BRASELTON, Ga. - Several local junior golfers will look to take home the champion's trophy, including Matthew Alberts (Berkeley Prep School), Carter Ilgenfritz and George Letson (Plant H.S.), Kits Patel (Wharton), Dylan Malafronte and Jack Twomey (Jesuit H.S.), and Matthew Vann (Tampa Prep), all of Tampa. Michael Baskovich (Calvary Christian) and Mark Wilkins (Countryside H.S.), both of Clearwater, are also in the field. Bradenton residents Zhong Yang Fu and Zeyu He (Bradenton Academy) and Rick Huijsman and Grant Gaugler III (The Pendleton School) are participating as well. Craig Stevenson (Sarasota Christian H.S.) of Sarasota, Chad Fleming (Seminole H.S.) Andy Quintero (Pendleton School) of St. Petersburg, Robby Carl (Bloomingdale H.S.) of Valrico, and Travis Ralph (Indian Rocks Christian) of North Redington Beach are also local players in the field.
In the Girls Division, Melanie Audette (George Jenkins H.S.) of Lakeland, Hannah Yun (Bradenton Prep Academy) of Bradenton, Courtney Harter (Palm Harbor University H.S.) of Clearwater. Meghan Chapman (Seminole H.S.) of Seminole will all be participating in the event.
Also playing is Michelle Shin of Cape Coral, the 34th-ranked junior golfer in the country and the 11th-best 2009 graduate based on the AJGA's Polo Golf Rankings. She was named a Rolex Junior All-America honorable mention each of the past two years on the strength of one AJGA title and four top-10 finishes. She already recorded two more top-10s this season, finishing tied for fifth at the Mizuno Junior at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga., in March and second at the Aldila Junior Classic in Durham, N.C., in April.
Tournament tee times will run from 7:30 - 9:27 a.m. off Avila Golf & Country Club's Nos. 1 and 10 tees Tuesday, June 26 through Thursday, June 28. An awards ceremony will immediately follow play on June 28.
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 largest Association of its kind, the AJGA has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 foreign countries.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.
