Defending Champ, 3 Others Atop 2004 U.S. Girls' Junior Leader Board

Fort Worth, Texas – The defending champion and three others shared the lead in carding 4-under-par 67s after the first round of stroke play at the 56th U.S. Girls' Junior.

Jennie Arseneault, 16, of Grinnell, Iowa, 16-year-old Mari Chun of Pearl City, Hawaii, 17-year-old Julieta Granada of Paraguay and defending champion Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, 17, of Toms River, N.J., put themselves in solid position to advance to match play Wednesday on the 6,256-yard, par-71 Mira Vista Golf Club course.

Five players finished three strokes off the pace: Amanda Blumenherst, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Paula Creamer, 17, of Pleasanton, Calif.; Ashley Freeman, 16, of Belleville, Ill.; 17-year-old Tiffany Joh of San Diego, Calif.; and Jennie Lee, 17, of Huntington Beach, Calif. 

The last player into the field, 14-year-old Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia, and 2002 champion In-Bee park shot even par.

Arseneault, Granada and Wuesthoff were fortunate to play their rounds in the morning. Meanwhile, Chun gutted through the searing afternoon heat en route to a bogey-free round.

“It's very different from Hawaii,” said a weary Chun, playing in her first Girls' Junior. “I can't believe how much water I drank.”

The near-flawless round was helped by two crucial par saves on holes four and nine. On the 362-yard, par-4 fourth hole, Chun took a drop after finding water, chipped to 15 feet of the hole and converted the putt. Then she sank a 10-footer on the par-4, 381-yard ninth to complete her up and down.

“I'm surprised that that score was the low one,” said Chun. “But I pretty much keep the same mentality – I just want to play my best and see where that can take me.”

Chun recently won the Callaway Junior World Golf Championship and Hawaii State Women's Golf Association Match Play Championship. More amazing is that she underwent a complete swing overhaul last November. It's not unusual for a player to need up to a year to see results. It took Chun all of three weeks.

“It wasn't consistent, and it didn't feel strong enough,” said Chun of her former swing. She added that she is hitting each club about 10 yards farther.

Starting in the first group on the front nine, both Arseneault and Wuesthoff displayed suave course-management skills, with six birdies and two bogeys.

Arseneault, who tried to qualify for the event for the first time this year, battled nerves early but settled down after birdies on the first two holes. On No. 1, a 391-yard par 4, she converted a 30-foot putt that wound from the bottom tier of the green to the top.

After a bogey on No. 3, she proceeded to birdie holes eight, 10 and 11. The round redefined her goals for the week.

“I was just hoping to make it through Wednesday and make it to the third round,” said Arseneault, “but now that I'm striking the ball well I think I can do better than that.”

In terms of Girls' Junior experience, Arseneault and Wuesthoff are on opposite spectrums. Arseneault entered this week having never played in the event. On the flip side, Wuesthoff was making her sixth appearance in the championship and said afterward that her victory last year taught her how to stay composed. While Wuesthoff was winning last year, Arseneault “watched it on TV.”

Wuesthoff finished strong with birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. The 14th, a 363-yard par 4, may have been the most impressive -- with 77 yards to the flagstick, she sent the approach shot to 2 feet of the hole.

Being the champion is fine, but it also gleans attention, which she is trying to block out this week.

“Last year I played in front of people, and I was really nervous, but now I don't have that problem,” said Wuesthoff. “I played in a couple of LPGA events so I was still a little nervous there, but in junior events it's OK now.”

Granada, who lost to Creamer in the quarterfinals last year, carded five birdies against one bogey. With the Texas heat rising, Granada's putter went cold. She didn't miss anything inside 5 feet, she said, but there were too many birdie opportunities that were left on the course.

Creamer's round was bolstered with a hole-in-one on No. 7, a 130-yard par 3. She used an 8-iron while being indecisive about which club to swing. Turns out she chose the right one.

But the ace may have done her more harm than good, she said. The ace put her at 3 under.  After that, Creamer admittedly had several mental lapses that led to bogeys on four of her final 10 holes.

“I think if I had just made a birdie I think it would have helped my round a lot more than making a hole in one,” said Creamer, who won the Kathy Whitworth Invitational at Mira Vista G.C. on March 16. “With so many more holes to play it was almost a mistake.”

Creamer's wasn't the only ace of the day. Taylor Barrett, 16, of York, S.C., had a hole-in-one on the 210-yard, par-3 15th hole, using a 4-wood. On Sunday during a practice round, Barrett had been stung by a bee near the same teeing ground, so she said she just wanted to hit quick. She finished at 8-over-par 79.

The U.S. Girls' Junior is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by Ken Klavon, USGA Web Editor. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.

