TOURNAMENT RECAPS

Event: MCI Junior Classic
Course: Harbour Town Golf Links (Ocean Course)
When: Feb. 7-8
Where: Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Winners: Toby Ragland (70-74--144)/Jennie Lee (72-77--149)
Runners-up: Tim Schaetzel (71-74--145)/In-Bee Park (74-77--151)
Skinny: Toby Ragland knew he was capable of winning a top junior event and on Feb. 8 at Harbour Town Golf Links he proved it at the MCI Junior Classic.
''It was just a matter of getting out there, playing my own game and letting winning take care of itself,'' said Ragland.
Dealing with strong winds, cold temperatures and the same Sunday pins used for the PGA Tour's MCI Heritage, Ragland carded a final-round 3-over 74 for a 1-over 144 total.
Tim Schaetzel shot 74 to finish one back at 145. Reigning U.S. Junior champion Brian Harman (76), Webb Simpson (75), Trent Leon (73) and Zack Bryd (74) all tied for third at 4 over.
Jennie Lee didn't think she had won the MCI Junior Classic title when she walked off the green at No. 9 (her final hole). Lee, No. 1 in the Golfweek/Titleist Junior Rankings, had just made a double-bogey and figured someone else had taken this year's title.
''I didn't think I had won because I didn't play so good, but they told me at the scorer's table I had won and I was so surprised,'' said Lee, who finished at 149 for a two-shot victory over U.S. Girls' Junior runner-up In-Bee Park. ''I knew the pin placements were really hard and that par was a really good score because everything played tough out there.''
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/

Event: IJGT Mizuno Mid-Season Championship at Savannah Harbor
Course: Woodyard Golf Course
When: Feb. 7-8
Where: Savannah, Ga.
Winners: Trevor Murphy (73-75--148)/Brittany Collins (80-77--157)
Runners-up: James Browning (79-74--153), Benjamin Herrera (78-75--153), Minghao Wang (77-76--153)/Lauren Doughtie (84-76--160), Louisa Yang(80-80--160)
Skinny: Murphy carded a final-round 75 to fend off a trio of contenders in Savannah, Ga., while Collins won the girls division by three strokes.
Both the girls and boys champions will represent the United States in the second North America Cup to be held at Berkeley Hall in Hilton Head, S.C., July 6-9.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/

Event: FCWT University of South Florida Junior
Course: University of South Florida GC
When: Feb. 7-8
Where: Tampa, Fla.
Winners: Jon McLean (74-74--148)/Jennifer Crawford (81-84--165)
Runners-up: Jacob Davidson (77-72--149), Sam Saunders (75-74--149)/Amber Lindgren (79-86--165)
Skinny: McLean overcame cold, windy conditions for his second-consecutive 74 and his first FCWT victory.
Crawford finished two rounds tied with Lindgren at 165. But a par on the first playoff hole gave Crawford the victory.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/

Event: IJGT Mizuno Mid-Season Championship at Gold Canyon Resort
Course: Gold Canyon Resort
When: Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Where: Gold Canyon, Ariz.
Winners: Mike Barry (66-76--142)/Sommer Scholl (74-72--146)
Runners-up: John Chin (68-77--145)/Eun Jung Lee (75-74--149)
Skinny: Barry got off to a sizzling start with a 5-under 66. His final-round 76 was enough to edge Chin by three strokes. In the girls division, Scholl's closing 72 held off a charging Lee (74) by three strokes.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/

Event: Texas Junior Tour (Tour Championship)
Course: Hyatt Hill Country Resort
When: Jan. 24-25
Where: San Antonio
Winner: Jeff Howard (77-72--149)/Lauren Espinosa (73-80--153)
Runners-up: Brooks Bankhead (72-78--150), Chase Barnes (73-77--150), Will Griffin (73-77--150)/Alejandra Lllaneza (77-76--153)
Skinny: Howard used a final-round 72 to hold off a pack of contenders for a one-stroke victory. His final round was at least four shots better than any of the other challengers. In the girls division, Espinosa finished 36 holes tied with Lllaneza and needed extra holes to take the title.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/

ELLIOTT: FROM SHOES TO SHADES,
PGA SHOW UNVEILS BEST OF 2004

For one week each year manufacturers, merchandisers, club pros and assorted media converge on the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., for the golf industry's PGA Merchandise Show.

This year's show-and-tell featured an array of equipment, but I focused on footwear, eye wear and teaching aids.
- For more, visit www. golfweek.com/articles/2004/juniorgolf/girls/37682.asp

NEWS AND NOTES

* Eight rookies will cross the Atlantic this summer to represent the United States in the 33rd Curtis Cup Match, the U.S. Golf Association announced Feb. 6.

When the two teams collide next June at England's Formby Golf Club, Great Britain and Ireland will face the youngest U.S. squad ever assembled.

Erica Blasberg (19), Paula Creamer (17), Sarah Huarte (21), Elizabeth Janangelo (20), Brittany Lang (18), Jane Park (17), Annie Thurman (21) and Michelle Wie (14) will comprise captain Martha Wilkinson Kirouac's squad.

- For more, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2004/amateur/curtis/37654.asp

* Annika Sorenstam and Jim Furyk will host the American Junior Golf Association's I.R.I. Arizona National Mixed Team Championship in early May.

