solid today,” he said. “When you hit your second shots close to the flagstick, it makes it easy.”
One shot in particular stood out in Kim's mind.
“I hit a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 9,” he said. “It gave me some confidence to keep shooting well on the back nine. There are some holes out there where par is still a very good score.”
Stephen Dressel of Malvern, Pa., and Christopher Orlando of Broomall Pa., are tied for second after carding 2-under-par 68s. Hojin Kang of Longwood Fla., and Chris Wellde of Ellicott City, Md., share the fourth spot at 1-under-par 69.
In the Girls Division, Gunter hit 17 greens in regulation, but said she wasn't able to get her putts to fall.
“It was an up-and-down round,” she said. “I barely missed the fairways with my drives and was hitting the greens on my approach. If I can get the putts to drop tomorrow, my score could be a lot lower.”
Hildebrandt, the Srixon Qualifier Medalist, was able to carry over her success on the green from the qualifier, converting six 1-putts.
“I had two key birdie putts on Nos. 8 and 9,” Hildebrandt said. “It gives you a lot of momentum going into the back nine knowing you can get those birdies.”
Marina Alex of Wayne, N.J., Sarah Brown of Stewartsville, N.J., Kelly Lynch of Severna Park, Md., and Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y., are tied for third at 3-over-par 73.
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.
Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989.
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.
Second-round tee times for the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior will run from 7:30 a.m. — 12:18 p.m. off the No. 1 tee at Stonewall Links — North Course. For more information, please contact Tournament Headquarters at (610) 286-2893.
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