Khitri, Massey in prep finale

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, June 16, 1998 | 10:56 a.m.

For Avi Khitri and Dallas Massey, this week's Las Vegas Founders' Legacy Junior Tournament represents the end of an era.

The two recent Green Valley graduates, who helped lead the Gators to the 4A state title this spring, will be playing the final event of their high school careers at their home course -- Henderson's Legacy Golf Club.

And although both plan to continue playing at the college level next year, neither wants to leave Las Vegas on a sour note.

"I'm playing well right not, so my goal is to shoot under par all three days," said Khitri, who was to tee off in round one of the three-day tournament earlier today. "I just want to leave the Legacy with a good feeling."

In the fall, Khitri will head to California's Claremont-McKenna College, where he will be a premed student and a golfer on the school's Division III squad. Massey will be off to WAC school Colorado State on a golf scholarship.

Khitri and Massey played in their very first American Junior Golf Association tournament together three years ago, at the 1996 Founders' Legacy Junior. Since then, both golfers have played in three or four AJGA events a year, honing their skills against the country's top young talent.

"It's intense," Khitri said. "Everybody in your group is always right around par."

Khitri and Massey will be among 10 local golfers in the 60-player boys field. Joining them will be former Green Valley teammate Joey Matyas along with Tyler Mays (Bishop Gorman), Ben Auten and Dana Wade (Bonanza), Randy Creighton and Chad Fosburg (Durango), Eric Kijowski (Western) and David Ducharme (Cimarron-Memorial).

Headlining the field of national talent will be U.S. Junior Amateur champion Jason Allred, a Pepperdine signee from Ashland, Ore., and defending Founders' champion Michael Beard of Palm Desert, Calif.

Galena High School's Travis Whisman, who captured this year's 4A state individual trophy, also will be on the links, as will Arizona State signee Brady Stockton of San Ramon, Calif.

On the girls side, the Green Valley foursome of Christine Fernandez, Mary Fernandez, Kimberly Kindig and Ashlei Pendleton will lead eight local players into the field of 24.

Bonanza's Jordan Auten, Cimarron's Erin Borcherts and Amber Williams and Valley's Anne Schlosser also will represent the Las Vegas area.