AJGA GREATER HARTFORD JAYCEES JUNIOR CLASSIC
Golf Club of Avon
Avon, Conn.
August 19-22, 2002

CURRAN CATCHES FIRE TO LEAD BY ONE AT GREATER HARTFORD JAYCEES JUNIOR
Grzebien leads Girls Division by 11 shots

AVON, Conn. -- Jon Curran of Hopkinton, Mass., shot 3-under-par 68 Wednesday to seize the second-round lead in the Boys Division of the AJGA Greater Hartford Jaycees Junior Classic. Anna Grzebien of Narragansett, R.I., distanced herself from the field with a 2-over-par 73 to take an 11-shot lead in the Girls Division.

The 99-player event, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, features 78 boys and 21 girls from 22 states, as well as Canada and Zimbabwe, in a 54-hole stroke play competition held at the Golf Club of Avon.

After a solid first round, Curran's consistency in hitting greens along with a bevy of two-putts, aided in his second-round effort.

"Yesterday I got off to a bad start," Curran said. " I missed my first seven greens and I really struggled. But today I got off to a good start. I was 1-under through seven and I didn't have a bogey, so it was a major improvement."

The 15-year-old Curran (72-68-140) realizes what his strong points are and he is continually trying to take advantage of his strengths on the golf course.

"My short game's pretty good right now," Curran said. "I've just been trying to hit greens and make my putts."

After winning his first AJGA title at the AJGA Kroger Junior Invitational two weeks ago, Curran's confidence remains high and he is focused on winning.

"That's definitely on my mind," Curran said. "I don't want to get into a match play situation with another player, but I play much better when I know what I need to do."

First-round leader Greg Koch of Orlando, Fla., sits in second place and trails Curran by one shot at 69-72-141. Gregory Huxman of Pinecrest, Fla., is in third place at 70-73-143. Curtis Centracchio of Westfield, Mass., and Kyle Bilodeau of Manchester, Conn., are in a tie for fourth at 144.

In the Girls Division, the 17-year-old Grzebien started the day slowly as she was 2-over-par after three holes, but she made that up by the turn in improving to even par. She struggled on Nos. 9, 10 and 11 with a bogey, par and double bogey, but she weathered the adversity.

"I didn't play as well as yesterday," Grzebien said. "I didn't do anything spectacular, but I didn't do anything horrible either. Today I made some stupid mistakes and took shots I shouldn't have hit."

Despite her less-than-perfect play, Grzebien, a second-team Polo Golf Junior All-American, enjoys a commanding 11-shot advantage over her closest pursuer.

"I try not to think about winning," Grzebien said. "The most important thing tomorrow is going to be playing shot-by-shot."

Whitney Myers of East Berlin, Pa., is in second place at 73-81-154, and Juli Wightman of Chicopee, Mass., is in third place at 79-76-155.

The AJGA Greater Hartford Jaycees Junior Classic concludes Thursday, with the final-round tee times running between 7:30 a.m. and 12:09 p.m. off the first tee at the Golf Club of Avon.

For more information about the AJGA Greater Hartford Jaycees Junior Classic, please contact AJGA headquarters at (860) 673-3216, ext. 231.

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