PARK ATTAINS GOAL OF 68 AT RAIN-SOAKED GREEN VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
Hall claws way to 69, one shot better than defending champion Bass, challenger Hughes

GREENVILLE, S.C.- On a soggy afternoon at Green Valley Country Club, In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla., carded 4-under-par 68 and Taylor Hall of LaGrange, Ga., notched 3-under-par 69 to claim the leads of their respective divisions after the first round of the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship boasts a total of 99 juniors, 75 boys and 24 girls ages 13-18, from 13 states and the Bahamas competing in a 54-hole stroke play event.

After play was delayed for more than six hours due to inclement weather, the players took the course at 1:03 p.m. The format was revised from threesome groupings off the No. 1 tee to a shotgun start with 24 foursomes and one threesome teeing it up.

Park's 68 gives her a seven-stroke lead entering the second round. The reigning Girls Polo Golf Junior Player of the Year was not deterred by the wet conditions.

"It was very hard to concentrate with the long delay today," said the 14-year old Park. "Shooting 68 was my goal today and I achieved it. I only three-putted once, which was fortunate."

At 75 behind Park is Rachel Smith of Powell, Tenn., and Sukjin Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J. In a tie for fourth with a score of 76 are Whitney Simons of Aiken, S.C., and Julieta Granada of Bradenton, Fla.

In the Boys Division, Hall will take a one-stroke advantage over last year's champion J.D. Bass of Fairview, N.C., into Wednesday's second round.

"I was hitting the ball well coming into the tournament and the long delay had no effect because I continued to strike the ball well in the wet conditions," said the 17-year old Hall. "I was confident after No. 16 (his seventh hole), when I reached 2-under."

Bass, 18, feels comfortable with the way his first round went.

"This was the best I have played in a while," he said. "I made a lot of pars and stayed in the middle of the green."

Also one shot back with a 2-under-par 70 is Matt Hughes of Dalton, Ga.

The second round of the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship is slated to start Wednesday with 7:00 a.m. tee times off of the No. 1 tee at Green Valley Country Club. For more information on the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship, contact tournament headquarters at (864) 246-3941.