Lee, Richardson and Yumar share second-round lead at TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook

hosted by Sean O’Hair

Tanco gains two-stroke lead in Girls Division at Innisbrook’s North Course

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Tae Wan Lee of Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., Conor Richardson of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Juan Yumar of Miami, Fla., sit in a three-way tie for first place heading into the final round with matching 1-over-par 143s, while two-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year Victoria Tanco of Bradenton, Fla., leads the Girls Division at even-par 140.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook hosted by Sean O'Hair is a 54-hole stroke play event held at Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club. The 210-player field features junior from 28 states, and eight foreign countries. The Boys Division is playing the par-71 Copperhead Course at 7,277 yards, while the Girls Division is playing at the par-70 North Course at 5,805 yards.

Lee stayed at the top of the leaderboard by shooting 2-over-par 73 and focusing on his putting during the second round. The South Korea native made birdie on No. 16 with a 25-foot putt, which helped solidify his tie for the lead.

“I had a great birdie putt on No. 16 that was a good way to end the day. I was just expecting to two-putt but it sunk in,” Lee said. “I just want to practice reading the greens, so I'm going to continue to work on my putting for the final round.”

Florida native Richardson was able to stake claim in his home state by shooting even-par 71 in the second round. The 17-year-old made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, and finished his round with a birdie on No. 9, setting himself up for success heading into the final round.

“I'm looking forward to getting a chance to compete tomorrow and finish it up,” Richardson said. “I want to stay aggressive but not get too carried away out there.”

Yumar, who qualified for the tournament via the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier on Wednesday, shot a 2-under-par 69 in the second round to move up 21 spots for a share of the lead. The 15-year-old Venezuela native made five birdies Saturday and finished the round with a 10-foot putt for par on No. 18.

“I was comfortable with all of my game,” Yumar said. “Because I was a qualifier, I had lower expectations going into the tournament. I just want to have fun during the round tomorrow and get the best out of it.”

Chad Merzbacher of Dublin, Ohio, Matthew Gerard of Rocky River, Ohio, and Rohan Ramnath of Weston, Fla., sit at 2-over-par 144 to tie for fourth place heading into the final round.

In the Girls Division, Tanco gained a two-stroke lead over the competition by playing consistently and matching bogeys with birdies during the second round. After back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 3 and 4, the 17-year-old made birdie on No. 5 to set her on track heading into the final round.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play on every hole and give myself a shot at birdie,” said Tanco. “I am going to work on my putting so I can make more tomorrow. I am just going to get my swing as best as I can.”

Brogan McKinnon of Mississauga, Ontario, So Young Hwang of Bradenton, Fla., Christina Foster of Concord, Ontario, and Ri Hyang Park of Hilton Head Island, S.C., share second place in the Girls Division going into Sunday with 2-over-par 142 two-round totals.

About TaylorMade Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company

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.

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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 for the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook hosted by Sean O'Hair will begin with the Boys Division running from 8 — 10:03 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 tees of Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club's Copperhead Course. The Girls Division will play the North Course off of Nos. 1 and 10 tees from 8 — 9:48 a.m. For more information, please contact tournament headquarters at (585) 245-2782.