Martin Earns First AJGA Win at Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior
Talley Notches Girls Division Victory at Bellefonte Country Club

ASHLAND, Ky. — Joshua Martin of Pinehurst, N.C., carded a tournament total of 7-under-par 203 to take home the champion's trophy at the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior. Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., finished the tournament with a 1-over-par 211 to claim a wire-to-wire victory.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior was a 54-hole stroke play event held at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Ky. The field featured 108 boys and 36 girls, ages 12-18, from 19 states Canada, Colombia and Thailand. The par-70 course is playing at 6,022 yards in the Boys Division and 5,617 yards in the Girls Division.

Martin, the first-round-leader, started the tournament with a 5-under-par 65. After a second-round 1-over-par 71, Martin began the final round with a four-stroke deficit. With four birdies on the back nine, he was able to close the gap. This win is the 13-year-old Martin's first AJGA victory.

“Being the youngest guy out there gave me a little less pressure since no one had any expectations for me,” Martin said. “I put a little pressure on myself to go out there and do my best. Since I was a kid I've been thinking about winning one of these and it feels great.”

Following Martin in second place was second-round leader Paul Sansom of Russellville, Ky., with a 6-under-par 204. Alex Carpenter of Westerville, Ohio, finished third with a 4-under-par 206. Tied for fourth was Jake McBride of Hartville, Ohio, and Todd McDaniel of Manchester, Ky., with 1-under-par 209.

In the Girls Division, Talley claimed top honors after carding two birdies to one bogey en route to her first AJGA win of 2010. The two-time Rolex Junior All-American, who won three events in 2009, contributes this victory to her putting.

“This tournament means a lot to me with it being in my home state and my third year playing in the event.” Talley said. “It's special to me to finally get a win here.”

In second place was Emily Wright of Mason, Ohio, with a 9-over-par 219. Following Wright was Allison Harper of Columbus, Ohio, with a 17-over-par 227.

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.

For more information about the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at 770-868-4200.