Netzel Climbs Leaderboard at The Legend at Bristlecone
Stewart leads Girls Division by five strokes at McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends

HARTLAND, Wis. — Charlie Netzel of Western Springs, Ill., took the lead in the second round of the McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends after firing a 2-under-par 67. Eight players are tied for second at 3-over-par 142, two strokes behind Netzel. Alex Stewart of Peoria, Ariz., leads the Girl Division, posting a 1-under-par 68 in the second round.

The McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends is a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at The Legend at Bristlecone in Hartland, Wis. The tournament field consists of 120 boys and girls ages 12-18 from 16 states. The Boys Division played the par-69 course at 6,462 yards while the Girls Division played at 5,690 yards for the second round.

Netzel's solid second round kept him under-par and on top in the Boys Division, keeping the ball in play and taking advantage of his opportunity to make birdies. On the front nine, the 2013 graduate finished at 1-under-par 35, which he credited to his short game. Netzel gained confidence on the back nine, hitting eight greens and carding birdies on Nos. 10 and 12. Netzel said he was proud to sit atop the leaderboard in his second AJGA event.

“It's pretty amazing to be playing with these golfers,” Netzel said. “I'm pretty young, so on the course I learn some stuff from the other players, which is really cool. If I continue playing my game and improving my ball strike, I know my short game will cooperate and help me take the win.”

Eight boys are tied for second in the Boys Division, including Patipan Pipatpinyopong of Loves Park, Ill., Collin Foster of Clive, Iowa, Michael Grayson of Highland Park, Ill., Marc Ackermann of Lake Barrington, Ill., Kyle Perettine of Boca Raton, Fla., Trenton Olson of Horace, N.D., Jacob Gould of Carmel, Ind., and Daniel Kaplan of Highland Park, Ill.

In the Girls Division, Stewart is playing in her first AJGA event of the year and holds the lead with a two-day total of 2-over-par 141. The second round began strong for Stewart who said a 35-foot putt on No. 7 helped her finish the front nine at 1-under-par 35. Stewart will be playing for the Purdue University women's golf team in the fall and plans on continuing her solid game tomorrow.

“I just played smart today,” the second-team Rolex Junior All-American said. “I just keep a mindset of hit the ball and play where it ends up.”

Kris Yoo of Schaumburg, Ill., the 2009 McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends champion, finished second in Thursday's round with a two-day total of 146. Following in third place is first-round leader Lauren English of Bloomington, Ill., and Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wis., tied at 148.

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.

The final round tee times will run from 7:30 a.m. — 9:09 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at The Legend at Bristlecone. For more information about the McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends contact tournament headquarters at (678) 617-2420.