ASHLAND —
The Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior remains a popular stop for young golf talent as well as American Junior Golf Association staff that operate the event.
Now 28 years old, the tournament returns to Bellefonte Country Club this week. A 144-player field includes age 12-18 golfers from 22 states plus Canada, Thailand, China, Japan, Colombia, Germany, South Korea and Malaysia.
Tournament Director Greg Sanfilippo said he is happy to be back at the NRP Bluegrass Junior after serving as an AJGA intern here in 2005.
“You can talk about the hospitality, what the committee does for players and parents, or the organization and dedicated support,” Sanfilippo said. “Those things set it apart. That’s why the AJGA is still here. Just to be part of this is special for me.”
The NRP Bluegrass Junior received the AJGA’s Tournament of the Year Award for 2009.
Jeff Conley, who works for the tournament’s title sponsor, is in his fourth year as tournament chairman with his wife, Barbara.
“I appreciate the fact Nick Carter (Natural Resource Partners president) lets me do all the things I need to make this tournament first class,” Conley said.
Carter volunteers his own time by driving a van to shuttle participants, parents and spectators between Bellefonte Country Club and tournament parking site Bridges Christian Church.Last year, the tournament gave $28,000 to local high school golf programs, assisted area golfers with Yancey Scholarships and also contributed to the Eastern Kentucky Junior Golf Association.
Conley is looking forward to another year of continued success for the NRP Bluegrass Junior.
“The kids that come here to play are the best caliber from our area, surrounding states and the world,” Conley said. “The international flavor we are starting to get is really something. The fact they are coming to Bellefonte to play says a lot.”
Some of the tournament’s past players include Steve Flesch, Jim Furyk, Charles Howell III, Matt Kuchar, Brittany Lincicome, Michelle McGann and Cheyenne Woods.
On Monday, an 18-hole qualifier will round out the field for the main event. The three-day tournament opens Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. Admission is free.
Defending girls champion Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., turned down an invitation to the Rolex Girls Junior Championship to make her fourth appearance in the NRP Bluegrass Junior. Talley, who verbally committed to Alabama, is 39th in the Polo Golf Rankings.
She also won the AJGA Huntsville Junior last year and represented the U.S. in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup.
Two players to watch in the boys’ division are Haoyuan Lu, who has five top-10 finishes in two years of AJGA events, and Wesley Gosselin of Knoxville. Gosselin tied for sixth here last year.
The Ashland Blazer boys golf team has four team members in the field — Jeff Meade, Drew Rothenstine, Nick Blankenship and Patrick Taft.
Joining them will be Russell’s Jacob Porter, South Shore’s Hannah Sublett and Paintsville’s Ale Walker.
After two days of competition, the tournament field will be cut to a minimum of 50 percent for Friday’s final round.
ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.
Local Sports
Bluegrass Junior this week at Bellefonte
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Locals struggle to make impact
Some days you are the windshield and some days you are the bug.
It is a saying that proved to be all too true for Rowan County on Friday night at the KHSAA Class 2A State Track and Field Championships at the University of Louisville’s Owsley Frazier Cardinal Park. -
Rough Ending
Fairview senior Kennedy Womack wasn’t her consistent self in Saturday morning’s state tennis semifinals at the University of Kentucky’s Hilary Boone Tennis Complex.
As a result, the top seed fell to Lexington Sayre sophomore Madeline Rolph 6-1, 6-0.
Womack was obviously disappointed with her finish, especially after losing in last year’s state finals, but she was happy for her good friend Rolph. -
FLYING HIGH
If Fairview could have fielded a combined track and field team at Saturday’s Class A State Track and Field Championships, the Eagles and Lady Eagles would have had a record day. Instead, the Fairview girls had to “settle” for fifth, while the boys’ claimed 10th.
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Womack eliminated in semifinals
Top-seeded Kennedy Womack was eliminated in the semifinals of the State Tournament on Saturday at the University of Kentucky tennis courts.
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Big-inning Dawgs
It looked for a while that a questionable call may have determined the outcome of the game, but in the end, it was just an afterthought.
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Boyd County finds senior spark
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Doubles teams head to semis at state tourney
With rain staying away, the KHSAA State Tennis Tournament got into full swing on Friday afternoon.
Semifinals and finals will be held today at the University of Kentucky Boone/Downing Tennis Complex for boys and girls singles competitions. -
McKnight hurdling to Georgetown
Fairview’s Paige McKnight is known for jumping hurdles. She cleared a pretty big one on Thursday.
In front of friends and family at Fairview Elementary School, McKnight signed a letter of intent to run track for Georgetown College. -
Several area schools will be represented at State Track and Field championships
Local track and field athletes are ready to try to carry region competition success onto the state stage.
Several area schools will be represented at this weekend’s State Track and Field championships at the University of Louisville. The Class 2A meet is set for today at 3:15 p.m. and Class A competition is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 8:15 a.m. -
EAST KENTUCKY BASKETBALL HISTORY: Reflections on 'The Shot'
Paintsville High School legend J.R. VanHoose is also an eastern Kentucky basketball sports historian. This is one in an ongoing series of stories.
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