News Release

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2005

Headline: Harmeling & Grillo Fire Even Par 72 to Lead at Massachusetts Junior Championship

Devens, MA – Evan Harmeling (Andover CC) and Antonio Grillo (Farm Neck GC), the only two players to shoot even par 72 on Monday at Red Tail Golf Club in Devens, jumped out to a two-stroke lead over the 120-player field following the first round of the Massachusetts Junior Championship.

The entire field, which includes 60 Junior Division, 40 Pre-Junior Division and 20 Boys Division competitors, will return to Red Tail Golf Club on Tuesday to compete in a second round of 18-hole stroke play. Following the first two rounds of stroke play, the low 30 Junior, 20 Pre-Junior and 10 Boys Division scorers and ties will continue on to Wednesday’s 18-hole final round.

Despite rainstorms that hampered the early hours, Harmeling did not falter out of the shoot as he made the turn at 1-under par 35 following birdies on the 161-yard, par 3 5th and 306-yard, par 4 8th holes and one bogey on the 425-yard, par 4 7th hole. Harmeling was 3-under par through 16 holes before he ran into trouble on the final two holes. A bogey on the 385-yard, par 4 17th hole was quickly followed by a costly double bogey on the 499-yard, par 5 finishing hole. Despite the hiccup towards the end, Harmeling still managed to better his fellow Junior Division opponents by two strokes. Sitting just behind Harmeling on the leaderboard are James Burokas (Marshfield CC) and Davis Mullany (Wyantenuck CC) with scores of 2-over par 74. John Kelly (Twin Hills CC), last year’s Pre-Junior Division winner who is competing in the Junior Division in 2005, is currently tied for fourth place after firing a first-round score of 3-over par 75.

One competitor who matched Harmeling’s stellar play was Grillo, who is competing in the Pre-Junior Divison, which consists of players between the ages of 14 and 16. Unlike Harmeling, Grillo struggled on the front nine by registering three bogies, one double bogey and two birdies en route to his front nine score of 3-over par 39. The back nine was an entirely different story, however, as Grillo shot a flawless 3-under par 33 which featured three straight birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes. Grillo currently holds a five-stroke lead on his nearest Pre-Junior Division competitor.

Despite playing in the younger age division, Grillo is eligible to capture the State Junior title because the Junior and Pre-Junior divisions play off the same tees. The most interesting round of the day was posted by another Pre-Junior Division competitor – Tucker Kabat (Nashawtuc CC). Kabat finished with a score of 8-over par 80… a round which included two eagles! Kabat posted those eagles on the 512-yard, par 5 4th and 499-yard, par 5 18th holes.

In the Boys Division, Aaron Klimchuk (Wahconah CC) leads Richard Werenski (The Orchards GC) by one stroke after firing a 2-over par 74. Klimchuk’s round included three birdies, three bogies and one double bogey.