Results

Fort Worth, Texas . – Results after the first round of stroke play Monday at the 2004 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at the 6,256-yard, par-71 Mira Vista Golf Club:

Jennie Arseneault, Grinnell, Iowa, 33-34--67

Julieta Granada, Paraguay, 34-33--67

Mari Chun, Pearl City, Hawaii, 33-34--67

Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, Toms River, N.J., 34-33--67

Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz., 36-34--70

Ashley Freeman, Belleville, Ill., 35-35--70

Jennie Lee, Huntington Beach, Calif., 35-35--70

Paula Creamer, Pleasanton, Calif., 33-37--70

Tiffany Joh, San Diego, Calif., 35-35--70

In-Bee Park, Henderson, Nev., 37-34--71

Maria Jose Uribe, Colombia, 33-38--71

Amanda Wilson, Hilo, Hawaii, 36-36--72

Grace Woo, Burbank, Calif., 35-37--72

Sommer Scholl, Riverside, Calif., 39-33--72

Taylor Siebert, Selma, Calif., 37-35--72

Ya-Ni Tseng, Chinese Taipei, 34-38--72

Jane Park, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 36-37--73

Lauren Mielbrecht, Gulf Stream, Fla., 35-38--73

Lorie Warren, Hendersonville, Tenn., 36-37--73

Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif., 37-36--73

Nannette Hill, Pelham Manor, N.Y., 33-40--73

Sarah Salvo, Glendale, Calif., 38-35--73

Sooji Cho, Glendale, Calif., 36-37--73

Taylor Leon, Dallas, Texas, 35-38--73

Taylore Karle, Scottsdale, Ariz., 37-36--73

Angela Oh, Maple Shade, N.J., 36-38--74

Becca Huffer, Denver, Colo., 39-35--74

Jennifer Cassidy, Dalton, Ga., 36-38--74

Kate Hathaway, Brenham, Texas, 37-37--74

Kayla Morinaga, Waipahu, Hawaii, 38-36--74

Lila Barton, Dallas, Texas, 38-36--74

Megan Grehan, Mamaroneck, N.Y., 35-39--74

Selanee Henderson, Apple Valley, Calif., 35-39--74

So-Hyun Park, Bradenton, Fla., 39-35--74

Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, Hawaii, 38-36--74

Sydnee Michaels, Temecula, Calif., 35-39--74

Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif., 35-39--74

Allison Goodman, San Diego, Calif., 36-39--75

Ayaka Kaneko, Honolulu, Hawaii, 37-38--75

Hsiao-Ching Lu, Chinese Taipei, 37-38--75

Isabelle Lendl, Goshen, Conn., 37-38--75

Jenny Kim, Los Angeles, Calif., 35-40--75

Jessica Potter, Canada, 37-38--75

Katie Kempter, Albuquerque, N.M., 39-36--75

Lauren Espinosa, Hickory Creek, Texas, 38-37--75

Mallory Blackwelder, Versailles, Ky., 38-37--75

Susannah Aboff, Huntington, N.Y., 37-38--75

Blair Lamb, Flat Rock, N.C., 36-40--76

Brynn Anderson, Dallas, Texas, 36-40--76

Emily Mason, Highland, Calif., 38-38--76

Jennifer Hong, Windermere, Fla., 37-39--76

Jennifer Osborn, Huntington Beach, Calif., 39-37--76

Kendra Little, Eugene, Ore., 39-37--76

Kristen Schelling, Mesa, Ariz., 40-36--76

Kristina Wong, Vestal, N.Y., 37-39--76

Laura Luethke, Clovis, Calif., 36-40--76

Lauren Hunt, Little River, S.C., 38-38--76

Madeleine Lovette, Johnstown, Pa., 36-40--76

Songyi Yi, San Diego, Calif., 38-38--76

Sophia Choi, Chandler, Ariz., 36-40--76

Stefanie Page, The Woodlands, Texas, 38-38--76

Stephanie Connelly, Pasadena, Md., 36-40--76

Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif., 39-37--76

Alexandra Bodemann, Palm City, Fla., 38-39--77

Blair Ressler, Bellingham, Wash., 38-39--77

Elizabeth Alger, Centerville, Mass., 40-37--77

Jacqui Concolino, Orlando, Fla., 39-38--77

Joanne Lee, San Carlos, Calif., 39-38--77

Laura Kueny, Whitehall, Mich., 36-41--77

Lindsey Haupt, St Louis, Mo., 39-38--77

Lizann Dernick, The Woodlands, Texas, 39-38--77

Mallory Hetzel, Summerville, S.C., 39-38--77

Marika Lendl, Goshen, Conn., 38-39--77

Morgan Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla., 38-39--77

