Johns Island, SC – Current Rolex Junior All-American Alexa Pano of Lake Worth, Florida, leads the 28th annual Rolex Girls Junior Championship at the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek after the second and third rounds. Pano recorded a 5-under-par 67 in each of today’s two rounds. The rising sophomore shot two six birdie a piece rounds for a two-round total of 12-under-par 204.
The Rolex Girls Junior Championship annually fields one of the top championships in junior golf with some of the world’s best female golfers testing an elite list of challenging course venues around the country. The event is one of five girls-only AJGA invitation-only events and features an elite group of past champions, many of whom have gone on to successful LPGA careers including: Kellee Booth, Leigh Anne Hardin, Aree Song Wongluekiet, Naree Song Wongluekiet, Brittany Lang, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Julieta Granada, Morgan Pressel, Esther Choe, Jane Rah, Victoria Tanco, Kimberly Kim, Yueer Cindy Feng and Ariya Jutanugarn.
The 2019 field features 10 players in the top 25 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, 17 current Rolex Junior All-Americans, and 46 AJGA champions including 2017 Rolex Girls Junior Championship victor Rachel Heck of Memphis, Tennessee.
The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek, located on 800 acres of Johns Island near Charleston, is a first-time host of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and was designed by designed by famed golf course architect Rees Jones who built seven U.S. Open sites, nine PGA Championship courses, two Walker Cup venues and six Ryder Cup venues.
Pano, who at 14 has already amassed a long list of junior golf accomplishments, is looking for her first AJGA invitational win. She is looking to better her 2018 Rolex Girls Junior Championship finish of solo fourth. Pano was the youngest player to ever win an AJGA title at 12 years and 11 days at the PDQ/Philadelphia Runner Junior.
“I felt solid today. Especially playing 36 and being able to get two good rounds put together felt good and gave me a lot of confidence” said Pano, making her third Rolex Girls Junior Championship appearance. “To be able to be in the lead or be in the hunt for it is a really great opportunity”.
Following Pano on the leaderboard are Lei (Angelina) Ye of Bradenton, Florida, and Sophia Bae of Norwood, New Jersey, in second and third place respectively. Ye, a Stanford University verbal commit, sits at 10-under-par 206 and Bae, a Duke University verbal commit at 6-under-par 210.
First-round leader Erica Shepherd of Greenwood, Indiana, remains in the top-5. The Duke University letter of intent signee shot rounds of 5-over-par 77 and 2-under-par 70 for a three-round total of 4-under-par 212.
About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, Rolex is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
About the American Junior Golf Association
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 12-19) of more than 7,200 members from 50 states and 60 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.
TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for more than 25 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 900 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.
AJGA Media Contact:
Emma Varela, AJGA Communications
(512) 590-1604 | evarela@ajga.org