Buchanan continues to lead at Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Junior Open
Choi, Lee share second-round lead at The Reserve at Spanos Park
STOCKTON, Calif. — Andrew Buchanan of Los Altos Hills, Calif., leads after Wednesday's second round of the Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Junior Open with a total of 8-under-par 136. In the Girls Division, Hee Wook Choi of San Diego and Esther Lee of Los Alamitos, Calif., share the lead at 2-under-par 142 at The Reserve at Spanos Park.
The Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Junior Open is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, Calif. The tournament field features 69 boys and 27 girls from six states, Brazil, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 7,039 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 6,246 yards.
Looking for his first AJGA win, Buchanan carded five birdies for a 3-under-par 69 on the day. Reflecting on a continuing lead, Buchanan said he got off to a better start Wednesday.
“My first tee shot went out of bounds yesterday, but today I birdied the first hole,” Buchanan said. “I got the ball rolling early out there.”
In second place at 2-under-par 142 are Eric Taylor of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Michael Howe of Temecula, Calif. Zane Thomas of Las Vegas stands alone in fourth place at 1-under-par 143. Tied for fifth place at even-par 144 are Travis Rowney of Pleasanton, Calif., Lawrence Ree of Redondo Beach, Calif., Thomas Lim of Moorpark, Calif., Justin Suh of San Jose, Calif., Andrej Bevins of Elk Grove, Calif., Sebastian Crampton of Pacific Grove, Calif., and Robert Deng of Irvine, Calif.
Choi maintained a share of the Girls Division lead, recording a 2-under-par 70 on the day with a bogey-free front nine. Coming off two AJGA tournament wins in 2010, Choi is looking for another title. Choi said she is confident for Thursday's round paired with Esther Lee.
“I'm excited to play with Esther tomorrow,” Choi said. “She's a great friend and a great player.”
Lee, currently ranked No. 21 in the Polo Golf Rankings, made five birdies en route to a second-round 4-under-par 68. Improving by six strokes from Tuesday's first round, Lee made her comeback.
“I was on the green, hit most fairways and really didn't have any hard shots to play,” Lee said. “It was a really easy, simple round.”
In third place with a tournament total 1-over-par 145 is Amy Lee of Brea, Calif.
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 more than 40 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, 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.
The Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau was founded in 1979 and is the official destination marketing organization for Stockton, Calif. The bureau's mission is to promote Stockton by increasing the awareness and enhancing the image of the city's diverse cultural, historical and recreational assets. Since its founding, the bureau has been integral in bringing hundreds of quality regional, national and international sporting events and tournaments to Stockton. More information can be found at www.VisitStockton.org.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.
Final-round tee times for Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Junior Open will run from 7:30 a.m. — 12:40 p.m. off the No.1 tee. For more information about the Stockton Convention and Visitors Bureau Junior Open, please contact AJGA Tournament Headquarters at (678) 327-6982, or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.
#AJGA#
