TOURNAMENT RECAPS

* FCWT Tampa Bay Bull Shootout
Orlando's Sam Saunders needed two extra holes to defeat Joshua Carr Feb. 9 at the FCWT Tampa Bay Bull Shootout.

Saunders, who entered the final round with a three-shot lead, closed with 76 to finish at 8-over 221, while Carr had a final-round 72. In the playoff, Saunders clinched the title with a par on the second extra hole.

In the girls 15-19 division, Tiffany Chudy of Miramar, Fla., shot a final-round 76 to take the title by three shots over Whitney Sylvan of Columbia, S.C.

Chudy, currently ranked No. 38 in the Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index, finished at 19-over 232, which was her best finish of the season. Chudy finished runner-up at the Innisbrook event.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/amateur/

ELLIOTT: TOP-RANKED JUNIORS
WORTHY OF WIE'S INVITATION

What is the Kraft Nabisco Championship doing? In giving Michelle Wie a sponsor exemption into their event, the first LPGA Tour major of the season, they have fallen into the trap of succumbing to the pressures of television ratings.

Yes, the Nabisco has had a tradition of inviting amateurs, but isn't five enough?

So far, Aree and Naree Song Wongluekiet, Virada Nirapathpongporn and Lindsey Wright, all ranked Nos. 1 through 4 respectively in the Golfweek/Titleist Amateur rankings, have received invitations. Becky Lucidi, the 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur champion, also will play the event March 27-30 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Certainly, no problems there.

Wie, however, is 34th in the Golfweek/Titleist rankings. The 13-year-old is not even ranked in the Golfweek/Titleist junior rankings.
- For more, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2003/pro/majors/women/nabisco/31698.asp

NEWS AND NOTES

* Michelle Wie may feel like a golf pro by the end of the season. The 13-year-old Wie received an invitation Feb. 12 to play in the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic in August, her father, B.J. Wie, said.

The tournament in Sylvania, Ohio, from Aug. 14-17 is the fourth LPGA event invitation she has accepted this year.

The eighth-grader from Honolulu has received sponsor exemptions to play in the Kraft Nabisco Championship next month in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in April in Stockbridge, Ga., and the ShopRite Classic in June in Galloway, N.J.
- For more, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2003/juniorgolf/girls/31769.asp

* The American Junior Golf Association announced Feb. 7 that Transamerica Capital has signed on as title sponsor of the Transamerica Junior at Denver to be held Aug. 5-8. The sponsorship will run for two years.

* The 2003 PGA Junior Series presented by Callaway Golf will feature eight new sites on its 11-state summer coast-to-coast schedule.
- For more, visit www.pga.com/juniors/tournaments/jr_series/2003.

* Junior golf programs in Indio, Calif., Wilkinsburg, Pa., and San Juan, Puerto Rico have been selected to each send 15 kids to the Tiger Woods Foundation Junior Golf Clinic at Disney World in the fall.

* The Canadian Junior Golf Association announced Feb. 11 that Titleist has partnered with the CJGA in 2003.

* Short shot: Applications for the AJGA's Easter weekend events (TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Chateau Elan, TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Bentwood and Heather Farr Classic) are now available on the association's Web site (www.ajga.org). The application deadline is March 4. These events are filled using Performance-Based Entry.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Name: Jared Jones
Age: 17
Golfweek/Titleist Ranking: 238^th (as of Feb. 9)
Residence: Kenova, W.Va.
The Skinny: Jones was introduced to the game at a young age by his father, who played on Marshall University's golf team, but he took a real liking to the game after attending his first PGA Tour event (Memorial).

Jones, who was named West Virginia Junior Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, was medalist at the high school state championship in 2001 and he finished fifth in the W.Va. Men's Amateur in '01 and '02. Jones was an AJGA Honorable Mention All-American in 2002 and he has accepted a golf scholarship from Ohio State.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

FCWT
Feb. 15-17 -- FCWT Shootout at Turkey Creek, Turkey Creek, Sacramento, Calif.
Feb. 15-17 -- FCWT Doral Preview, Doral Resort & Spa, Miami
Feb. 15-17 -- FCWT Cowboy Classic, Bear Creek East, Dallas

JAGS
Feb. 16-17 -- Presidents Junior Cup

IJGT
Feb. 14-17 -- Kiawah Island (S.C.) Resort

THE JUNIOR TOUR
Feb. 15-17 -- Duke University Golf Club, Durham, N.C.

WINNERS MOVEMENT
Here is a list of last week's winners and their movement in the Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index:

BOYS
Sam Saunders (N/R, played in his first ranked event of 2002-03.)

GIRLS
Tiffany Chudy (Remained 38th)

RECRUITING CENTRAL
What information does the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse provide to colleges during the recruiting process?

The Clearinghouse will send a prospective student-athlete's eligibility status (transcript, GPA, test scores) to any Division I or II school that requests it. The Clearinghouse will not send information at the student-athlete's request. The college must make the request for the information, and if no NCAA member institution requests a student's eligibility status, a final certification decision may not be processed.

- For more college recruiting information, visit the Ping American College Golf Guide at www.collegegolf.com/.

THIS WEEK IN GOLFWEEK
Read about Davis Love III's first victory in two years on the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach in the Feb. 15 issue.

POLL QUESTION
Log on to golfweek.com and participate in the ''It's Your Honor'' poll question. This week: Which matchup would you most want to see in the upcoming World Golf Championships/Accenture Match Play Championship?

Have an interesting junior note to report, or know an interesting junior we can profile? E-mail Golfweek scoreboard editor Graham Elliott at gelliott@golfweek.com.

Have a question about the Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index? E-mail rankings@golfweek.com.