Six Boys Tied Atop the Leaderboard After First Round at Nemacolin Junior Classic
Pattamakijsakul shoots low to control lead in Girls Division at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort - Mystic Rock Course

FARMINGTON, Pa. — Following first-round play at the Nemacolin Junior Classic, Andrew Lister of Haymarket, Va., Chris O'Neill of Glen Allen, Va., Davis Womble of High Point, N.C., Jason Sauder of Mount Joy, Pa., James Yoon of Bradenton, Fla., and Todd McDaniel of Manchester, Ky., are all tied for the lead in the Boys Division at 1-under-par 71. Thanya Pattamakijsakul of Nonthaburi, Thailand, leads the Girls Division after firing an even-par 72.

The Nemacolin Junior Classic is a 54-hole tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort — Mystic Rock Course in Farmington, Pa. The 142-player tournament field features 108 boys and 34 girls, ages 12-18, from 19 states, Thailand, Indonesia, United Kingdom and Canada. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,979 yards while the Girls Division is playing at 6,054 yards.

Playing in his first AJGA event, Sauder said he felt nervous teeing off the first hole, but was quickly calmed by making a birdie on his second hole, No. 11.

“After the first hole, making a birdie was a good way to get relaxed,” Sauder said. “I played pretty solid all around and what saved me was my putting and my tee shots.”

Keeping himself out of trouble all round, allowed Sauder plenty of chances to score low.

“I kept myself in play,” Sauder said. “I can't think of any holes where my misses were a bad shot. I missed them where I still had a shot and I didn't make any big mistakes.”

Womble also gave himself chances to score and took advantage of his solid play. Putting was Womble's strong point and his short game didn't disappoint him from inside ten feet.

“I really only hit two bad shots all day,” Womble said. “I putted pretty well from short range. From ten feet out I made all my putts.”

Going into tomorrow Womble said he will look to play more conservatively and choose his shots more wisely.

Pattamakijsakul, who took medalist honors during the K12 Qualifier earlier in the week, kept her golf game at its best as she leads the Girls Division by three strokes. Carding an even-par 72, Pattamakijsakul recorded two birdies on Nos. 5 and 8 to help her define her lead.

Admitting that her score could have been lower, Pattamakijsakul said she hit strong approach shots and did a good job of saving par, but struggled to read the greens well.

“I was able to hit my shorter approach shots close,” Pattamakijsakul said. “But the greens are fast and hard to read.”

Juliet Vongphoumy of Providence, R.I., is in second at 3-over-par 75. In a tie for third are Stani Schiavone of Bangor, Pa., and Christina Cantu of Houston, after shooting 4-over-par 76.

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.

Second-round tee times for the Nemacolin Junior Classic will run from 7:00 — 8:39 a.m. (first wave) off Nos.1 and 10 tees and from 11:30 a.m. — 1:09 p.m. (second wave) off Nos. 1 and 10 tees at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort — Mystic Rock Course. For more information about the Nemacolin Junior Classic please contact Tournament Director Greg Sanfilippo at (678) 936-0163.