STEFFEN EARNS MEDALIST HONORS AT 2-UNDER-PAR 69
Kinsey takes Girls Division medal at Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. — Zach Steffen of Des Moines, Iowa, carded a 2-under-par 69 to take medalist honors and qualify for the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior. Claire Kinsey of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., posted a 7-over-par 78 to claim the Girls Division medal.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior Qualifier was an 18-hole stroke play event held at Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club. The 90-player field featured players from 13 states. The Boys Division played the par-71 course at 6,505 yards while the Girls Division played at 5,960 yards.

Steffen began the morning adjusting his grip on the driving range and the practice paid off. After bogeying his first hole, the par-3 No. 12, Steffen recorded birdies on the next three consecutive holes, attributing his success to the great condition of the course.

“On No. 13 I hit my second shot and the guy next to the green was yelling for it to go in, so I knew it was pretty good,” Steffen said. “It was about a foot away.”

Qualifying for the tournament were John Cassidy of Tulsa, Okla., Stephen Marbach of Naperville, Ill., Derek Ream of Meridian, Idaho, Andrew Harrison of Prairie Village, Kan., Dillon Maloney of Springfield, Mo., Michael Slavin of Johnston, Iowa, and Connor Manning of Overland Park, Kans. Qualifying via a sudden-death playoff were Michael Vogelsong of Colorado Springs, Colo., Duncan Laner of Kansas City, Mo., and Will Pieper of Omaha, Neb.

Also qualifying but opting to take a Tournament Exemption in lieu of playing in the event were Jordan Stein of Glencoe, Ill., Myles Miller of Wellington, Kan., Jonathan Gerrard of Highland Park, Ill., Kevin Bell of St. Louis, Mo., Alex Flaugher of Edwardsville, Ill., Brandon Liu of St. Albans, Mo., Joe Jensen of Naperville, Joseph Winslow of Overland Park, Shane Convery of Raymond, Ill., Will Snyder of Leawood, Kan., and Connor Kurtz of Edmond, Okla.

In the Girls Division, Kinsey felt most of her day was spent punching out, but her game began to come together on the back nine.

“On No. 18, I pulled my drive in the rough,” Kinsey said. “I hit my 8-iron to two feet and then sunk my putt for birdie.”

Kinsey carded one birdie and 10 pars to sit three strokes ahead of the field and earn entry into her first AJGA tournament.

Also qualifying for the tournament were Lauren Dawson of Flossmoor, Ill., and Katie Paxton of Spring, Texas.

Audrey Yowell of McPherson, Kan., and Amy Alston of Mission Viejo, Calif., opted to take a Tournament Exemption in lieu of playing in this week's tournament.

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 opening round of the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior will be Tuesday, July 29 with tee times running off the No. 1 tee from 7 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at Oakwood Country Club. For more information about the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior, please contact Tournament Headquarters at (678) 617-9406.