GRIFFIN, BEALL, MITCHELL, PRESLEY VIE FOR LEAD AT STARS OF TEXAS JUNIOR
Swanson holds Girls Division top-spot entering final round at Horseshoe Bay Resort

HORSESHOE BAY, Texas -Tommy Mitchell of The Woodlands, Texas, Andrew Presley of Fort Worth, Texas, Mitchell Griffin of Driftwood, Texas and Tye Beall of El Paso, Texas, all shot two-day totals of 7-over-par 149 to share the lead after the second round of the Stars of Texas Junior presented by Horseshoe Bay Resort Wednesday. In the Girls Division, Meredith Swanson of Roanoke, Va., posted a 2-over-par 73 Wednesday to carry a seven-stroke lead of 8-over-par 150 into the final round.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Stars of Texas Junior Presented by Horseshoe Bay Resort is a 54-hole stroke play event being held at Horseshoe Bay Resort — Ram Rock Course. The tournament field features 102 boys and 42 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states, Mexico, Venezuela and British Columbia. The field was cut in half to include the top 51-boys and ties and top 21-girls and ties after the second round Wednesday. The Boys Division is playing the par-71 course at 6,745 yards, while the Girls Division is playing the course at 5,961 yards.

After double bogies on Nos. 1 and 5, Mitchell stayed positive and posted a 1-under-par 34 on the back nine. He plans to bring the same mindset into tomorrow's final round and is not concerned about playing with the lead.

“I'm just going to go into it like it's a round with my friends,” Mitchell said.

Presley, the first-round leader, struggled on the front nine as well, but with five 10 foot putts for pars he was able to turn things around on the back nine. Presley focused on improving his yardages and hitting more fairways but could not ignore the weather.

“I was a little nervous before I played today,” Presley said. “I played in the morning yesterday and this afternoon there was a lot more wind.”

Griffin has been working on his drives and thinks playing solid golf will be key in Thursday's final round.

“I tried to start slow and get a rhythm,” Griffin said. “I wanted to put a good round together in the morning and give the leaders something to look at.”

Rounding out the top-five is Colton Staggs of Tulsa, Okla., at 10-over-par 152.

With a seven-stroke lead, Swanson sits atop the scoreboard in the Girls Division for the second consecutive day. She played consistently, hitting 13 greens and 10 fairways, and hopes to claim her first AJGA victory Thursday.

“I was originally playing in Rolex Girls [Junior Championship], but I opted out to play here and get a win,”

Swanson said. “It would be a great way to start off the summer and get a win under my belt.”

In second place is Victoria Vela of Mansfield, Texas, at 15-over-par 157. Sitting in third place is Kelsey Kirkpatrick of Golden, Texas, at 16-over-par 158.

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 an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 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 AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

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 Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

The final round of the Stars of Texas Junior presented by Horseshoe Bay Resort is Thursday, June 12 with tee times off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees from 7:30 — 9:09 a.m. at Horseshoe Bay Resort — Ram Rock Course. For more information about the Stars of Texas Junior presented by Horseshoe Bay Resort, please contact Tournament Headquarters at (770) 601-8922.

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