Gentilella and Powell share lead at Under Armour ® / Vicky Hurst Championship
Feng takes two-stroke lead in Girls Division on the Ryder Course
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Tyler Gentilella of Parkland, Fla., and Austin Powell of Jupiter, Fla., each carded a 3-under-par 69 to hold a one-stroke lead in the Boys Division and Simin Feng of Orlando, Fla., fired a 4-under-par 68 to claim the Girls Division.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Under Armour® / Vicky Hurst Championship is a 36-hole stroke play competition playing on the par-72 The Ryder Course at the PGA Golf Club. The Boys Division is playing at 6,963 yards while the Girls Division is playing at 6,123 yards. The 78-player field features juniors from 12 states and 15 foreign countries.
Gentilella, put on a show for the gallery Saturday with his orange-sherbet colored shorts and six birdies on his first 13 holes.
“I struck the ball pretty straight all day and didn't make a lot of mistakes,” Gentiella said. “I've got to keep hitting the fairways and make the 10-foot putts tomorrow and I should be in good shape.”
Powell, who is competing in his second event of the 2011 season, was pleased with his performance after the first round.
“I birdied the first hole of the day and that put me in position today,” Powell said. “I played very consistently and tomorrow I just need to focus on one shot at a time.”
Florida natives Maxime Blandin of Howey-in-the-Hills, Zachary Toste of Pemroke, Michael Visacki of Sarasota and Arthur Edelman of Howey-in-the-Hills , each sit in a tie for third place after shooting 2-under-par 70.
In the Girls Division, Feng's three back-nine birdies and bogey-free round put her in a comfort zone, heading into Sundays final round.
“I hit 17 of 18 greens and my iron play was really solid today,” Feng said. “I left a lot of opportunities on the par-5s and I just need to continue the confidence I have in my putting tomorrow to finish out strong.”
Yu Liu of Beijing, China and Marissa Kay of Delray Beach, Fla., each sit in second place after shooting 2-under-par 70.
Final-round tee times for the Under Armour® / Vicky Hurst Championship will run from 7:30 — 9:30 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at the PGA Golf Club-The Ryder Course. For more information about the Under Armour® / Vicky Hurst Championship, contact tournament headquarters at (678) 571-7994.
About Under Armour®
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand's moisture-wicking fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional products. The Company's products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.underarmour.com.
About the AJGA
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 more than 40 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.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.
