Top junior golfers head to Playa del Carmen, August 16 - 19

BRASELTON, Ga. - The American Junior Golf Association will return to Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, for the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic, August 16-19. The 54-hole stroke play junior golf event will be played at El Camaleón Golf Club and will feature 78 top junior golfers, ages 12-18, including 34 from Mexico. Overall, the tournament field will represent Mexico, the United Kingdom, and nine U.S. states.

Headlining the Boys Division is Patrick Grimes of Palo Alto, Calif. The rising high school senior has two AJGA victories to his credit, as well as 10 top-15 finishes in junior golf competition. In July, Grimes tied for seventh at the Trader Joe's Junior Championship hosted by Pat Hurst.

Bruno Azcue of Mexico City, will also look to make a splash at the event after a sixth place finish in 2009. In June, Azcue finished tied for 10th at the Mexican Golf Federation Junior Open. In three starts, Azcue has not placed outside of the top 15 at an AJGA event held in Mexico.

In the Girls Division, 2009 champion Gabriela Lopez of Heroes de Padierna, will attempt to defend her title. At No. 44 in the Polo Golf Rankings, Lopez is the highest-ranked player in the tournament field. The rising junior has notched seven top-10 finishes in 12 AJGA starts. In July, Lopez carded a victory at the Junior World Golf Championship.

The tournament practice round will be an 8 a.m. shotgun start Monday, August 16, at El Camaleón Golf Club. Tournament play will take place Tuesday, August 17, through Thursday, August 19. Tee times each day will run from 7:15 - 9:15 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees. An awards ceremony will be held immediately following final-round play.

The Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic is one of 85 events the AJGA will conduct in more than 30 U.S. states and Mexico in 2010.

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 provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 U.S. states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

For more information, please contact Ashley O'Dell (mailto:aodell@ajga.org) in the AJGA Communications Department at (678) 425-1787 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.