Wolcott tops Boys Division at Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic
Schubert leads Girls Division after first round play

ROME, Ga. — Ben Wolcott of Burns, Tenn., finished the first round of the Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic with a career low-score of 5-under-par 66 to lead the Boys Division. Leading the Girls Division with a first-round score of 1-over-par 72 was Sophia Schubert of Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Coosa Country Club in Rome, Ga. The tournament field consists of 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from ten states, Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico. The Boys Division is playing the par-71 course at 6,823 yards and the Girls Division is playing at 6,030 yards.

Wolcott finished the day with a total of seven birdies to give him an early lead over the rest of the Boys Division. He started off with an early birdie that gave him an extra boost of confidence.

“On No.2, which is a par 5, I hit it on in two and then two putted for a birdie,” Wolcott said. “That gave me the confidence I need for the rest of the round.”

After a first-round finish, Wolcott hopes to keep the streak going by remaining consistent throughout the next two rounds.

“This course makes me feel a lot more confident about my game because I struggled the past few weeks,” Wolcott said. “I just have to hit fairways and greens and make putts like I did today. It should all work out from then on.”

Following in the Boys Division were Brendon Caballero of Brentwood, Tenn., Andy Shim of Duluth, Ga., Austin Padova of Hudson, Fla., and Shea Sylvester of Roswell, Ga., who all tied with a score of 3-under-par 68.

In the Girls Division, Schubert also had an early birdie on No. 1 to set her game in the right direction. She continued to play a steady round throughout the day with three birdies and 11 pars that placed her at the top.

“After I made the long putt on No. 1 for birdie, I felt really good,” Schubert said. “I could have made a few more putts today, but I kept it in the fairway and I was consistent so I'm pleased with my round.”

Rounding out the top three for the Girls Division were Maria Maymon of Huixquilucan, Mexico, Ana Raga of Caracas, Venezuela, and Caroline Beebe of Daphne, Ala., who also finished in a tie with a 2-over-par 73.

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, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

Second-round tee times for the Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic will run from 7:30 a.m.-12:40 p.m. off the No. 1 tee at Coosa Country Club. For more information about the Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic, please contact the Tournament Headquarters at (678) 294-6051 or visit ajga.org.