The event will be played at Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz., home of the University of Arizona men's and women's golf teams where Sorenstam and Furyk played. The 54-hole tournament will feature one-boy, one-girl teams using a variety of different formats for each round. The opening round will use a modified Scotch format, the second round will be alternate shot foursome, while the final round will be a four-ball competition.

- For more, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2004/juniorgolf/boys/37686.asp

* Gayle Champagne was appointed president of the AJGA's Board of Directors Feb. 6. Champagne, the Detroit sales manager of Golf for Women Magazine, has been actively involved with the AJGA since 1992. Most recently, she served as vice president.

Champagne became involved with the AJGA in 1992 when Golf for Women sponsored the Golf for Women Magazine Girls Championship, now the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.

- For more, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2004/business/people/37683.asp

* Newly elected U.S. Golf Association president Fred Ridley announced Feb. 7 nearly $2 million in funding to help bring the game of golf to more than 40,000 youths and individuals with disabilities across the country.

The awards -- given to 68 non-profit organizations across the country -- are part of the USGA's ongoing $50-million, 10-year initiative to grow the game and help disadvantaged youth and individuals with disabilities gain self-esteem and confidence.

- For a full list of the 68 recipients, visit www.golfweek.com/articles/2004/juniorgolf/boys/37688.asp

* Ryan Hillstrom only wanted to play junior golf at the highest level. But crisscrossing the country to compete in top-ranked events was taking a financial toll on his mother, Debbie.

The AJGA's new financial grant program was a perfect fit for the Hillstroms, allowing Ryan to play events in which he might not otherwise have participated.

''I was so touched, I started crying when I received the letter from the AJGA,'' said Debbie Hillstrom of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ''Financially it was a tremendous help for me, and the AJGA was great about it.''

The program, called the Achieving Competitive Excellence Grant Program, offers juniors who have limited financial resources the ability to compete on a national level. In its pilot season of 2003, the ACE Grant awarded benefits to 13 juniors, and because of its success, this year's program will involve approximately 25 juniors, each of whom will be awarded a full $4,100 ACE grant.

Shot Shots: U.S. Junior champion Brian Harman, 17, has accepted a sponsor exemption to play the PGA Tour's Buick Championship Aug. 26-29 at TPC at River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. Harman was granted the sponsor exemption for being the 2003 AJGA Player of the Year. . . . Mutual of Omaha and The Golf Channel kicked off this year's Drive, Chip & Putt Junior Challenge Feb. 7 at Falcon's Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla. The program, in its sixth season, will hold 100 events this year throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit: www.thegolfchannel.com. . . . Michelle Wie tied for 38th at the Hawaii Pearl Open Feb. 8. Last year, Wie tied for 43rd. . . . . Aaron Baddeley has signed an endorsement deal with Ecco Shoes. Baddeley will wear the company's shoes and logo on his shirt and Ecco will be involved with the Aaron Baddeley World Junior Championship. . . . A girls division will be included at the AJGA's Ashworth Junior event at Hot Springs. . . . . The 2004 Young Americans Golf Book is now available, for more information, visit www.youngamericansgolf.com

PLAYER TO WATCH
Name: Toby Ragland
Age: 17
Golfweek/Titleist Ranking: 6^th (02.11.04)
Residence: Jacksonville, Fla.
The Skinny: Playing in one of the toughest events on the junior calendar, Ragland carded a final-round 3-over 74 on Harbour Town Golf Links to win the MCI Junior Heritage -- the biggest title of his career.

The high school junior, who now has three major titles under his belt (Florida High School 2A title and the 2003 Joe Durant Southern JuniorCleveland Golf/Joe Durant Southern Junior), has narrowed his choice of colleges down to five schools. Ragland plans on taking his visits this spring.

In his free time, Ragland goes to the range at TPC at Sawgrass and occasionally gets to watch Jim Furyk work on his game.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

FCWT
Feb. 14-16 -- Turkey Creek, Lincoln, Calif.
Feb. 14-16 -- Tapatio Springs, Boerne, Texas

FCWT/LAURA DIAZ TOUR
Feb. 14-16 -- Doral Golf Resort (Silver), Miami, Fla.
Feb. 14-16 -- Turkey Creek, Lincoln, Calif.

IJGT
Feb. 13-16 -- Kiawah Island Resort, Kiawah Island, S.C.

JAGS
Feb. 16-17 -- JAGS President's Junior Cup

RECRUITING CENTRAL
When deciding where to send letters and resumes, most juniors and parents don't understand the depth of talent at top college programs. At Oklahoma State, for example, Charles Howell III and Hunter Mahan were the top college players in 2000 and 2003, respectively, and made the leap from college golf directly to the PGA Tour.

During the recent fall season, the top five Oklahoma State players all shot tournament rounds in the 60s and carry handicaps of 0 or better, and the Cowboys signed two recruits in November 2003 who are both top-ranked juniors.

Mid-range, single-digit handicap juniors should consider applying to colleges that fit their academic and golf skills.

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

THIS WEEK IN GOLFWEEK
Check the Feb. 14 issue of Golfweek for a feature on the Duke women's team and a complete review of the MCI Junior Classic.

POLL QUESTION
If Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods were to meet in the finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship who would win?

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.