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AJGA ROLEX TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
The Desert Mountain Club, Cochise and Geronimo Courses
Scottsdale, Arizona
July 7-12, 2002
LOWRY'S 65 LANDS HIM IN FRONT OF BOYS DIVISION
AT ROLEX
Lincicome grabs Girls Division lead
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Randy Lowry of Spring, Texas,
shot a 7-under-par 65 to take a one-stoke lead in the Boys
Division at the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Brittany Lincicome
of Seminole, Fla., moved to the front of the Girls Division
as she carded a 2-under-par 70.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the 25th
annual Rolex Tournament of Champions is being held on the
par-72 Cochise and Geronimo courses at The Desert Mountain
Club. The 72-hole event features 169 players - 109 boys and
60 girls - from 30 states and five foreign countries, and
includes 57 Polo Golf Junior All-Americans. Past champions
include Charles Howell III, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Kellee
Booth and Grace Park.
Lowry's bogey-free round included five birdies and an eagle
on the 533-yard, par-5 ninth hole. His drive off the No. 9
tee landed in the middle of the fairway and he hit a 3-wood
to within three feet of the hole. The 15-year-old shot a 69
in the first round for a two-day total of 134.
"I drove the ball well today and hit 16 greens in regulation,"
Lowry said. "The front nine did not go as well for me,
but I was patient and the putts started to fall. I finished
my round well today and the key for tomorrow will be to hit
all the fairways and greens in regulation."
A second round score of 64 catapulted Vargas from a tie for
10th to second place after two rounds. The University of Florida
signee started his round off with birdies on holes No. 1 and
2. He finished the front nine at 5-under-par and three more
birdies on the back nine carried Vargas to 8-under-par for
the round and 135 for the championship.
"It's amazing how fortunate I was today," Vargas
said. "I was in the desert three times and played those
holes at 1-under-par. Geronimo is tough because the desert
comes into play a lot off the tee. I need to stay consistent
off the tee and set myself up for nice shots into the green."
University of Georgia-bound Kevin Kisner of Aiken, S.C., and
future University of Southern California Trojan Taylor Wood
of Laguna Niguel, Calif., are tied for third at 136.
In the Girls Division, Lincicome turned in six birdies and
two eagles in the second round, but inconsistent play plagued
the 16-year-old. She started her round with an eagle on the
first hole after she hit a 6-iron five feet from the hole.
Lincicome also carded an eagle by holing out from 170 yards
on the 324-yard, par-4 14th hole for a two-day total of 73-70-143.
"Today was a total roller coaster," Lincicome said.
"I have been hooking my driver the past week or so and
it was on and off today. In my practice round Geronimo seemed
tough, but today I realized that it is beatable. I just want
to remain around par and see what happens."
Erica Blasberg of Corona, Calif., Christine Fernandez of Henderson,
Nev., and Margaret Shirley of Roswell, Ga., are tied for second
at 145.
Fifty-four boys and 30 girls survived a cut after the second
round. Third-round action begins Thursday at 7 a.m. off the
No. 1 and 10 tees of the Geronimo course.
For more information about the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions,
please call AJGA Tournament Headquarters at (480) 488-1362
ext. 1028, or visit the Association's Web site at ajga.org.
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