Catherina Wang, 15, of Sarasota, Fla., bested the entire field by two strokes at the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic Tuesday after firing a 7-under-par 63. Thomas Hugghins, 17, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., leads the Boys Division by three strokes carding a 5-under-par 65.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the 54-hole stroke-play event is being held at WindStone Golf Club and features 99 of the nation's top junior golfers from 15 states. Highlighting the field are nine Rolex Junior All-Americans, including defending champion Ben Spickard of Roswell, Ga
Wang, who leads the Girls Division by 5 strokes, began her round with a birdie on the par-4 first followed by four pars.
"In the beginning I didn't make many birdie putts but then everything began to drop after six holes," Wang said.
Tallying seven birdies without a single bogey, Wang shot 9-hole totals of 31 and 32, claiming the women's course record at WindStone Golf Club.
"I think it's the lowest competitive round I've ever shot," Wang said.
Shooting her own personal best of 68 is Amber Davis, 17, of East Point, Ga.
"It hasn't really hit me yet because we have two more days of play," Davis said.
Following Wang and Davis is 17-year-old Mallory Hetzel of Summerville, S.C. with a 1-under-par 69.
With four straight birdies on Nos. 4 through 7 followed by a fifth on the uphill, 479-yard par-5 ninth, Hugghins shot a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine Hugghins reached 7-under-par after 12 holes, however, bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 left him at the top of the leader board with a 65.
"I had consistent play until the last 2 holes," Hugghins said.
Hitting 11 of 14 fairways, Hugghins credited smart play for his personal best score in Tuesday's round.
"I kept it in the fairway all day which is very important on this golf course," he said. "You can't be too aggressive on this course."
Brad Nelson, a teammate of Hugghins at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, trails the leader by one stroke. Nelson shot matching 33's on the front and back nines with an eagle on hole No. 17.
Rounding out the top five in the Boys Division after the first round are Tyler Dingman of Raleigh, N.C., and Michael Saari of Lilburn, Ga., at 68 and Chase McFarland of Savannah, Ga., Matt Savage of Louisville, Ky., and Michael Green of Augusta, Ga., at 69.
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 has a membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.
Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989, officials said. Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
Second-round tee times begin at 7:30
a.m. Wednesday off the No. 1 tee.
For more information about the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic, please contact tournament headquarters at (706) 935-4355.
First Round results from the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at WindStone Golf Club. Par: Boys: 35-35-70; Girls: 35-35-70. Yardage: Boys: 6,426; Girls: 5,524.
BOYS DIVISION
Thomas Hugghins, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 30-35-65
Brad Nelson, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 33-33-66
Michael Saari, Lilburn, Ga. 33-35-68
Tyler Dingman, Raleigh, N.C. 33-35-68
Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky. 34-35-69
Chase MacFarland, Savannah, Ga. 36-33-69
Michael Green, Augusta, Ga. 36-33-69
Matt Cunningham, Chattanooga, Tenn. 34-36-70
Brent Cooper, Valley Head, Ala. 34-36-70
Brent Witcher, Duluth, Ga. 34-36-70