Shannon Fish, Spring, Texas, 40-37--77

Stephanie Sherlock, Canada, 37-40--77

Wonjoo Choi, Murrieta, Calif., 39-38--77

Alexandrea Schulte, Broken Arrow, Okla., 36-42--78

Calle Nielson, Nashville, Tenn., 36-42--78

Emily Johnson, Warsaw, Ind., 39-39--78

Emma Jandel, Dayton, Ohio, 36-42--78

Hunter Ross, Manakin-Sabot, Va., 40-38--78

Jessica Hazlett, Palo Alto, Calif., 39-39--78

Jessica Vincent, Burlington, N.C., 34-44--78

Kate Durnan, Mendham, N.J., 34-44--78

Kayla Mortellaro, Phoenix, Ariz., 36-42--78

Kelsey Meyer, Chesterfield, Mo., 39-39--78

Morgan Grantham, Kingman, Ariz., 38-40--78

Sofia Janer, Colombia, 38-40--78

Whitney Neuhauser, Barboursville, Va., 37-41--78

Anya Alvarez, Tulsa, Okla., 39-40--79

Candace Schepperle, Hoover, Ala., 39-40--79

Chelsea Curtis, New Seabury, Mass., 39-40--79

Chelsea Schriewer, St Charles, Mo., 39-40--79

Cheyenne Woods, Phoenix, Ariz., 39-40--79

Esther Choe, La Quinta, Calif., 38-41--79

Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii, 36-43--79

Laura Ormson, Granger, Ind., 41-38--79

Lucy Nunn, Lawton, Okla., 39-40--79

Megan McChrystal, Stuart, Fla., 39-40--79

Patty Chawalitmetha, Bellflower, Calif., 40-39--79

Taylor Barrett, York, S.C., 41-38--79

Danielle O'Neil, Palmdale, Calif., 43-37--80

Holly Niederkohr, Marysville, Ohio, 38-42--80

Kaitlin Drolson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 41-39--80

Lisa McCloskey, Montgomery, Texas, 41-39--80

Mayule Tomimbang, Kissimmee, Fla., 39-41--80

Amy Eneroth, Colbert, Wash., 42-39--81

Beth Weinstein, Highland Park, Ill., 39-42--81

Danielle Cvitanov, Sacramento, Calif., 38-43--81

Jessica Hauser, Hartland, Wis., 39-42--81

Kathleen Ekey, Wadsworth, Ohio, 37-44--81

Lauren Archer, Boise, Idaho, 37-44--81

Rachel Carpenter, Fayetteville, Ga., 38-43--81

Ali Beuckman, Jupiter, Fla., 40-42--82

Kate Ackerson, Allen, Texas, 45-37--82

Kimberly Donovan, Hopkinton, Mass., 39-43--82

Michelle Shin, Cape Coral, Fla., 40-42--82

Monique Kim, Norwood, N.J., 41-41--82

Rebecca Durham, St Simons Island, Ga., 36-46--82

Sharlene Gale, Clayton, N.C., 38-44--82

Chaneng Joe, Poway, Calif., 42-41--83

Christine Brijalba, El Paso, Texas, 41-42--83

Hannah Brabb, Maitland, Fla., 43-40--83

Julia Nouss, St Louis, Mo., 42-41--83

Maria Pia Escandon, Mexico, 43-40--83

Marlowe Boukis, Lutherville, Md., 43-40--83

Mia Kabasakalis, Alameda, Calif., 42-41--83

Annie Brophy, Spokane, Wash., 41-43--84

Kayla Stewart, Cookeville, Tenn., 41-43--84

Kristin Vincent, Burlington, N.C., 40-44--84

Lisette Vitter, New Orleans, La., 42-42--84

Michelle Morgan, Muncie, Ind., 38-46--84

Amanda Johnson, Tulsa, Okla., 46-39--85

Jeana Dahl, Fargo, N.D., 43-42--85

Jessica Schall, Lake Mary, Fla., 41-44--85

Jessica Wallace, Canada, 41-44--85

Kathleen White, Waukegan, Ill., 41-44--85

Lauren Johnson, The Woodlands, Texas, 44-41--85

Nicole Schachner, Libertyville, Ill., 41-44--85

Sharon Shin, West Linn, Ore., 44-41--85

Ashley Kozlowski, Windsor, Conn., 41-45--86

Maria Troche, Paraguay, 44-42--86

Melanie Boyles, Tempe, Ariz., 43-43--86

Natalie Sheary, West Hartford, Conn., 43-43--86

Courtney Taylor, Lincolnton, N.C., 43-44--87

Melanie Kier, Orange, Conn., 43-44--87

Brooke Goodwin, Fuquay-Varina, N.C., 43-45--88

Austin McDermaid, Grand Blanc, Mich., 46-43--89

Katharine Loncke, Sacramento, Calif., 45-44--89

Matti Nelson, Moorhead, Minn., 43-46--89

Emily Childs, Alameda, Calif., 45-46--91

Sarah Zwartynski, Allen, Texas, 43-48--91

Brittany Kelly, Fishers, Ind., 45-47--92

Ashlen Christie, Canada, 44-49--93

Jessica Black, Bend, Ore., 41-52 --93

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