Young golfers vie for crown

Adam Candee

Monday, June 16, 2003 | 10:15 a.m.

Hey, did you see that quiet guy with the funny swing who lapped the field and won the U.S. Open Sunday in Illinois?

No guarantees, but you may find someone destined to be just like him out at Boulder City's Boulder Creek Golf Course this week at the Sprint Junior Golf Championship, hosted by the Las Vegas Founders.

No one knows if another Jim Furyk, an alumnus of American Junior Golf Association play, or Stephanie Louden will be among the 84 entrants in the three-day, 54-hole tournament. There will, however, be a strong field of young golfers ages 13-18 from around the Southwest, including a half-dozen players from the Valley.

"Our local juniors have a chance to test themselves against (the best)," UNLV men's golf coach Dwaine Knight said.

The tournament was scheduled to get under way this morning with a fund-raising junior-am, and competition begins Tuesday morning.

The best of the local talent will be well represented on the girls' side. Chelsea Pendleton and Nicole McGirr, two key parts of Green Valley's 4A state championship team last season, will compete this week, as will Durango's Katy Barrett, Bishop Gorman's Justina Yu and Silverado's Stephanie Bird. On the boys' side, Joe Wieser of Bonanza will represent Las Vegas.

The strength of the field mirrors the local talent, as there will be more highly rated girls in the tournament. Allison Martin, Jane Lee, Jennie Lee, Songyi Yi and Alice Kim, all of California natives, have earned Junior All-American honors within the past two years. Martin was a first-team All-American year.

The field is comprised mainly of golfers from California and Arizona.

The Sprint Junior Golf Championship must compete with other tournaments around the country for top junior talent. This week, the tournament at Boulder Creek will occur at the same time that the Buick Junior Open in Linden, Mich., Ping Harvey Penick Junior in Austin, Texas, and Henry-Griffitts Bluegrass Junior Invitational in Ashland, Ky., are taking place.

"The Junior Championship is a tournament that challenges the best young golfers in the country," tournament chairman Ken Gardner said. "It has become a tradition in this area to host this landmark tournament."

The tournament began with the support of the Founders 13 years ago, when Trip Kuehne -- the low amateur at this week's Open -- won the event in 1990. PGA pro and former UNLV star Chris Riley won in 1992, and Louden (then Keever) won in 1997.

Foothill High graduate Christine Fernandez won the girls' event last year with a 7-under 223, edging Jane Lee by a stroke. Californian James Lee won the boys' event last year at 1-under 215, a five-stroke victory.

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