Gazzolo starts strong at the AJGA Junior Challenge
Santos, Joo take lead at Oak Valley Golf Club

BEAUMONT, Calif. — David Gazzolo of Riverside, Calif., carded a 5-under-par 67 to take the first round lead at the AJGA Junior Challenge. In the Girls Division, Raychelle Santos of La Quinta, Calif., and Katia Joo of Rolling Hills, Calif., recorded 3-under-par 69 to tie the lead in the first round.

The AJGA Junior Challenge is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif. The tournament field features 102 boys and 42 girls from seven states and 10 countries. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,982 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 6,080 yards.

Firing seven birdies on the day, Gazzolo, who will attend University of California — Riverside in the fall, started and finished strong.

“I had a good pace and knew when it counted,” Gazzolo said. “I had two back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, and Nos. 1 and 2.”

Zecheng Dou of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Sammy Cole of Aliso Viejo, Calif., carded 4-under-par 68 tying for second. Tied for fourth place are Alex Angard of Encino, Calif., Walker Huddy of Studio City, Calif., and Christopher Chu of Fullerton, Calif with 3-under par 69.

Santos stepped up her game on the back-nine, where she made three of her four birdies for the day.

“I wanted to keep fighting for more birdies because I didn't want to stay content at even,” Santos said. “I hit fairways first because that's how you start out a good hole.”

Joo played consistently despite a prior injury. This is Joo's first tournament since April having tendonitis in her elbow.

“I stayed calm which kept my game constant even with my injury,” Joo said. “I hope to do the same tomorrow.”

Tied for third are Chieh Peng of Shenzhen, China, Amy Lee of Brea, Calif., Lauren Diaz-Yi of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Euna Pak of Irvine, Calif., with 1-uner-par 71.

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.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex, 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. 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, Rickie Fowler, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

Second-round tee times for the AJGA Junior Challenge will run from 7:00 a.m. — 8:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. — 1:20 p.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees, Wednesday at Oak Valley Golf Club. For more information about the AJGA Junior Challenge, contact tournament headquarters at (678) 571-7994.