Sansom Distances Himself by Four at Natural Resources Partners Bluegrass Junior
Talley looks to go wire-to-wire in Girls Division at Bellefonte Country Club

ASHLAND, Ky. — Paul Sansom of Russellville, Ky., went low for the second consecutive day, this time firing a 5-under-par 65 to grab a four-shot lead heading into Friday's final round. In the Girls Division, first-round leader Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., battled through an up-and-down round to hold onto her spot atop the leaderboard.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event held at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Ky. The field features 108 boys and 36 girls, ages 12-18, from 19 states, Canada, Colombia and Thailand. The par-70 course is playing at 6,022 yards in the Boys Division and 5,617 yards in the Girls Division.

Sansom gathered his momentum with two quick birdies in his first three holes and continued his steady play through the rest of his round. The only blemish on his card was a bogey on his second to last hole at the par-4 8th. The consistency Sansom has shown makes him confident that he can get the win, but with plenty of birdies to be had on the course, Sansom said he must continue to score.

“I've been in this position before, I haven't closed it out, so I think my experience will help me out with the nerves tomorrow,” Sansom said. “Hopefully I can get an early birdie in there and keep the momentum going from these past two days.”

Joshua Martin of Pinehurst, N.C., is second at 4-under-par 136, Jake McBride of Hartville, Ohio is third at 3-under-par and Alex Carpenter of Westerville, Ohio is fourth at 1-under-par. In a five-way tie for fifth at even-par are Wesley Gosselin of Knoxville, Tenn., Francesco Ruffino of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Todd McDaniel of Manchester, Ky., Connor Tendall of North Potomac, Md., and Parker Page of Louisville, Ky.

After an opening-round 69, Talley had a tougher go of it Thursday with a 3-over-par 73 that included five bogeys and two birdies. If it hadn't been for some crucial up-and-downs, Talley said her round could have gotten away from her.

Talley, who has four AJGA victories to her name, has been close to claiming the title at the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior with a runner-up in 2009 and a fourth-place showing in 2008. However, this time around, Talley said she is ready to claim the title that has twice eluded her.

“Last year, I lost by one after keeping the lead, so if I keep close to par that will be good for me,” said Talley, who is currently No. 17 in the Polo Golf Rankings. “I just need to keep my game face on.”

Three shots back of Talley in second is Emily Wright of Mason, Ohio at 5-over-par 145 and six shots back in third is Allison Harper of Columbus, Ohio.

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.

Final-round tee times for the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior will run from 7 — 10 a.m. off the No. 1 tee Friday, June 25. For more information contact Tournament Headquarters at 606-326-1744.

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