Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Blacksburg High School junior Courtney Ellenbogen spent part of Thursday playing a practice round at Roanoke Country Club in preparation for the Scott Robertson Memorial golf tournament. The 17-year-old is ranked 10th in the AGJA national rankings.

A week after competing in last June's U.S. Women's Open, Courtney Ellenbogen captured the American Junior Golf Association's Rolex Tournament of Champions.

Ten months later, the 17-year-old hotshot from Blacksburg would gladly take a case of déjà vu the next three days at Roanoke Country Club.

After playing two rounds with the world's finest women's golfers at last week's Michelob Ultra Classic LPGA Tour event in Williamsburg, Ellenbogen has her sights set on becoming the first area player to win one of the featured older division titles of the Scott Robertson Memorial since the event expanded to national status in the late 1990s.

"Yeah, I think it would be really neat to have somebody from around here win, so I'm hopeful it will be me," said Ellenbogen who tees off in today's first round at 8:40 a.m. "I hope I can pull it off. I want to win every tournament, but this one would be a little different."

No kidding. A player with area ties hasn't won one of the Robertson's older and deeper-field divisions since Salem's Lee Shirley won the girls' crown in 1992. No rap on Shirley, but she didn't have to tangle with the caliber of competition that has been flocking to Roanoke the past 10-12 years.

Neither did Floyd's Susan Slaughter, the 1987 victor who four years later won the NCAA women's crown at Arizona State, nor Roanoke native Vickie Linkous, who won the first two SRM girls' crowns in 1984 and '85.

"Shoot, I may have been the only girl in the field that first year," said Linkous, a former pro who now runs a consulting firm in Williamsburg.

A year ago, Ellenbogen double-bogeyed the first hole en route to an untidy first-round 78. She improved to 71 in the second round, then made seven birdies in carding a spectacular last-day 65 that left her fourth, three shots back of winner Isabelle Lendl.

Lendl, one of three daughters of ex-pro tennis star Ivan Lendl in the field, is bidding to become the first player to win the 15-18 girls' title three consecutive times.

Four others, including current LPGA Tour standout Paula Creamer (2002-03), Slaughter (1986-87) and Linkous have won the crown in consecutive years.

Ellenbogen said visions of her final-round 65 last year still dance positively in her head going into the 54-hole shootout.

"I feel like I can shoot some good numbers on this course," said Ellenbogen, who will attend Duke on a golf scholarship in 2009. "It's a good course to go out and try to put a low number up. I feel like it's out there waiting to be had. I feel if I can execute the way I feel like I should, then I can put up a really good number. I shot a good number last year, so I know I can do it and I plan to do it again this year."

RCC head professional Steve Prater, Ellenbogen's longtime instructor, likes his horse this week.

"Courtney is so tested," Prater said. "She's got it in her. It's just a matter of will she have it this weekend. It's tough to play local sometimes, but if anybody can handle it, it's her."

Floyd's Jessica Hollandsworth and Roanoke's Meredith Swanson are the other two area hopefuls in the field.

"For any one of the local girls, or guys, too, to win this tournament would be great," Hollandsworth said. "Who knows? Maybe one of us can get it done this year."

A year after Ohio's John Hahn shot 70-66-66 to blitz the field by seven shots, the boys' 15-18 field appears to be wide open.

Virginia Beach's Brinson Paolini, ranked 31st in the nation, and North Carolina's Jack Fields, runner-up in this year's Donald Ross Championship, head a weaker-than-normal field.

Floyd's Michael Wade, who tied for 24th last year, heads the area contingent.

Weather permitting, the top groups in each of the 15-18 fields will go to the tee today from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.