GREHAN, VONGVANIJ CLAIM MEDALIST HONORS AT POLO GOLF JUNIOR CLASSIC
Cold, wind make for a difficult scoring day at Sea Island Golf Club

SEA ISLAND, Ga. — After an opening-round even-par 70 on Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course Monday, Megan Grehan of Mamaroneck, N.Y., carded a 1-under-par 71 while enduring blustery conditions on the Plantation Course Tuesday to earn medalist honors in the Girls Division at 141. In the Boys Division, Arnond Vongvanij of Bradenton, Fla., followed his opening round 3-under-par 69 performance on the Plantation Course Monday with a 1-under-par 69 with similar conditions on the Seaside Course Tuesday to win the medal play portion of the event. Grehan and Vongvanij will carry with them the No. 1 seeds heading into the match play portion of the event that begins Wednesday.

The Polo Golf Junior Classic, which has been conducted annually since 1978, marks the first tournament of the AJGA's 2007 season. The stroke play portion of the tournament included 162 boys and girls ages 12-18 from 29 states and seven foreign countries. Former champions include Stewart Cink (1989), Trevor Immelman (1995), Tiger Woods (1991), Paula Creamer (2002), Grace Park (1994, 1996) and Morgan Pressel (2004).

Grehan, a four-time Rolex Junior All-American who has signed a National Letter of Intent with Vanderbilt University, began the day on the front nine of Sea Island's Plantation Course, shooting a 1-over-par 37 with eight pars and a bogey on No. 2, a 345-yard par-4.

She started the back nine by making birdie on the par-4 10th with the help of a knock-down 5-iron from 130 yards on her second shot that ended 12 feet from the hole. She would roll in the putt to go to even on the day. She then went on to make seven consecutive pars before sinking a 60-foot putt on the 465-yard, par-5 18th to go 1-under-par on the day and 1-under-par for the tournament.

“This gives me a lot of confidence in my game,” she said. “I changed swing coaches in September and have been working really hard, so it's nice to see the hard work bringing everything together.”

Glory Yang of Murrieta, Calif., claimed the No. 2 seed by posting a 142 two-day total. Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, Natalie Sheary of West Hartford, Conn., and Kylie Fuller of Temecula, Calif., are the Nos. 3-5 seeds, respectively, after carding 143 two-day totals.

In the Boys Division, Vongvanij, a three-time Rolex Junior All-American and University of Florida signee, played a flawless front nine on the Seaside Course, carding two birdies and no bogeys en route to a 2-under-par 33.

His back nine was up and down, including three bogeys, two birdies and four pars, resulting in a 1-over-par 36. His 1-under-par 69 tied for low on a day that saw borderline miserable conditions.

“All parts of my game were really good today,” Vongvanij said. “I focused on hitting fairways and greens and having two putts. Luckily, a good score came from that strategy.”

Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, Calif., also shot a 1-under-par 69 to claim the No. 2 seed with a 139 two-day total. Jed Dirksen of Hampton, Iowa, posted a 140 two-day total, good enough for the No. 3 seed. Jhared Hack of Heathrow, Fla., and Morgan Hoffmann of Wyckoff, N.J., both posted 141 two-day totals to garner the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.

The first round of match play will begin Wednesday with tee times running from 7:30 — 8:40 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees of the Seaside and Plantation Courses at Sea Island Golf Club. Two rounds of match play will be complete by the end of Wednesday.

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 AJGA, the largest Association of its kind, has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 foreign countries.

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, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 39 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include “Polo by Ralph Lauren,” “Ralph Lauren Purple Label,” “Ralph Lauren,” “Black Label,” “Blue Label,” “Lauren by Ralph Lauren,” “Polo Jeans Co.,” “RRL,” “RLX,” “Rugby,” “RL Childrenswear,” “Chaps,” and “Club Monaco” among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to http://investor.polo.com.