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AJGA LENNAR JUNIOR AT
MISSION HILLS
Mission Hills Country Club, Palmer Course
Rancho Mirage, California
June 23-26, 2003
KANG POSTS BOYS TOURNAMENT
RECORD WITH 8-UNDER-PAR 64
Cochran posts 2-under-par 70 in painful round
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.- Torrance, Calif.,
natives Jason Kang and Amie Cochran sit atop the leaderboard
after opening-day action at the Lennar Junior at Mission Hills.
Kang carded a 64 Tuesday, marking the lowest round of his
career, while Cochran struggled to keep her shoes on as she
played with blisters to finish 2-under-par.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Lennar
Junior at Mission Hills marks the 21st annual tournament at
the Mission Hills Country Club and is the longest-running
tournament on the AJGA schedule. This 54-hole event features
a field of 84 players from 11 states and Canada.
Kang, 15, was on fire, posting eight birdies for the day;
three consecutively on the front nine and five more on the
back. With only 25 putts for the day, Kang credits his putting
for much of his success in the first round.
"I was confident today," he said. "My long
game was good, but my putting was better. I felt in-control."
In his third AJGA event to-date, Kang leads the division for
the first time.
"It feels great," Kang said. "My goal was to
shoot 2-under-par or better, so I achieved my goal. I am just
looking to do it again tomorrow."
Trailing Kang, Chad Moscovic of Stockton, Calif., is in second
place after carding a 66, and Elliott Wainwright of Hillsborough,
Calif., stands in third with a 5-under-par 67. Daniel Im of
La Habra, Calif., is in fourth after shooting a 68, while
Joey Benedetti of Huntington Beach, Calif., posted a 3-under-par
69 to round out the top-5.
In the Girls Division, Polo Golf Junior All-American, Amie
Cochran is in the lead, posting a 2-under-par 70. Cochran
had four birdies and two bogeys, and although she made it
look easy, Cochran's 2-under-par round was anything but effortless.
Cochran overcame the odds Tuesday as she played a painful
round in brand new shoes. The highlight of Cochran's crazy
round came on holes 10 and 11 where she carded a birdie and
par, respectively, in her socks.
"It was very traumatic," Cochran said. "By
the fifth hole my ankles were bleeding, and I had to finish
the round in my tennis shoes."
Cochran looks to have continued success this week, in her
own shoes.
"This is the first tournament without my parents and
I want them to see that I can do this. I want to play well
for myself too, but I want them to know that its okay if they
can't be here."
Looking to challenge Cochran this week are four California
girls tied for second place at even-par 72; Sydnee Michaels
of Temecula, Ki-Shui Liao of Alameda, Tiffany Joh of San Diego
and CJ Kim of Rowland Heights.
Also featured in the field, recent U.S. Women's Open qualifier,
13-year-old, Sydney Burlison of Salinas, Calif., shot a 75,
putting her in 9th place after first-round play.
Second-round play begins Wednesday with tee times starting
at 6:30 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10.
For more information on the Lennar Junior
at Mission Hills, please call AJGA tournament headquarters
at (760) 324-9400.
#AJGA#
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