AJGA BANK OF MONTREAL FUTURE LINKS JUNIOR AT GREENHILLS
Greenhills Golf Club
London, Ontario
August 27-30, 2002

DORE SURVIVES FIVE-HOLE SUDDEN-DEATH PLAYOFF FOR VICTORY AT GREENHILLS
Bickerton holds on to capture second AJGA title of the month

LONDON, Ont. - Kevin Dore of Dundas, Ont., secured his second American Junior Golf Association title in dramatic fashion Friday, surviving a grueling five-hole sudden-death playoff to squeak by Ryan Brehm of Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for first place at the AJGA Bank of Montreal Future Links Junior at Greenhills. In the Girls Division, Ashley Bickerton of Ottawa, Ont., held on down the stretch to notch her second AJGA victory this month, shooting a 75 to finish at 4-over-par 217 for the tournament.

The Bank of Montreal Future Links Junior at Greenhills, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association and held at the par-71 Greenhills Golf Club, featured 100 players with boys and girls representing 11 states and three Canadian provinces. Seventy-one Canadians, including 67 juniors from Ontario, competed in the event.

Dore, who won last week's AJGA Marsh Junior at Hawk Pointe in a two-hole sudden-death playoff, found himself in a tie with Brehm for first place at 3-under-par 210 at the end of regulation. During the playoff, the two traded shots for four holes before Dore gained the advantage on the fifth extra hole, the par-5, 532-yard 18th. While Brehm was forced to pitch out from behind a tree, Dore fired a 5-iron from 205 yards out to within five feet of the cup. Dore went on to birdie the hole and edge out Brehm for the victory.

"I don't know what I was thinking during the playoff. I just tried to focus on hitting some good shots," said Dore, who entered the final round three shots behind Brehm. "It was a tough playoff. Both Ryan and I hit some good shots, but it feels to good to have pulled it out."

Dore started the day with a bang, making birdies on the first two holes to make the turn at 1-under 34. A bogey on No. 10 didn't set the 17-year-old back at all. Dore made four birdies on the back side, including two in a row on Nos. 15 and 16 en route to a final-round 67.

"I've played solid (these past two weeks). I'm not making any big mistakes right now," said Dore, who had a three-day total of 74-69-67-210. "I played a solid round to give myself a chance."

Brehm fired rounds of 74-66-70-210 to capture runner-up honors. One shot behind him in third place was Kyler Murphy of Thunder Bay, Ont., who finished with a 2-under-par 211 for the tournament. Chris Lavery of Irvine, Calif., and Kyle Williamson of Midland, Mich., round out the top five in a tie for fourth at 213.

Bickerton, who occupied the top spot in the Girls Division throughout the week, got off to a shaky start on the first hole after her drive went left into a hazard. Although she carded a double bogey on the hole, Bickerton collected herself on the next four holes before sinking a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3, 142-yard sixth, her lone birdie of the day.

"After the first hole, there wasn't much I could do, so I tried to focus on the next hole," Bickerton said. "I stuck with my gameplan, and I tried to wait for the breaks."

Bickerton's five-stroke cushion entering the final round proved to be significant as the 17-year-old proceeded to bogey Nos. 8 and 9 to finish the front nine with a 38. However, a string of six straight pars on the back side was part of Bickerton's plan to keep it simple and play conservatively.

"On the last few holes, I told myself par is a good score," said Bickerton, who fired a 38-37-75. "I kept giving myself chances. I put myself in the position to make the putts and approach shots, and I aimed so I wouldn't get myself in trouble."

Seema Sadekar of Bradenton, Fla., gave Bickerton a run for her money, notching two birdies on the back side for an even-par 71, the low final-round score in the Girls Division. However, Sadekar couldn't quite close the gap, finishing two shots off the pace at 219 in second place. Maggie Trainor of Dundas, Ont., carded a 72 to finish at 225.

For more information on the Bank of Montreal Future Links Junior at Greenhills and other tournaments conducted by the AJGA, contact National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.

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