Wright takes sole possession of the PING Phoenix Junior
Corpuz goes low to take top spot at Moon Valley Country Club

PHOENIX — Zachary Wright of Phoenix, carded five birdies en route to a 5-under-par 67 to take the lead in the Boys Division at the 21st annual PING Phoenix Junior. In the Girls Division, Allisen Corpuz of Honolulu, moved up four spots with a second-round 5-under-par 67.

The PING Phoenix Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix. The tournament field features 57 boys and 21 girls, ages 12-18, from 13 states and three countries. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 7,210 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 6,373 yards.

Wright leads by two strokes with an 8-under-par 136 tournament total in his third-consecutive PING Phoenix Junior. Wright attributes his continued lead to playing well from starting off with back-to-back birdies.

“I birdied the par-5 13th then birdied the par-4 14th,” Wright said. “I made my birdie chances and didn't make any bogeys.”

Wright will look for his second AJGA victory going into Thursday's final round. He won the 2011 Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., in April.

Taylor Bromley of Dublin, Calif., will enter the final round two strokes behind Wright in second at 6-under-par 138. Preston Flick of Douglasville, Ga., and Taylor Zoller of North Charleston, S.C., are tied for third at 4-under-par 140. Ryan Rhee of Fullerton, Calif., James Lee of Albuquerque, N.M., Nick Heinen of Edmond, Okla., and Brett Wilson of Mesa, Ariz., share fifth place with 2-under-par 142.

Corpuz, the 2010 AJGA Junior at Quad Cities champion, leads the Girls Division with a 6-under-par 138. Corpuz carded seven birdies during Wednesday's second round.

“I made a ton of birdies. Yesterday and today I birdied Nos. 10 and 15,” Corpuz said. “There were a couple of holes where I hit bad drives and scrambled for par, but I made up for them.”

Corpuz said that leading an AJGA event makes her feel nervous, but she is excited for the final round.

Jenny Hahn of Henderson, Nev., is in second place, just one stroke behind Corpuz with a 5-under-par 139. Lindsey Weaver of Scottsdale, Ariz., sits in third place with a 4-under-par 140.

PING, a golf club manufacturer with the goal to help golfers play their best, has been an AJGA supporter since 1990 and began supporting the PING Phoenix Junior in 1991. PING, an Official Partner in 2002, provides the PING college golf signing day and in 2009, became the “Official Bag of the AJGA.”

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 provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 40 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

The final round of the PING Phoenix Junior will tee off Moon Valley Country Club's Nos. 1 and 10 tees from 6:30-8:18 a.m. June 9th. For more information on the event, please contact Tournament Headquarters at (585) 245-2782.