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AJGA JOHN DEERE CLASSIC
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Glynn's Creek Golf Course
Long Grove, Iowa
August 13-16, 2002
HALL FIRES BOGEY-FREE ROUND
OF 66 TO TAKE LEAD
Reed tops Girls Division at John Deere Classic Junior Championship
LONG GROVE, Iowa - Patrick Hall of Owatonna, Minn.,
stormed into first place at the AJGA John Deere Classic Junior
Championship, firing a bogey-free round of 6-under-par 66
Wednesday. Christie Reed of Coral Springs, Fla., carded an
even-par 72 for the low score in the Girls Division.
The John Deere Classic Junior Championship, conducted by the
American Junior Golf Association at the par-72 Glynn's Creek
Golf Course, features 99 players representing 19 states and
Canada, with the majority of competitors hailing from Illinois.
Hall's stellar play began on the par-4, 425-yard fourth when
he sunk a 35-foot downhill putt for his first birdie of the
day. The streak continued as Hall carded birdies on the next
two holes. However, the turning point in his round came on
the par-5, 499-yard ninth when he knocked in a 12-foot eagle
putt to move to 5-under-par for the front side. A birdie on
No. 15 completed the 18-year-old's first bogey-free round.
"It was icing on the cake," said Hall about his
eagle putt on No. 9. "I just tried to put it close, and
it rolled right into the heart. Going from 3-under to 5-under
is a big jump, and from there I just tried to hold on.
"Today was just one of those days where you stand over
your ball and know where it's going to go. I know there are
36 holes left, but this is a good start."
Hall maintains a three-stroke advantage over Mark Conlon (33-36-69)
of Arlington, Texas, Tarik Can (33-36-69) of Douglaston, N.Y.,
and Tyler Peglow (35-34-69) of Marshalltown, Iowa. Rounding
out the top five at 2-under-par 70 are Brady Schnell of Omaha,
Neb., and Michael Schachner of Libertyville, Ill.
In the Girls Division, Reed, who won the Pete & Alice
Dye AJGA Classic in July, struggled at the start with a bogey
on No. 1 and a double bogey on No. 4. The highlight of her
front nine 38 was a birdie on the par-3, 151-yard eighth.
However, Reed stormed back after making the turn, carding
birdies on Nos. 15 and 17, the two back nine par-5s, and on
No. 18.
"Those birdies kind of helped," said the 16-year-old
about her trio of birdies on the back side. "I played
so bad on the front that I had to play good on the back. I
had some good breaks out there."
Taylor Leon of Dallas, Texas, is one stroke behind Reed in
second place after carding a 35-38-73. In third place is Christi
Athas, a native of Eldora, Iowa, who posted a 38-36-74.
Second-round tee times will begin Thursday, August 15, at
7 a.m. off the No. 1 tee at Glynn's Creek Golf Course.
For more information on the AJGA John Deere Classic Junior
Championship, contact tournament headquarters at (563) 285-6635.
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