PERROTT, SHANO TIED FOR BOYS DIVISION LEAD AT 5-UNDER-PAR
Thirteen-year-old Park leads Girls Division, tames blustery Angel Park Golf Club
LAS VEGAS — Strong gusts of wind took hold of Angel Park Golf Club early in the second round of the Las Vegas Founders Junior Golf Championship Presented by Meadow Gold Dairy Wednesday. Robert Perrott III of Rio Rico, Ariz., and Jason Shano of Scottsdale, Ariz., finished tied atop the leaderboard with matching 137s and have a one-stroke lead. Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif., shot an one-over-par 72 to take the lead in the Girls Division.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Las Vegas Founders Junior Golf Championship Presented by Meadow Gold Dairy is being held on the Mountain Course at Angel Park Golf Club. The field features 63 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 13 states, with 33 of the juniors hailing from California.
Perrott III, the first-round leader, carded one birdie on the front nine before firing three consecutive birdies on Nos. 15, 16, and 17. The 16-year-old gave credit to his wedge.
“I feel really good about my short game right now,” Perrott III said.
Finishing even-par 71 on the day, Perrott III is in sight of what he came to do at his first Open event.
“I want to get top 5 so I can be fully exempt,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to win.”
Shano noted the wind was an issue he dealt with throughout the second round.
“I just tried to flight the ball out lower and keep it under the wind,” he said. “It worked when I was able to do it.”
The rising senior birdied all three par 5s to finish at 1-under-par 70.
Tied for third at 138 are Nick Delio of Valencia, Calif., and Zachary Baker of Scottsdale, Ariz. Justin Spray of Colorado Springs, Colo. sits in fifth place with a two-day total of 139.
Thirteen-year-old Park hit 13 of 18 greens en route to taking a four-stroke lead heading into the final round. The soon-to-be seventh-grader is ecstatic about taking the lead, and she is willing to admit what the winner's circle would mean to her golf career.
“It would mean the most,” Park said. “It would probably be the most special thing to ever happen.”
Park is followed by Elyse Okada of Kahului, Hawaii, who sits second at 152 for the tournament. One stroke back in third is Jasmine Chean of Irvine, Calif., who shot 77-76 to finish at 153.
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The largest Association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign counties.
Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr, Candie Kung and Paula Creamer.
The final round of the Las Vegas Founders Junior Golf Championship Presented by Meadow Gold Dairy will begin Thursday, June 15 with tee times running from 7-8:57 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees. For more information on the Las Vegas Founders Junior Golf Championship Presented by Meadow Gold Dairy, contact tournament headquarters at (702) 254-0564.
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