Sanders Slides into Lead at Emerson Junior Golf Classic

Lee leads by three, sits in familiar place at Maderas Golf Club

POWAY, Calif. – Jonathan Sanders of Chatsworth, Calif., takes the lead for the Boys Division at the Emerson Junior Golf Classic after shooting a 1-under-par 71 in the second round of play. Esther Lee of Los Alamitos, Calif., also carded a 1-under-par 71 to take a three-stroke lead in the Girls Division heading into the final round on Thursday.

The Emerson Junior Golf Classic is a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Maderas Golf Club in Poway, California. The tournament field consists of 134 boys and girls ages 12-18 from eight states. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 7,094 yards while the Girls Division is playing at 6,113 yards.

Sanders, who is battling a foot injury, pushed away the pain to go under par for the second day in a row, giving him the lone spot atop the leaderboard. He sits at 3-under-par 141 for the tournament.

“I hit every fairway today,” said Sanders. “This course plays to my game, taking away a lot of distance so it works to my advantage.”

Sanders countered two bogeys with three birdies, giving him a 1-shot cushion.  

Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., sits in second with a 2-under-par 142. Daniel Lee of Valencia, Calif., is 1-under-par and alone in third. KK Limbhasut of Loma Linda, Calif., Andrew Lister of Haymarket, Va., and Zane Thomas of Las Vegas are all tied in fourth at even-par 144.

                Lee has played in the Emerson Junior Golf Classic for all three years and now finds herself in a familiar spot, leading by three strokes going into the final round of play. In 2008, she had a two-shot lead after 36 holes of play but fell to Stanford commit Danielle Frasier in the final round.

“I’ve been in this position before,” Lee said. “I’ve learned that I just need to focus on my own game.”

After a steady second day with only one bogey, the 15-year-old looks to continue her accurate ball-striking.

“I don’t mind the narrow fairways,” Lee said. “It gives me a place to aim. I hit 12 fairways today and hope to do the same tomorrow.”

Kaitlin Park of Tustin Ranch, Calif., who recently won the Scissortail Junior Championship sits in second at 3-over-par 147 while eighth-grader Amy Lee of Brea, Calif., is in third at 4-over-par 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.

Final round tee times will run from 7:15 – 8:45 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at Maderas Golf Club. For more information about Emerson Junior Golf Classic contact Tournament Headquarters at (678) 617-2424.