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AJGA GOLFWEEK CHICAGO JUNIOR
Winnetka Golf Club
Winnetka, Illinois
June 11-14, 2002
PERSONS TAKES SOLE LEAD AT GOLFWEEK CHICAGO
JUNIOR
Ashley Knoll Widens Her Lead to Five Strokes in the
Girls Division
WINNETKA, Ill. - Braving unseasonably cold weather,
Josh Persons of Fargo, N.D., paced the Boys Division with
his second consecutive round under-par with a 70-69-139 total
to seize the lead at the AJGA Golfweek Chicago Junior. In
the Girls Division, honorable mention Polo Golf Junior All-American
Ashley Knoll of The Woodlands, Texas, remains the leader at
72-73-145.
The 54-hole tournament hosted by the American Junior Golf
Association, features 99 players from 22 states and Canada,
including 42 Illinois natives.
Persons shelved the inclination to hit the ball hard and long,
instead he favored a conservative iron game.
"Just like I did yesterday, today I sacrificed yardage,
and I only ended up pulling out my driver four times,"
Persons said. "It's not worth hitting the trees. You
can make a lot of birdies on this course, but one missed shot
is a bogey instantly."
As the lone player in the field to card consecutive rounds
below par, Persons doesn't plan on changing his routine that
thrust him into the lead.
"I'm going to think about hitting the fairways and worry
about the rest later," Persons said.
Matthew Slovitt, playing at his home course, tied today's
low with a 3-under-par 68, as he stands alone in second (72-68-140).
"I know this course like the back of my hand," Slovitt
said. "But is it going to be a difference between shooting
a 70 or a 75? No. But it does help."
Rob Grube of Hinsdale, Ill., Steven Mroczkowski of Muskego,
Wis., and Robbie Scheele of Indianapolis round out the top
five in the Boys Division.
Knoll increased her lead after the second round but she recognized
the need to keep an even keel as she prepares to enter the
final round on Friday.
"I've been hitting the ball and putting really well,"
Knoll said. "Tomorrow I just need to play smart and make
good decisions like I have been all week."
Second-Team Polo Golf Junior All-American Whitney Wade of
Glasgow, Ky. (74-76-150), and Noriko Nakazaki of Hanover Park,
Ill. (78-72-150), are tied for second to comprise the top
three in the Girls Division.
Final round action will begin Thursday from 6:30-11:18 a.m.
off the Winnetka Golf Club's No. 1 tee.
For more information on the Golfweek Chicago Junior, please
contact tournament headquarters at (847) 501-5796.
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