AJGA ASHWORTH POSTSEASON JUNIOR AT HAGERSTOWN
Black Rock Golf Course
Hagerstown, Maryland
October 3-5, 2003

LEE GRABS MEDALIST HONORS IN HAGERSTOWN
Victory caps successful season for high school junior

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- Completing a 2003 season that saw success nearly at every turn, June Lee of Burke, Va., took medalist honors at the AJGA Ashworth Postseason Junior at Hagerstown. Lee crafted rounds of 74-72-146 to win by one stroke over Joseph Gross, Jr., of LaPlata, Md.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Ashworth Postseason Junior at Hagerstown was held at the par-71 Black Rock Golf Course and featured a field of 68 boys from 11 states.

Coached by Brian Choi, who also teaches first-round leader Jake An, Lee overcame a 3-stroke deficit to claim his first AJGA victory.

"I improved my rhythm and tempo this morning on the practice range," Lee said. "My putting was better yesterday but my shot-making skills were better today."

Playing against a stiff wind under sunny skies, Lee made an eagle on the par-5 third hole. After hitting his approach to 20 feet, Lee sank the putt to kick-start a round that included two birdies.

After An began to fade during his round, Lee learned on No. 13 he was tied with Gross, who was paired with Lee for the final round. The two remained tied for the remainder of the round, until both players found trouble on the final hole.

Lee sent his tee shot behind a tree and had to wrap his approach around a tree, sending it into a bunker. After Lee chipped and two-putted for bogey, Gross missed a slippery down-hill putt that would have tied him with Lee.

Lee's first AJGA win concludes a 2003 season in which he claimed five victories, including top honors at the Curtis Strange Invitational in August. He was also the No. 1-ranked junior in Korea in 2001 and 2002.

Earning two exemptions with a top-five finish are Gross, Jimmy Arbes of Westfield, N.J., who finished third, and Chris Breed of Waynesboro, Pa., Aaron Eckstein of Salem, Va., and Shane Brant of Latrobe, Pa., who all tied for fourth.

The following players each earned one exemption for a top-15 finish. Tied for seventh are Ryan Schneiter of Lebanon, Pa., Nick Pokora of Agawam, Mass., Kevin Reiber of Waynesboro, Pa. Tied for 10th are Matthew Skidmore of Oakland, Md., John Shicko of Longmeadow, Mass., and Jake An of Chantilly, Va. Tied for 13th are Tommy Hanna of Bozman, Md., James McDonough of Milton, Mass., and Brandon Detweiler of Lancaster, Pa.

The AJGA Ashworth Preseason/Postseason series is a boys-only series designed specifically for first-time AJGA members or those who have yet to compete in an AJGA Open event, AJGA invitational or AJGA Nike Golf Junior All-Star Series event. For those who are eligible, participation is limited to one Preseason event and one Postseason event per calendar year as long as the junior did not participate in any of the aforementioned events.

Now in its fourth year, the series has grown to 10 events nationally, all conducted by the AJGA. Other Postseason events are located in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; South Padre Island, Texas; Gainesville, Fla.; and Norman, Okla.

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 largest association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior membership of approximately 5,000 juniors (boys and girls ages 13-18) from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.

For more information on the AJGA Ashworth Postseason Junior at Hagerstown, or any other AJGA event, please call the Association's headquarters at 877-373-2542.