DUNLOP CAROLINA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Green Valley Country Club
Greenville, South Carolina
June 21-24, 2004
HALEY SHOOTS 65 AND TAKES FOUR-STROKE LEAD AT GREEN VALLEY
Wang paces Girls Division
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sixteen-year-old Paul Haley of Dallas shot a 7-under-par 65 to distance himself from the rest of the Boys Division following the second-round of the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship. Catherina Wang of Sarasota, Fla., carded a 73 during her round for to take a four-stroke lead in the Girls Division.
The seventh annual Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship is a 54-hole stroke-play event, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Green Valley Country Club. The tournament includes 99 boy and girl junior golfers, ages 12-18, from 16 states and Canada. Five Rolex Junior All-Americans and 27 South Carolina natives highlight the field.
Haley came into the second round tied with Ryan LeFevre of Boca Raton, Fla., and managed to fire a 32 on the front nine and 33 on the back. During his stellar round, Haley hit 12 fairways, 12 greens and needed only 23 putts to take a four-stroke lead.
One day after shooting a 68, Haley took advantage of his accurate driving and was able to get the ball onto the green.
“I drove the ball well,” Haley commented. “My irons weren’t as good as the first-round, but I made good putts when I hit the greens. I had all aspects of my game going today – driving, irons, chipping and putting.”
Haley’s scorecard included birdies on Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 on the front nine, and Nos. 12, 16, 17 and 18 on the back nine. Haley sank a 35-foot putt on the par-4 ninth for birdie, and credited his birdie on No. 12 for getting him going down the stretch.
“I bogeyed No. 11 and coming back with a birdie on No. 12 really gave me the confidence I needed,” Haley said. “Going into the final round, I’m going to just play the course and continue to hit fairways and greens.”
Trailing Haley by four strokes is Nicholas Smith of Ocala, Fla., who carded a 6-under-par 66 and has a two-day total of 137. Right behind in third-place is LeFevre who totaled a 70 in the second-round and a total of 138. Charlie Holland of Dallas and Jon McLean of Weston, Fla., shot 69 and 68 respectively, to bring the their two-day totals to 140 and 141.
Smith is hoping to have another strong round on Thursday and feels his comfort with the course has him playing strong. “These greens are similar to the ones I play at home and it feels like I am just playing a round on Saturday morning,” Smith explained. “I really felt at home and was having fun with the guys.”
In the Girls Division, Wang continued her steady play and will be looking to add a victory at the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship to her recent win at the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic. Wang needed only 28 putts to complete her round and hit 13 greens in regulation. Wang noted that keeping the ball in play and hitting her driver well led to her consistent play. Wang believes she has herself in position to win and is playing with confidence.
“I like my chances, but I’m going to treat it like it’s just another tournament day,” Wang said.
Jessica Yadloczky of Cassleberry, Fla., and Whitney Simons of Aiken, S.C., sit tied in second-place at 146. Yadloczky tallied an even-par 72 and Simons finished with a 71 during the second-round.
The final round of the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship will begin Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. off No. 1.
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 has a membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.
Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
For more information about the Dunlop Carolina Junior Championship, please contact tournament headquarters at (864) 246-3941 or visit the AJGA Web site at www.ajga.org.
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