Smith extends lead at TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan
Brooks fires 4-under-par 67 to sit atop Girls Division

BRASELTON, Ga. — Connor Smith of Hoover, Ala., posted a 1-under-par 70 to extend his lead to two strokes after the second round of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan. Sierra Brooks of Sorrento, Fla., posted a 4-under-par 67 to jump four spots on the leaderboard and take a three-stroke lead in the Girls Division.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan is a 54-hole stroke play competition held on the par-71 Château Course at Château Élan. The course is playing to 6,654 yards for the boys and 5,745 for the girls. The 132-player field features players from 25 states and 10 foreign countries.

The TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan is one of 10 events in the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series. Specifically designed for boys and girls ages 12-15, the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series presents opportunities for younger players to develop their skills and earn entry into AJGA Open tournaments.

Smith attributed his second-round success to his work on the green, having only 28 putts on the day. After making the turn at 1-under-par 35, Smith double bogeyed No. 11. He stayed calm and quickly turned it around to make par on the next hole and birdie on Nos. 13 and 14 to finish with a two-round total of 3-under-par 139. The high school freshman said winning this event would show all the practice he has been putting into his game has made an impact.

“It would show me how far I've come in the last five years,” Smith said. “It would show how my hard work has paid off. I've been working a lot on my putting and ball striking.”

In second place is Alejandro Lopez of Boca del Rio, Mexico, at 1-under-par 141. Tied at third are Luis Enriquez of Mexico and Derek Bard of New Hartford, N.Y., at 2-over-par 144. In a five-way tie for fifth at 3-over-par 145 are Elliott Grayson of Shelby, N.C., William Rainey of Charlotte, N.C., Salvador Rocha of Mexico City, Mexico, Corey Carlson of Green Cove Springs, Fla., and Gustavo Morantes of Key Biscayne, Fla.

Brooks carded six birdies to post the only sub-par round of the day in the Girls Division and said both her strong drives and putts helped move her into the lead.

“The course is really unique,” Brooks said. “It's a lot different from what I usually play. The greens have more hills and the fairways have more hills. It's a fun course.”

After earning medalist honors at the Preseason Junior at Ocala hosted by Ocala-Marion Sports Commission three weeks ago, the 12-year-old is on her way to fulfilling her goals for the year.

“I would love to qualify for the Rolex Girls [Junior Championship],” Brooks said. “I want to have fun and enjoy playing golf.”

Sitting in second is Laura Sojo of Barranquilla, Colombia, at 4-over-par 146. In third is Jessica Hoang of North Augusta, S.C. at 6-over-par 148.

GARY GILCHRIST GOLF ACADEMY, a full-time signature golf instruction program located in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., began as an Official Partner of the AJGA in 2009. The partnership features an endowment of an Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and naming rights to the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series for juniors ages 12-15.

TaylorMade Golf has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf creates high-performance, technology-infused golf apparel and footwear worn by hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Ashworth, which became a brand of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company in 2008, creates relaxed, lifestyle-oriented golf apparel synonymous with authenticity and quality. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf and its brands at (866) 530-TMAG (8624) or www.taylormadegolf.com, www.adidasgolf.com, www.ashworthgolf.com, and www.tmag.com.

The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry offering a broad range of products across the three core brands adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has more than 39,000 employees and generated sales of EUR 11.990 billion in 2010.

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.

Final-round tee times will run from 8 - 9:50 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees on the Château Course at Château Élan. For more information about the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan, contact Tournament Headquarters at (678) 425-1802.