Golfweek Junior Golf Report - Vol. 3 No.
22
06.18.03
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Golfweek Junior Golf Report - Vol. 3 No.
22 |
| TOURNAMENT RECAPS * Chrysler AJGA Boys Invitational For the second time in three
weeks Brian Harman found himself in the winner's circle at an American
Junior Golf Association event. Harman closed with a bogey-free 68 for a
5-under-par 275 total and six-shot victory June 13 at the Chrysler AJGA Boys
Invitational in Greensboro, N.C. Seventeen-year-old Giwon Suh was
runner-up at 1 over after a final-round 74. Brendon Todd, Rob
Grube and Dustin Barr finished tied for third at 282. The victory
at Cardinal Country Club is Harman's second AJGA crown, his break through
coming last month at the Thunderbird International Junior in Scottsdale, Ariz.
''I'm awestruck,'' Harman said. ''My first two AJGA victories come at two
major championships. To beat this many good people is amazing.'' Harman and
Suh entered the day tied at 3 under, the only players under par. Harman had
two birdies and 16 pars to pull away from Suh. Harman, No. 4 in the
Golfweek/Titleist Junior Performance Index, uncharacteristically
altered his style of play to be more conservative on the Pete Dye design. ''I
never got in trouble and tried to hit it in the middle of the green,'' Harman
said. ''I was just thinking middle all day. I have to really swallow my pride
to play conservatively, and I did today.''
* AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship Paula Creamer won
the AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship June 12 in dramatic fashion. Her
71-69-71--211 total left her tied with Jane Park (70-69-72) for first
place at 5 under and Creamer birdied the second playoff hole to take the
title. Creamer, who qualified for the U.S. Women's Open June 9 in Lake Mary,
Fla., held the lead throughout the final round June 11 until she bogeyed No.
17 on LPGA International's Legends Course. Park birdied No. 17 to take the
lead. Creamer answered with a 20-footer for birdie at No. 18 to force the
playoff. ''I felt great going into the playoff,'' Creamer said. ''That putt
was key for me.'' Both players parred the first extra hole (No. 18). Creamer
then drained a 15-foot putt for birdie on the second hole of the playoff to
clinch the title. ''I needed a birdie to win and I knew I could do it,'' she
said. ''Jane is a great player and she challenged me.'' Thursday's victory in
Daytona Beach, Fla., marks Creamer's sixth victory in 2003 and her 10th AJGA
career victory. Angela Park shot a closing 71 to finish in third place
at 213 while recent U.S. Women's Open qualifier Morgan Pressel finished
fourth at 216. *
AJGA Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic Ben Spickard held
off Travis Grote June 12 to win the AJGA Ringgold Telephone Company
Junior Classic. Spickard shot a final-round 71 for a 207 total for his first
AJGA title. In the girls division, Marci Turner shot a 1-under 70 in
the final round for a five-shot victory over Liebelei Lawrence. * AJGA
San Antonio Shootout Storms swamped the Tapatio Springs Golf Resort course
June 12, washing out the final round of the AJGA San Antonio Shootout and
giving Carter Lawnin a one-shot victory over Ryan Kornmann and
Dos Goldsmith. Lawnin opened with rounds of 68-71 and was declared the
champion when the final round was canceled. Caney Hines came back from
a two-shot deficit to win the girls division. Hines posted rounds of 69, 76
and 70 for a 215 total and a three-shot victory. * Cleveland Golf/Joe Durant Southern Junior Toby Ragland shot a
final-round 69 June 12 for a 213 total and five-stroke victory over Ryan
Spears at the Cleveland Golf ''Joe Durant'' Southern Junior. Second-round
leader Matt Fast finished in third at 219. Sharla Cloutier won
the girls division, finishing four strokes ahead of Lindsey Bergeon and
Brittany Nelson. Cloutier carded a 45-hole 184 total. Hunter
Bronson, 14, took top honors in the boys 14 and under division, shooting a
45-hole 188 total. Ben Suarez and Martin Bunt tied for second,
two strokes behind Bronson. *
Southern Junior Beck Troutman was declared winner of the Southern
Junior after heavy rains washed out the third and final round June 13 at Old
Waverly Golf Club. Troutman was the 36-hole leader at 5-under 139 and
maintained his advantage through two holes before play was halted Thursday.
''I'm definitely happy with the verdict,'' Troutman said. ''I don't like
winning this way, but I did win it.'' By winning, Troutman earned an exemption
into the Southern Amateur next month at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va.
Gator Todd, son of former NFL quarterback Richard Todd, and Sam
Rosati shared second at 140. ''I'm not the best rain player and, besides,
I threw away my chance yesterday,'' said Todd, the co-leader after the first
round who slipped to 73 in Round 2. In the 13-14 age group, Kevin
Johnson overcame Jonathan Fly as they completed their rain-delayed
second round early Thursday morning. Johnson carded 69 to finish at 144, a
shot ahead of Fly. * PGA
Junior Series: Hastings, Neb. Bobby West took the title in the boys
16-17 division at the PGA Junior Series event June 10 at Lochland Country Club
in Hastings, Neb. West had rounds of 71-70 and finished two shots ahead of
Marc Gladson (70-73--143). Phil Hranac came back from a
three-stroke deficit to claim top honors in the boys 13-15 division. Hranac
recorded the morning's lowest round of 71 to go with his first-round 77 for a
148 total. Tyler Weir finished two strokes back in second (74-76--150).
Weir, the division's leader after the first round began, slipped to 4 over on
the last nine to finish second. Austin Quinten was third at 151.
Sara Brown, last year's PGA Junior Series Player of the Year, won the
girls 16-17 division. Brown shot a second-round 76 for a 155 total and
two-stroke victory over Kristine Cook (157). Brown began the day tied
for third, but rallied and secured the title with a par on the closing hole.
Cook double-bogeyed the final hole to finish two back. Laura Ormson was
the medallist in the girls 13-15 division. Ormson finished with a 161 (82-79)
total. * PGA
Junior Series: Kansas City, Mo. Marc Gladson came from behind to
claim his first PGA Junior Series victory of the season. Gladson, who began
the day two strokes behind the leader, closed with an even-par 72 at Tiffany
Greens Golf Club June 13 for a 145 total. Gladson became the third player to
win four PGA Junior Series events. Travis Esway was second, winning a
scorecard playoff with Kyle Sanders. Esway carded rounds of 76-71-147,
while Sanders had a 74-73 to finish third. Andrew Widmar claimed top
honors in the boys 13-15 division (74-68) with a 142 total. Widmar, the
co-leader after Round 1, slipped four strokes out of the lead early in the
second round but rallied, playing his final nine in 3 under. Claiming top
honors in the girls 16-17 division was Ashley Freeman. Freeman, who led
after the first day after an opening 72, closed with 76 for a 148 total.
Chaneng Joe was 16 shots better in Round 2, shooting 67 for a 148 total
to finish second. Joe's 67 was the second-lowest 18 hole girls division score
on the PGA Junior Series. Emily Powers, claimed the girls 13-15
division with a 155 total. Powers' victory was her second of 2003 and fourth
overall. BALDRY: EXPOSURE A KEY WORD
FOR YOUR SUMMER
CHECKLIST Junior players looking to land a college scholarship should
remember the following five words when planning their summer schedule: Go
where the coaches are. NCAA Division I coaches rarely invest in players sight
unseen. Factors taken into consideration when families begin sifting through
the scores of summer events include: dates, location, costs and strength of
field. The word ''exposure,'' however, should be added to that list. |