JORDEN LEADS MAYAKOBA JUNIOR GOLF CLASSIC BY TWO STROKES
Hot putter sends Hillow to top of Girls Division at El Camaleón Golf Club

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Quintana Roo, Mexico —  Kevin Jorden of Juno Beach, Fla., fired a 2-under-par 69 Tuesday at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. In the Girls Division, Mary Fran Hillow of Orlando, Fla., was the only girl to break par, also recording a 2-under-par 69.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic is a 54-hole, stroke play event being held at El Camaleón Golf Club and is the AJGA's second event held in Mexico in 2010. The field consists of 70 players, of which 33 are from Mexico. The rest come from eight U.S. states, Spain, Guatemala and England.

Jorden, a rising senior, carded a 2-under-par 34 on the front side. A 6-iron hit to eight feet on the par-5 No. 8 would give him an eagle opportunity, of which he quickly took advantage.

“It feels good to see how you can stack up to the pros, when you are playing on a course like this,” Jorden said. “If you can shoot under par on a PGA TOUR course, you know you're doing something right.”

Tie for second is Matthew Fliss of Bellflower, Calif., and Will Davenport of Palm City, Fla., each having posted an even-par 71. Alone in fourth is Patrick Grimes of Palo Alto, Calif., with a 3-over-par 74. In a three-way tie for fifth is Aaron Terrazas of Veracruz, Mexico, Sarosh Adi of Frisco, Texas, and Adam Goldstein of Newton, Mass., each with a 4-over-par 75.

Hillow, who is competing in only her second AJGA event, played a steady round thanks to strong putting. By capitalizing on birdie opportunities, she only needed 30 putts to card a six-stroke lead.

“My putting was on today and I was really patient throughout the round,” Hillow said. “When I am able to stay patient, I play well.”

Following Hillow is Fernanda Villegas of Chula Vista, Calif., who recorded a 4-over-par 75. Rounding out the top three is defending champion Gabriela Lopez of Mexico City, Mexico, with a 5-over-par 76.

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.

Second-round tee times will run from 7:15-9:05 a.m. off the first and tenth tees at El Camaleón Golf Club Wednesday, August 18. For more information on the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic, please contact Tournament Headquarters at 678-425-1774.