FAMILY TOYOTA/FAMILY HONDA JUNIOR QUALIFIER

presented by Cox Media

Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club – South Course

Coto de Caza, California

August 15, 2004

HAKES AND CHEN CLAIM MEDALIST HONORS AT COTO DE CAZA

Sixteen players qualify for event

COTO DE CAZA, Calif. – As dusk fell over Southern California, Taylor Hakes, 17, of Coronado, Calif., lit up the scoreboard by firing a 4-under-par 68, earning medalist honors at the Family Toyota/Family Honda Junior Qualifier presented by Cox Media. In the Girls Division, Justine Chen, 14, of Lake Forest, Calif., carded a 6-over-par 78 to claim first place.

           
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Family Toyota/Family Honda Junior Qualifier presented by Cox Media was held at the South Course at the Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club. Ninety-seven players, all but one of whom resides in California, competed for a total of 16 spots (13 boys and 3 girls) in this week’s tournament.

           
Hakes, who began his round on No. 11, started his round on fire by recording three birdies on his first six holes. Hakes finished the back-nine with four total birdies en-route to shooting 32. A 36 on the front-nine was enough to leave him two shots clear of the field.

           
“I was making almost every putt I looked at,” Hakes said. “I just want to play as well as I did today in the tournament. My goal is to finish in the top five.”

           
Also qualifying in the Boys Division were California natives Bryce Holloway of Bakersfield, Christopher Lee of Los Angeles, Austin Graham of San Clemente, Michael Bench of La Habra, Blake Shinoda of Santa Ana, Anoop Shah of Tarzana, Kenny Roberts of Seal Beach, Lawrence Hsu of West Covina, Michael Blodgett of San Luis Obispo, Peter Singh of Hollister, Connor Alan-Lee of Solana Beach, Narmon West of Los Alamitos and Michael Drake of Riverside.

           
Ronnald Monaco of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Lawrence Hsu of West Covina, Calif., and Jeffrey Kang of Los Angeles elected to add one Tournament Exemption to their Performance Based Entry status in lieu of playing in this week’s event.

           
In the Girls Division, Chen’s consistent play was enough for her to earn a spot in what will be her first AJGA tournament. The high school freshman-to-be’s 78 was two shots better than the rest of the girls field.

           
“I was able to hit a lot of greens but I didn’t make many putts,” Chen said.

           
Also qualifying in the Girls Division were Madeline Fletcher-Uranga of Los Alamitos, Calif., and Natalie Draganza of Costa Mesa, 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 has a membership of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 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, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004

           
First-round tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday off the No. 1 tee at Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club. For more information about the Family Toyota/Family Honda Junior Qualifier presented by Cox Media, as well as the upcoming tournament, please contact tournament headquarters at (949) 858-4100, ext. AJGA.