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AJGA CALLAWAY GOLF JUNIOR ALL-STAR CLASSIC AT JACKSONVILLE
Paradise Point Golf Club - Gold Course
Jacksonville, North Carolina
July 29-31, 2002
PICKETT,
HAMMOCK BATTLE FOR FIRST AJGA TITLES AT JACKONSVILLE
Tomimbang and Niederkohr both lead in the Girls Division
with 75
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Different type of shots were
fired Tuesday on the Camp Lejeune military base as the nation's
top junior golfers (ages 13-15) invaded Paradise Point Golf
Club for the inaugural AJGA Callaway Golf Junior All-Star
Classic at Jacksonville.
The 36-hole event, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association,
at Paradise Point Golf Club's Gold Course, in Jacksonville,
N.C., features 87 juniors representing 15 states. Twenty-three
North Carolina natives are included in the field.
The ultimate goal of the Callaway Golf Junior All-Star Series
is to give younger AJGA members more opportunities to compete
against players from across the country. The AJGA is conducting
seven Junior All-Star Series events this season, which is
now in its fifth year of existence.
Leading the recruits after the first-round of tournament play
in the Boys Division are North Carolina native Marshall Pickett
of Wilmington and Matthew Hammock of Hinesville, Ga., who
both carded 2-under-par 70s while Mayule Tomimbang of Kissimmee,
Fla., and Holly Niederkohr of Marysville, Ohio, heated up
the Girls Division with rounds of 75.
Pickett, who started the day off the back nine, sunk a 50-foot
putt on the tenth hole that propelled him through his remaining
round.
"Overall, I felt that my wedge game was playing the best,"
the high school sophomore said. "But after nailing that
long putt on No. 10, I just concentrated on taking one shot
at a time."
Entering the final-round, Pickett's strategy is rather simple.
"I am going to go home and just sleep. In the morning,
I will probably hit about 10 range balls. I just want to have
fun and play the same way I did today."
Joining Pickett for the lead is Georgia native Matthew Hammock
of Hinesville, who posted three birdies on Nos. 5, 16 and
17 to finish at 35-35-70.
Gerald Henderson of Blue Bell, Pa., shot a 1-under-par 71
to place him behind Pickett and Hammock, while Paul Haley
of Dallas, Bobby Hudson of Memphis, Tenn., North Carolina
natives Christopher Evans of Greensboro and Philip Chauncey
from Durham, Luke Hopkins of Greer, S.C., and Jake An of Chantilly,
Va., all fired even-par 72s to round out the top 5.
In the Girls Division, the 15-year-old Tomimbang (38-37-75)
hit 12 out of 18 fairways and hit 14 greens to list her atop
of the leaderboard.
"I struck the ball very well today," the soon-to-be
sophomore said. "I hit the majority of my drives straight
down the middle of the fairway, which helped me to remain
focused."
Not only were her tee shots solid, but her putter was hot
as well as she made birdies on No. 4, as well as back-to-back
birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 for a 1-over-par 37 on the back
nine.
"My putting was also very consistent," the Florida
native said. "I had several 6-foot putts that saved me
for par."
Niederkohr started off the round with a double-bogey, but
turned it around quickly to garner a (39-36-75) and place
her in contention for tournament honors.
"After my double-bogey on No. 1, I forced myself to keep
my head in the game," the fifteen-year-old said. "On
the front nine, I started to play my irons very well and it
really helped me to gain some momentum."
Tia Gannon of Hilton Head Island, S.C., and Jordyn Wells of
Bethel Park, Pa., finished with 77s for a tie for third.
Final-round tee times will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday,
July 31, off the No. 1 and 10 tees at Paradise Point Golf
Club's Gold Course.
For more information about the AJGA Callaway Golf Junior All-Star
at Jacksonville, please call Tournament Headquarters at (910)
451-2273.
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