CARSON TAKES MEDALIST HONORS AT OSSO JUNIOR AT OAK TREE SRIXON QUALIFIER
Curtis, Oswald take Boys Division co-medalist honors in windy and wet conditions

EDMOND, Okla.— Kalynd Carson of The Woodlands, Texas, took medalist honors Monday at the Srixon Qualifier for the OSSO Junior at Oak Tree carding a 5-over-par 75. In the Boys Division, Jade Scott of Daingerfield, Texas, and Payne Wilkie of Austin, Texas, both battled soggy and gusty conditions to post 2-over-par 72s and end the round as co-medalists.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the OSSO Junior at Oak Tree Srixon Qualifier was an 18-hole, stroke play, shotgun start event held at Oak Tree Country Club — West Course. The 60-player field featured juniors from 17 states and Canada. The course was played at 6,445 yards for the Boys Division and 5,697 yards for the Girls Division.

Carson, who will play in the tournament field Tuesday, discussed some facets of her game which she hopes to improve before next round.

“I wasn't hitting the ball very well,” Carson said of her round. “I plan on working on my swing before tomorrow.”

Also qualifying for this week's tournament were Susannah Grunden of Krum, Texas, and Taylor Lopez of Plano, Texas. Casey Grice of College Station, Texas, and Heather Smith of Fort Worth, Texas, both qualified but opted to take a Tournament Exemption.

In the Boys Division, co-medalist Scott rebounded from a triple bogey on his second hole of the day, No. 10, to card the low score of the day along with Wilkie.

“I felt relieved after making that birdie,” Scott said. “I knew if I could just get back to making birdies I could get back on track.”

Both Scott and Wilkie opted to take Tournament Exemptions after the qualifier in lieu of playing this week. Clayton Hooper of Norman, Okla., David Persons of El Paso, Texas, Gregg Davis of Parker, Colo., Ryan Trujillo of Albuquerque, N.M., Landon Morgan of Edmond, Okla., Gabriel Antony of Rockwall, Texas, Christopher Muriana of Stillwater, Okla., Patrick West of Tulsa, Okla., and Corbin Light of Plano, Texas, will all play in the OSSO Junior at Oak Tree this week. Blake Vinson of Fort Worth, Texas, John McIntosh of Oklahoma City, Cooper Denton of Plano, Texas, and Steven Woodard of Palestine, Texas all qualified but opted to take a Tournament Exemption.

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 largest Association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 foreign countries.

SRIXON Sports USA, Inc., based in Lawrenceville, Ga., has been distributing premium golf balls and equipment in the U.S. since 1997 and is a subsidiary of SRI Sports Limited. SRI Sports Limited is the number one golf club manufacturer in the world's second largest market, Japan, and is one of the world's leading patent holders in golf ball technology. SRIXON golf balls earned 26 tournament victories on multiple professional tours around the world in 2006.

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.

Tournament tee times will run from 7:30 - 9:09 a.m., and from noon - 1:39 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at Oak Tree Country Club — East Course. For more information about the OSSO Junior at Oak Tree, please contact tournament headquarters at (405) 430-1010 and ask for AJGA Headquarters.