DAVIS CARDS 4-UNDER-PAR 68 TO MEDAL IN BLUFFTON
Inoue leads Girls Division with 4-over-par 76

BLUFFTON, S.C. — Coley Davis of Bluffton, S.C., fired a 4-under-par 68 Sunday to lead the field by one stroke and claim medalist honors in the K¹² Qualifier for the Heritage Junior Championship. Noriko Inoue, also of Bluffton, S.C., carded a 4-over-par 76 in her second AJGA event to medal in the Girls Division and qualify for this week’s tournament.
           Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the K¹² Qualifier for the Heritage Junior Championship was an 18-hole stroke play event held at Berkeley Hall – South Course. The qualifier field featured 77 boys and seven girls, ages 14-18, from 12 states and Argentina. The Boys Division played the par-72 layout at 6,924 yards, while the Girls Division played the course at 6,056 yards. K¹² Qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to "play their way in" to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or earn a Tournament Exemption or Performance Star for a future event. The K¹² Qualifier Series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events.
            After beginning his round with bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11, Davis fired back, carding four birdies in a row, later adding two more to bring his total to six on the day. The Heritage Junior Championship will be the Bluffton native’s second AJGA event after playing in the tournament a year ago. He said his familiarity with the course helped him through his round and would aid him in the coming week.
            “I like the Berkeley Hall course a lot, it really suits my game,” Davis said. “I was able to shape shots when I needed to today, and my irons and short game were perfect.
            Joining Davis in the tournament this week will be Jack Howard of Cartersville, Ga., Zachary Grossman of Charleston, S.C., J. Forrest Riddle of Greenville, S.C., Alex Perkins of Jacksonville, Fla., Christian Humber of Fayetteville, Ga., Chenxiao Duan and Yinchi Liu of Bradenton, Fla., Preston Flick of Douglasville, Ga., Tobias Lacruz of Pilar, Argentina, Matthew Mierzejewski of Cumming, Ga., J.B. Suk of Hilton Head Island, S.C., and George Perkovich of Blacksburg, Va.
            Qualifying in the Boys Division, but choosing to take a Tournament Exemption in lieu of playing in this week’s event are Thomas Stewart of St. Augustine, Fla., Brant Patton of Evans, Ga., Scott Simpson of Morrison, Ill., Kyle Arakelian of Raleigh, N.C., Scott Wolfes of St. Simons Island, Ga., Edward Waller of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Travis Williamson of Brunswick, Ga., Ross Slaughter of Clemmons, N.C., and Joe Maziar of Atlanta.
            In the Girls Division, Inoue carded 39-37 on the front and back nines, respectively, en route to a 2-stroke victory and a spot in this week’s tournament field. The 16-year-old said she wasn’t satisfied with her round, but hoped to improve in the coming rounds.
            “I was hitting my irons pretty well today, but I need to practice my short game because my putting was pretty bad today,” Inoue said. “I’m really excited about qualifying for the tournament; I really wanted to play this week so I’m very happy.”
            Also qualifying for the Heritage Junior Championship are Yingzhou Yun of Hilton Head Island, S.C., Courtney Boe, and Heather Wiquist, both of Bluffton, S.C.
            K¹² Inc., a technology-based education company, is the nation's leading provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in grades K-12. K¹² provides its curriculum and academic services to online schools, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families. Over 55,000 students in 23 states and the District of Columbia are enrolled in online public schools that use the K¹² program. K¹² Inc. also operates the K¹² International Academy, an accredited, diploma-granting online private school serving students worldwide. The K¹² academic program is used by many young people pursuing careers in athletics, music, art, acting, and other professions that require a high degree of scheduling flexibility. More information can be found at www.k12.com.
            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 an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and more than 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, 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. More than 200 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 350 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.    
            For more information about the Heritage Junior Championship, please contact AJGA Tournament Headquarters at (843) 815-9304.