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AJGA MCDONALD'S BETSY RAWLS GIRLS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
DuPont Country Club, DuPont Course
Wilmington, Delaware
July 29 - August 1, 2002
LANG, PRESSEL, BURLEIGH TIED ATOP LEADERBOARD
AT BETSY RAWLS
Fifteen players within five shots of lead
WILMINGTON, Del. -- Brittany Lang of McKinney, Texas;
Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla.; and Dayna Burleigh of
Horsham, Pa., each carded rounds of 2-under-par 69 to tie
for the first-round lead at the AJGA McDonald's Betsy Rawls
Girls National Championship Tuesday.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the McDonald's
Betsy Rawls Girls National Championship features 62 girls,
representing 26 states and Mexico and is being held at the
par-71, 6,017-yard DuPont Course at the DuPont Country Club.
Last year, the 16-year-old Lang lost a closely contested playoff
battle with eventual champion Elizabeth Janangelo of West
Hartford, Conn. She remembers her bitter finish, and is resolute
in her attempts to win this week.
"Last year I lost the tournament," Lang said. "I
lost it so bad, and I really felt that I should've won it.
So I guess you can say I'm pretty determined to win this year."
The first round proved to be successful for Lang, and she
was satisfied with her effort.
"I putted and chipped well today, and I struck the ball
well too," Lang said. "I played pretty solid today
and made only one bogey which was basically my only mistake,
so I'm pretty happy."
As the tournament enters the second day, Lang is focused on
capitalizing on her opportunities and cutting her mistakes.
"Each day I want to go at least one or two strokes lower,"
Lang said. "I'm basically approaching things this week
with nothing to lose."
Pressel played a safe game and in doing so she had her first
round below 70 in three and a half years.
"I didn't make any big mistakes today," Pressel
said. "I hit a few bad shots, but they weren't horrible."
As the 14-year-old Pressel prepares herself for the upcoming
rounds, she realizes how important it is to keep her priorities
in perspective.
"For the first couple of rounds, the most important thing
is to put yourself in a good position," Pressel said.
"You can't get too upset about the little things. I could've
gone lower today, and I had a lot of birdie opportunities.
If I just keep the way I played today, the next two rounds
should be a lot of fun."
The 18-year-old Burleigh was excited with her first-round
effort, as her round of 69 marked a career-low.
"I know there's a lot of good girls in the field,"
Burleigh said. "But this is my third year here, and all
I'm trying to do is pace myself and not worry about what the
other girls are doing."
After playing the front nine at even-par, Burleigh birdied
Nos. 12, 17 and chipped in for birdie on 18, with her lone
bogey on No. 10.
"I'm at the point now where I know I can play well,"
Burleigh said. "It's just a matter of going out and doing
it."
Burleigh, who has previously finished 12th in 2001 and 19th
in 2000 at the AJGA Girls National Championship, is determined
for a top finish this week.
"Right now, I'm not worried about winning, just playing
well," Burleigh said. "I'm not going to win the
tournament on the first day."
Jenny Suh of Fairfax, Va., and In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla.,
each shot 71 to sit in a tie for fourth. Amber Prange of Noblesville,
Ind., and Hannah Jun of San Diego, Calif., carded rounds of
72 to tie for sixth. Ashley Rollins of Austin, Texas; Paula
Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif.; Whitney Wade of Glasgow, Ky.;
and Elizabeth Janangelo are tied for eighth after rounds of
73.
Second-round action will run from 7 - 10 a.m. Wednesday off
the No. 1 tee on the DuPont Course at the DuPont Country Club.
For more information on the McDonald's Betsy Rawls Girls National
Championship, contact tournament headquarters at (302) 428-1012.
##AJGA##
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