Players Battle At Air Force During PGA Junior Series

Colorado Springs, Colo., - The first round of the 2010 PGA Junior Series event at the Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colo., was anything but normal.  Due to vandalism over the night, the eleventh hole became unplayable.  Therefore, players played the 13^th hole twice and what was originally a par 72, became a par 70. 

The event features 80 juniors from 12 different states on the Blue Course on the US Air Force Academy Campus. 

Bobby Gojuangco of San Diego, Calif., shot a 4-under-par 66 to be leading the Boys’ 16-18 Division.  He got off to a fast start with going 4-under-par on his front nine. 

“Playing out here is a little different for me,” said Gojuangco who has a five stroke lead.  “I arrived into town three days before the event and credit my play today to my preparation for this event.” 

Gojuangco struck the ball extremely well today and had his yardages dialed in.  However, he has three Colorado natives tied for second place all of which who want to keep title in state. 

Shelby Phillips of Gilbert, Ariz., shot a 2-over-par 72 to take the Girls’ 16-18 Division lead.  This is familiar territory for Phillips who was the 2009 PGA Junior Series Player of the Year. 

The highlight of her round was a birdie on the par-5 ninth where she had a thirty five yard bunker shot and put it to 1 foot for a tap in birdie.  This is her last PGA Junior Series event of the summer and she hopes to win for the first time in 2010. 

She is leading by one stroke over fellow Arizona native Shelby Martinek who shot a 3-over-par 73. 

There is a tie atop the Boys’ 13-15 Division after both Clayton Crawford of Aspen, Colo., and Benjamin Moore of Englewood, Colo., both shot a 4-over-par 74. 

“I played the par fives really well,” said Crawford.  “If I putt well that will be big because of the tricky greens out here.”

There was a similar story in the Girls’ 13-15 Division as two players were tied for the round one lead after shooting a 9-over-par 79.  Jordan Chael of Overland Park, Kan., who won last week in St. Louis, Mo., on the PGA Junior Series is tied for the lead with Jennifer Kempton of Littleton, Colo.

Chael is a veteran on the PGA Junior Series and hopes her experience will help her as the week moves along.  For Kemtpon, she is very long off the tee for her age and hopes that will help her have short approach shots into the green.      

The second round commences tomorrow morning with all four divisions.  It will be very interesting to see if players can make a move on moving day and jump the leaderboard to give themselves a chance to win come Thursday.