Seth Brandon, Dalton, Ga. 33-37-70
Ben Spickard, Roswell, Ga. 31-40-71
Joshua Lawson, Hixson, Tenn. 33-38-71
Kyle Cothran, Soddy Daisy, Tenn. 37-34-71
Mark Silvers, Savannah, Ga. 36-35-71
Ty Sanders, Tulsa, Okla. 36-35-71
Zachary Alred, Roswell, Ga. 33-38-71
Philip Chauncey, Durham, N.C. 33-39-72
Billy Horschel, Grant, Fla. 36-36-72
Ross Leth, Ooltewah, Tenn. 38-34-72
Hunter Bronson, Mobile, Ala. 35-37-72
Will Shambley, Cary, N.C. 35-37-72
Michael Mulieri, Silver Spring, Md. 35-37-72
Benjamin Tewes, Lincoln, Neb. 35-37-72
Nathan Spoon, Graham, N.C. 36-37-73
Song Jeon, Ocala, Fla. 36-37-73
Peter Yoo, Norcross, Ga. 38-35-73
Parker McKoy, Raleigh, N.C. 38-35-73
Bryan Miller, Rocky Face, Ga. 37-36-73
Christopher Evans, Greensboro, N.C. 37-36-73
Albert Suarez IV, Grapevine, Texas 35-38-73
Preston Yates, Winston-Salem, N.C. 35-38-73
Ethan Maretich, Ringgold, Ga. 36-37-73
Cameron Hooper, Jacksonville, Fla. 37-36-73
Jonathan Hodge, Jefferson City, Tenn. 37-36-73
Mac Michals, Concord, N.C. 37-36-73
Greg Simpson, Franklin, Tenn. 35-39-74
Thomas Mathiassen, Roswell, Ga. 37-37-74
Ryan Willis, Alpharetta, Ga. 35-39-74
Cameron Lawrence, Brentwood, Tenn. 36-38-74
Shane Rhatigan, Alpharetta, Ga. 37-37-74
Glenn Northcutt, Dothan, Ala. 38-36-74
Michael Williams, Hilton Head, S.C. 40-35-75
Ryan Blackburn, Augusta, Ga. 37-38-75
Beau Allen, Atlanta, Ga. 39-36-75
Tal Everett, Sea Island, Ga. 37-38-75
Jacob Davidson, Jacksonville, Fla. 36-39-75
Brad Witzel, Ringgold, Ga. 37-38-75
Chappell Brown, West Palm Beach, Fla. 38-38-76
Matthew Hammock, Hinesville, Ga. 40-36-76
Kent Copeland, Hickory, N.C. 36-40-76
David Cline, Atlanta, Ga. 35-41-76
Daniel Triplett, Bristol, Va. 38-38-76
Graham Shurley, Dunwoody, Ga. 39-37-76
Todd Obergoenner, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 37-39-76
Daniel Burns, Statesville, N.C. 39-38-77
Ryan Blue, Bogart, Ga. 39-38-77
Michael Hosch, Lilburn, Ga. 36-41-77
Rob Bennett, Augusta, Ga. 39-38-77
Chris Farnsworth, Signal Mountain, Tenn. 39-38-77
Patrick McShane, Rome, Ga. 37-40-77
John-Tyler Griffin, Wilson, N.C. 38-39-77
Sam Holtsclaw, Spruce Pine, N.C. 41-36-77
Colby Moore, Cornelius, N.C. 41-37-78
Joshua An, Bradenton, Fla. 40-39-79
Chesson Hadley, Raleigh, N.C. 40-39-79
Chris Wolfe, Warner Robins, Ga. 37-42-79
Mark Bivens, Hoover, Ala. 40-39-79
Raj Nahal, Longwood, Fla. 41-39-80
Rob Kirkland, Durham, N.C. 43-37-80
Ryan Heisey, New Bern, N.C. 39-45-84
Shelton Davis, Atlanta, Ga. 47-39-86
Jonas Miller, William & Mary 42-45-87
Alex Wheaton, Ringgold, Ga. 44-47-91
GIRLS DIVISION
Catherina Wang, Sarasota, Fla. 31-32-63
Amber Davis, East Point, Ga. 33-35-68
Mallory Hetzel, Summerville, S.C. 33-36-69
Joy Kim, Lawrenceville, Ga. 37-35-72
Whitney Myers, East Berlin, Pa. 36-36-72
Dolores White, Lakeland, Fla. 37-36-73
Chelsea Curtis, New Seabury, Mass. 36-38-74
Whitney Frykman, Acworth, Ga. 34-40-74
Brittany Nelson, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 37-37-74
Liebelei Lawrence, Bradenton, Fla. 36-38-74
Alexandra Bodemann, Stuart, Fla. 37-37-74
Marci Turner, Tompkinsville, Ky. 38-37-75
Margaret Shirley, Roswell, Ga. 35-40-75
Blair Lamb, Flat Rock, N.C. 39-37-76
Jennifer Cassidy, Dalton, Ga. 38-39-77
Christie Reed, Oak Ridge, Tenn. 40-37-77
Rebecca Durham, St. Simons Island, Ga. 36-42-78
Patricia Kim, Midland, Ga. 39-40-79
Andrea Ratigan, Tucson, Ariz. 40-39-79
Christine Yum, Bradenton, Fla. 39-42-81
Ashley Lance, Franklin, Tenn. 41-40-81
Taryn Durham, Glasgow, Ky. 41-41-82
Catherine Hicks, Chattanooga, Tenn. 40-44-84
Cindy Phillips, Johnson City, Tenn. 44-42-86