GAIN GRABS OPENING ROUND LEAD AT GOLF WORLD/MEDICUS PRESEASON JUNIOR AT FURMAN
Neville carries one-shot lead into final round in Girls Division

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Andrew Gain of Bradenton, Fla., shot an even-par round of 72 to lead the Boys Division at the Golf World/Medicus Preseason Junior at Furman Saturday. In the Girls Division, Jennifer Neville also of Bradenton, carded a 4-over-par 76 to sit atop the leaderboard at Furman University Golf Club.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Golf World/Medicus Preseason Junior at Furman is a 36-hole stroke play event being held at the Furman University Golf Club. The tournament field consists of 76 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 23 states and Canada. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,825 yards, while the Girls Division is playing at 6,012 yards.

Gain,16, posted a string of three consecutives birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 8 en route to a front-nine total of 2-under-par 34. An uphill 12-foot putt to save par on the third proved to be a turning point in Gain's opening round.

“I really putted well today,” Gain said. “After I made the par putt on No. 3, it really seemed like everything was dropping. Even when I missed they were lip-outs.”

Jake Hedge of Billings, Mont., sits in second after posting a 1-over-par 73. Four players are tied for third after the opening round. Crawford Reeves of Greenville, S.C., Jonathan Hammond of Raleigh, N.C., Parker Davis of Salem, Va., and Ben Fogler of Elgin, S.C., each carded 3-over-par 75s.

The 16-year-old Neville will carry a one-shot advantage into Sunday's final round despite playing in her first AJGA event. She credited solid ball-striking for her first-round success, hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation, and hopes to combine that with an improved short game for her first career victory.

“I worked on my chipping and putting after the round today,” Neville said. “Hopefully that will help me lower my score tomorrow. I'm just going to take it easy tonight.”

Trailing Neville by one stroke is Meghan Moore of Bahama, N.C., after an opening round of 5-over-par 77. Courtney Rousse of Holly Springs, N.C., Ashlan Ramsey of Augusta, Ga., Taylor Schmidt of Kincardine, Ontario, and Alexandra Milan of Lutz, Fla., are all tied for third after carding 8-over-par 80s.

Golf World, the nation's oldest and most widely read newsweekly golf magazine, is published by Golf Digest Publications and is part of Condé Nast Publications. Condé Nast Publications, a unit of Advance Publications, includes twenty-eight consumer magazines and their websites, eight uniquely branded websites, the Fairchild Fashion Group, Parade, the Condé Nast Media Group, and the Shared Services Centers.

Medicus Golf and The Medicus Golf Institute are dedicated to enabling all golfers to “Live Their Vision” in reaching their potential. By expanding its corporate vision, mission, products and services, Medicus Golf will enable golfers to learn and grow — both as a person and as a player — in a series of new and exciting developmental formats.

Medicus Golf enters its third year of sponsorship of the AJGA by supporting the Medicus Preseason Series. The Medicus Learning System, a comprehensive series of golf training aids, is dedicated to assisting golfers of all ages.

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 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 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.

The final round for the Golf World/Medicus Preseason Junior at Furman will be an 8:30 a.m., shotgun at the Furman University Golf Club. For more information, please contact AJGA Tournament Headquarters at (864) 294-6283, or visit the AJGA Web site, ajga.org.

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