Wood and Ghim Share Lead of Junior All Star at The Rail Going Into Final Round
Sharp alone in first place in Girls Division at The Rail Golf Course

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Adam Wood of Zionsville, Ind., and Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights, Ill., will go into the final round of the Junior All-Star at the Rail knotted up atop the leaderboard at 8-under-par 136. In the Girls Division, Katie Sharp of Kendallville, Ind., owns a five-shot lead at 2-under-par 142 for the tournament at The Rail Golf Course.

The Junior All-Star at The Rail is one of 10 events in the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series. Specifically designed for boys and girls ages 12-15, the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series presents opportunities for younger members to develop their skills and earn entry into AJGA Open tournaments. The Series concludes with the Montverde Academy Junior All-Star Invitational over Columbus Day weekend for winners and top finishers in Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events.

The Junior All-Star at The Rail is a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at The Rail Golf Course in Springfield, Ill. The tournament field consists of 123 boys and girls ages 12-15 from 27 states, Canada and Columbia. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,531 yards, while the Girls Division is playing at 5,822 yards.

After sitting two shots behind Wood following the first round, Ghim responded with his second consecutive 4-under-par 68 to grab a share of the lead. His third shot from 140 yards on the par-5 fifth hole landed in the hole and bounced back out, but he was able to tap in for a birdie.

“My iron shots have been unbelievable the last couple of days and my wedge game has been pretty good too,” Ghim said. “I gave myself a lot of opportunities.”

Wood was able to follow up his first round 6-under-par 66 with a 2-under par 70 to maintain a spot on top of the Boys Division. After starting on the 10th tee, Wood used a birdie on No. 15 to get his round going and was able to add three more birdies on the day.

“I think the key on this course is putting the ball—to get the ball rolling on line and get some putts to go in,” Wood said. “I think I did that a little bit today, as well as yesterday. Overall it was a pretty good round.”

C.J. Wagner of Clermont, Fla., sits alone in third place at 4-under-par 140. Davis Riley of Hattiesburg, Miss., Reed Hrynewich of Muskegon, Mich., and Donald Stimble of Shell Knob, Mo., are tied for fourth place at 3-under-par 141.

Behind the help of five birdies and 15 greens in regulation, Sharp turned in another solid round and was able to watch her lead grow as her game continues to make a turn for the better.

“I hadn't been playing that well earlier in the year, but now I seem to be doing really well and it is a big boost to my confidence,” Sharp said.

Chasing Sharp in the Girls Division are Cassie Wang of Lenexa, Kan., who sits at 3-over-par 147, and Shawn Rennegarbe of Addieville, Ill., who is at 5-over-par 149.

GARY GILCHRIST GOLF ACADEMY, a full-time signature golf instruction program with campuses located in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., and in Arroyo Grande, Calif., began as an Official Partner of the AJGA in 2009. The partnership features an endowment of an Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and the naming rights to the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series, which provides juniors ages 12-15 access to national competitive golf opportunities.

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 will run from 7 — 8:39 a.m. off the first and tenth tees at The Rail Golf Course. For more information about the Junior All-Star at The Rail, contact tournament headquarters at (678) 425-4976 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.