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EDS BOYS JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Oakmont Country Club
Cornith, Texas
July 29-August 2, 2002
MILLER JUMPS TO 3-STROKE LEAD AFTER THIRD
ROUND
Puntawong content chasing the lead
CORINTH, Texas - After a week off from golf tournaments,
Zack Miller of San Rafael, Calif., was ready to come out to
the EDS Boys Junior Championship and play his game. He did
that today as he jumped up to first on the leaderboard by
shooting 5-under-par 67 for a three-day total of 206.
The 72-hole tournament, conducted by the American Junior Golf
Association, featured 152 players representing 23 states,
Singapore, New Zealand and Canada, and included 41 Texas natives
in the first two rounds. A cut lessened the field to 76. It
is being held at the par-72 Oakmont Country Club. Past champions
of the event include Jim Furyk (1987), David Duval (1989),
Tiger Woods (1992), Ty Tryon (1999) and Matthew Rosenfeld
(2001). After the second round the field was cut from 152
players to 76.
While Miller, 18, thought he got off to a rough start after
leaving three five-foot putts short through five holes, he
found a break on No. 8.
"I birdied No. 8 and was able to gain two shots on Scotty
[Campbell] because he had a bogey," Miller said. "Before
that, Scotty and I were pretty much going back and forth."
After a bogey on No. 11, Miller hit the panic button and slammed
in four birdies in a row.
"On No. 10 I lipped out, but I knew I had four straight
holes I had done well on in the past," Miller said. "After
that, I was just trying to hit the middle of greens and if
the putts fell great. But if they didn't, I would just have
a tap in for par."
Three strokes behind the lead, Chanin Puntawong (70-70-69-209)
of Bradenton, Fla., is happy about his position going into
the final round although he would prefer a different tee time.
"I don't want to be a leader going into the final round,"
Puntawong, 15 said. "It's harder running away from them
than catching them. One stroke back is the best place for
me."
Instead, Puntawong will join Miller and Joshua Wooding of
Riverside, Calif., in the final tee time of the final round.
For Puntawong, the difference between this tournament and
his last couple of events, which haven't been his best showings,
has been his mental game.
"I used to think about my swing a lot and now I think
about the result and what I'm going to do," Puntawong
said.
With the tournament low-round score, Wooding, 72-72-66-210,
had widespread success right off the first tee.
"I got off to a really good start which fired me up,"
Wooding, 17, said.
On No. 1 Wooding drove his 3-wood to within 50 yards of the
hole where he lobbed the ball straight to the hole. He followed
that with birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 13 and 14.
"I haven't been home in a month so I'm just trying to
get done, but stay patient," Wooding said.
Final-round action begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow off the No. 1
and 10 tees and run until 9:48 a.m.
For more information regarding the EDS Boys Junior Championship,
please contact AJGA tournament headquarters at (678) 617-2421.
# AJGA #
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