KIZZIRE TAKES EARLY LEAD AFTER MORNING ROUND OF STROKE PLAY

AT 2003 U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR

Chevy Chase, Md. – Patton Kizzire, 17, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., shot a 2-under-par 68 to take a one-shot lead at the midway point on the first day of stroke play at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the 6,575/6,586-yard, par-70 Columbia Country Club.

Kizzire, playing in his first Junior Amateur, changed his strategy early, after a bogey on the par-4, 430-yard 10th hole, the first in his round.

“I went out there, trying to make par and just trying to play steady golf,” said Kizzire. “But then I bogeyed the first hole, and I said this is not my game – I need to shoot as low as I can. I just wanted to play my game and make birdies.”

He went on to birdie his next two holes, the par-4, 431-yard 11th and the par-5 503-yard 12th, and ended his round with five birdies and three bogeys.

Webb Simpson, 17, of Raleigh, N.C., and Sung Hoon Kang, 16, of Korea, are both one shot off the pace. Both players benefited from three consecutive birdies. Simpson birdied the 11th, 12th, and the par-3, 168-yard 13 th hole. Kang also birdied the 12th and 13th holes, as well as the par-4, 423-yard 14th hole.

Simpson, who is playing in his third Junior Amateur, wasn’t hindered by the fact that he was the last player in the 156-man field to register, and had time to play just 15 holes in his only practice round.

“Experience just helps a lot, on when to hit certain shots, and when to hold back, and when to go for something,” Simpson said.

Kang is playing in his first event in the United States. He has played in two qualifiers – for the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Andrew DiBitetto, 17, of Rochester , N.Y., had a hole-in-one on the par-3, 212-yard fourth hole, using a 5-wood. DiBitetto finished at three over par.

The remaining 78 players will finish play Monday afternoon. After a second day of stroke play Tuesday, the U.S. Junior Amateur field will be reduced to 64 players for match play. The first round of match play is scheduled for Wednesday, the second and third rounds will be played Thursday, the quarterfinal and semifinal matches are on Friday, and the 18-hole championship final is scheduled for Saturday, July 26.

The Junior Amateur is one of 13 championships conducted by the United States Golf Association each year, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Chevy Chase , Md. – Results at the midway point of Monday’s first round of stroke play at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the 6,575/6,586-yard, par-70 Columbia Country Club:

Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 34-34--68

Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C., 36-33--69

Sung Hoon Kang, Korea, 35-34--69

James Sacheck, Zionsville, Ind., 35-35--70

Juan Candela, Colombia, 35-35--70

Adam Cohan, Wayne, Pa., 36-34--70

Dan Doyle, Rochester, Mich., 33-37--70

Jon Curran, Hopkinton, Mass., 34-37--71

Tom Miles, Dublin, Ohio, 35-36--71

Jon McLean, Weston, Fla., 38-33--71

Zechariah Potter, Cheney, Kan., 37-34--71

Nathan Kinker, Barboursville, W.Va., 36-36--72

Scott Barton, Dallas, Texas, 36-36--72

Blake Trimble, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 36-36--72

Robert Riesen, Pinehurst, N.C., 33-39--72

Robbie Fillmore, Salt Lake City, Utah, 38-35--73

Andrew DiBitetto, Rochester, N.Y., 38-35--73

Joe Panzeri, Boise, Idaho, 38-35--73

Tyler Hurst, Bakersfield, Calif., 36-37--73

Clark Klaasen, Grand Rapids, Mich., 35-38--73

Stephen Walton, West Chester, Pa., 40-33--73

Taylor Hall, La Grange, Ga., 35-39--74

Tom Glissmeyer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-35--74

Ben Leong, Malaysia, 38-36--74

Jonathan Khan, Tucson, Ariz., 38-36--74

Bud Reynolds, Knoxville, Tenn., 39-35--74

Jonathan Pepe, McKeesport, Pa., 38-36--74

Kyle Davis, Kennett Square, Pa., 36-38--74

James Lee, Indio, Calif., 37-37--74

Steve Saunders, Albuquerque, N.M., 37-37--74

Ryan Younger, Madison, Wis., 37-38--75

Ryan Blue, Athens, Ga., 35-40--75

Matthew Kinsinger, Reno, Nev., 36-39--75

Chanin Puntawong, Bradenton, Fla., 38-37--75

Dustin Groves, Keswick, Va., 36-39--75

David Dragoo, Scottsdale, Ariz., 38-37--75

Jesse Speirs, Bangor, Maine, 38-37--75

Todd Obergoenner, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 37-39--76

Andrew Donaldson, Cincinnati, Ohio, 37-39--76

Kyle Stanley, Gig Harbor, Wash., 37-39--76

Nick Olivarri, San Antonio, Texas, 36-40--76

George Zolotas, Peabody, Mass., 42-34--76

Ty Sanders, Tulsa, Okla., 36-40--76

Ryan Lidkea, Canada, 40-36--76

J.F. Sorbella, Port Chester, N.Y., 39-38--77

Joseph Bramlett, Saratoga, Calif., 39-38--77

Tyler Obermueller, River Falls, Wis., 37-40--77

Justin Hull, Royal Oak, Mich., 40-37--77

Tyler Hitchcock, Orlando, Fla., 38-39--77

Michael Tulacz, Connelly, N.Y., 37-40--77

Jarrod Page, Pylesville, Md., 39-39--78

Juan Cardona, Colombia, 39-39--78

Ryan Solan, Charlotte, N.C., 38-40--78

Matthew Okutsu, Bellflower, Calif., 41-37--78

Kyle Marcolla, Chillicothe, Mo., 40-39--79

Bobby Hudson, Memphis, Tenn., 37-42--79

Matthew Harvey, Monroe, La., 39-40--79

Matthew Van Zandt, Missouri City, Texas, 38-41--79

Dustin Pimm, Sandy, Utah, 43-36--79

Tommy Flaminio, Hudson, Ohio, 42-38--80

Jesse Massie, Louisville, Ky., 39-41--80

Kwang Soo Yoon, Irvine, Calif., 43-38--81

Ryan Linton, Lake Forest, Ill., 41-40--81

Jeff Corner, Canada, 40-41--81

Zack Byrd, Calabash, N.C., 40-41--81

Joong Jo, Winter Springs, Fla., 43-38--81

Tyler Tarney, Galena, Ohio , 41-41--82

August Quartararo, West Palm Beach, Fla., 40-42--82

Nicholas Beale, Pass Christian, Miss., 40-42--82

Hunter Creekmore, Ft Smith, Ark., 43-40--83

Guillermo Chavez, Clovis, N.M., 44-39--83

Joey Schalk, Albuquerque, N.M., 40-43--83

Tom Ballinger, Mansfield, Ohio, 42-42--84

Skip Murphy, Kiawah Island, S.C., 44-40--84

James Minahan III, Spring, Texas, 43-42--85

Roberto Galletti Jr., Vallejo, Calif., 43-44--87

Andy Connell, Lima, Ohio, 47-40--87

David Poggi, Layton, Utah, 48-47--95

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