TEXACE SAN ANTONIO SHOOTOUT
The Club At Sonterra, South Course
San Antonio, Texas
June 19-21, 2002

MINAHAN LEADS BY TWO IN BOYS DIVISION AFTER OPENING ROUND
Rollins fires 1-under to claim early lead in Girls Division

SAN ANTONIO - The first round of the AJGA Texace San Antonio Shootout is in the books and the early leader in the Boys Division is James Minahan, of Spring, Texas. The 16-year-old fired a 7-under 65 to lead the field by two strokes. In the Girls Division, Ashley Rollins, of Austin is at the top of the leaderboard after firing a 1-under 71. She has a one-shot lead over second place.

The 54-hole tournament, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, features 120 players representing 12 states. Included in the field are 93 participants from Texas. The event is being held on the South Course at The Club At Sonterra.

Minahan, who has one prior AJGA tournament win, fired a career low on the par-72 course. He has a 64 to his credit, but that was on a par-71.

The Texan came out strong with birdies on two of the first three holes. He finished the front side with a 4-under 32. On the back he had four more birdies to climb to 8-under par until No. 18 where he bogeyed the 185-yard, par-3. The highlight of his round was on the par-5, 470-yard No. 11 where he slammed home a 20-foot putt for birdie.

"I hit a few bad shots," Minahan said. "But it seemed like everyone I was able to get away with it. I putted solid all day except for the last hole."

Minahan (32-33--65) said he had not been playing well recently, but he knew the makings of the South Course suited his game.

"I had no idea how I was going to play," Minahan said. "This is the kind of course I can play well. I had a lot of sand wedges in and I am pretty solid from 125 and in."

Trailing Minahan is Ryan Henry (36-31--67), 17, of Broken Arrow, Okla. Henry had eight birdies including five on the back nine. He credited much of his success to fellow competitor Jeremy Alcorn, 17, of Brownwood, Texas. The two played together during the first round.
"Jeremy was playing so well," Henry said. "He didn't have any bogies and I just had to match him."

Alcorn sits three back off the lead after a 34-34--68.

Defending boys champion, Tyler Leon, 17, of Dallas, is in position to repeat as he is four shots back after a 37-32--69.

In the Girls Division, 17-year-old Ashley Rollins, of Austin, grabbed the lead with a 1-under 71 to lead by a stroke over defending champion Brittany Lang, 17, of McKinney, Texas. Rollins's (38-33--71) round started off slow with bogeys on the first two holes, but she rebounded with a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 3.

"I really got it together after No. 11," Rollins said. "I didn't have a birdie putt outside 10 feet except on No. 18."

Rollins, who won the AJGA First State Bank Southwestern Junior Classic in Albuquerque, N.M. last month, knows early round success does not guarantee any hardware at the end of the final round and is taking a cautious approach to the rest of the tournament.

"It's just one day," Rollins said. "It is nice to be in the lead, but I could have done better. I just have to play my game and put the ball on the green. If the birdies fall that's great, but I am not going to try to do anything spectacular. I don't take crazy risks."

The second round of play commences tomorrow with tee times from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. off the No. 1 tee.

For more information regarding the Texace San Antonio Shootout or other AJGA events, please contact our tournament headquarters at (210) 414-4649.

#AJGA#