07.23.03
TOURNAMENT RECAPS
Western Junior Championship
Heading into the final round of the Western Junior Championship, Brady Schnell said he needed to straighten out his tee shots in order to have a chance of winning. Eighteen holes later, with the prestigious Western Junior title in hand, Schnell's driving woes were a distant memory.
Schnell closed with a 2-over 74 at Rich Harvest Links in Sugar Grove, Ill., July 18, edging Daniel Im by a stroke.
''I drove it a lot better today,'' said Schnell, 18, who will be a freshman at the University of Nebraska in the fall.
Im, No. 10 in the Golfweek/Titlest Performance Index, played in the group ahead of Schnell and never threatened until the 18th, when he sank a 12-foot birdie putt for a final-round 71. Schnell reached the par-4 18th in two, then safely three-putted from 35 feet for the victory.
''This win means a lot to me,'' said Schnell, who finished with a 2-over 290
total. ''I haven't had much national experience, and this is one of the
biggest. Next to the U.S. Junior, probably the biggest.''
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/amateur/
Women's Western Junior Championship
Monique Gesualdi defeated Jacqui Concolino, 2 and 1, to win the Women's Western Junior Championship July 18 for the second consecutive year.
The St. Augustine, Fla., resident found herself down two after six holes but
battled back, winning the next three holes at Sugar Mill Country Club in New
Smyrna Beach, Fla. Gesualdi, who will be a freshman at Furman in the fall,
gave one back on the 10th, but recovered on No. 12 and never relinquished
her advantage.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/amateur/
Westfield Junior PGA Championship
Spain's Emma Cabrera-Bello won her first title in the United States July 19, cruising victory at the Westfield Junior PGA Championship.
Cabrera-Bello, 17, led by 10 shots heading into the final round and finished with a 5-over 76 at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio, for a 3-under 281 total. Cabrera-Bello edged Jennie Lee (66) by two shots.
''This is great. I couldn't hit a ball on the golf course, but I mean it is nice,'' said Cabrera-Bello, whose best finish in the United States prior to the Westfield was a runner-up at the 2002 Doral Junior. ''It is a great tournament and the way you are treated here you won't find anywhere else.''
Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff finished alone in third place at 287, six strokes back.
In the boys division, Oklahoma's Phillip Bryan shot a final-round 72
to finish three strokes ahead of Indiana's James Sacheck. Bryan had a
5-under 279 total while Webb Simpson came in third at 283.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/
North and South Junior
Ann Laney shot a tournament-low, 3-under 69 to easily win the 25th North and South Junior July 17.
The Charlotte, N.C., resident opened with 71 on Pinehurst's No. 8 course and followed with 75 in Round 2 on the Donald Ross-designed No. 2 course.
Laney began the final round with a three-shot lead over Neils Barringer and never let up, finishing the 54-hole event 12 shots clear of Blythe Worley (73). Barringer slipped to a closing 80 and finished in fifth place.
In the boys division, Nathan Stamey shot 3-under 69 on the No. 2
course in the final round to edge Jake Chominsky (73) by two strokes.
Stamey improved each day, carding rounds of 71-70-69 to finish with a 210
total.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/
Callaway Golf Junior World Championship
Hannah Jun carded four consecutive rounds under par at San Diego's Torrey Pines North Course to win the Junior World Championship.
Jun, No. 10 in the Golfweek/Titlest PI, finished at 13-under 283 July 18, to finish seven strokes ahead of Amanda Wilson and Sakura Yokomine.
Japan's Yuta Ikeda carded an even-par 74 in the final round to slip
by Seann Harlingten in the boys division. Yuta's 7-under 289 total
put him one stroke in front of Harlingten (72).
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/
BMO Financial Group Future Links Ontario Championship
David Markle's steady improvement on the par-71 Oxford Golf and Country Club course in Woodstock, Ontario, earned him the title July 16 at the BMO Financial Group Future Links Ontario Championship.
Markle carded rounds of 73-72-70 for a 2-under 215 total. He finished a shot ahead of Kyle Simmons (71).
Joanna Periversoff won the girls division with a 6-over 225 total.
Stephanie Sherlock was second, three shots back at 228.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/
BMO Financial Group Future Links Quebec Championship
Isabelle Gendreau and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc shared top honors at the BMO Financial Group Future Links Quebec Championship July 16 after finishing the three-day event tied at 240. Gendreau had rounds of 80-81-79 while LeBlanc shot 74-83-83.
July Fraser finished three shots back at 243 at Club de golf Le Memorial in Shawinigan, Quebec.
Renaud Langevin easily won the boys division, shooting 72-71-67 for a
five-stroke victory over Hugo Chamberland-Lauzon.
- For complete results, visit www.golfweek.com/juniorgolf/
BALDRY: WIE'S CELEBRITY
Two months ago, Annika Sorenstam single-handedly peaked an
unparalleled interest in women's golf with her appearance at the PGA Tour's
Bank of America Colonial. The soft-spoken, unassuming ambassador continued
to draw attention to her sport by winning her next two events, the
Kellogg-Keebler Classic and McDonald's LPGA Championship.
The trickle-down effect of Sorenstam's success came in the form of record
crowds, an increased recognition of lesser-known LPGA players and the
realization that these girls are good. But the Swede doesn't act alone in
growing the game.
A BOOST FOR JUNIOR GOLF
- For more, visit www.
golfweek.com/articles/2003/juniorgolf/girls/34565.asp
NEWS AND NOTES
* Amanda Blumenherst has a new attitude heading into tournaments.
After years of just hoping to make the cut or finish in the top 5,
Blumenherst raised her level of expectations.
She now plays to win.
The 16-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., started her winning streak in May
with victory at the AJGA Southwestern Junior Classic, added two more AJGA
titles in June and entered the U.S. Girls' fresh from back-to-back victories
at the AJGA's Midwest Junior Players Championship and Boyne Highlands Junior
in July.
''Now I am going out to tournaments with the attitude to play well but also
to win,'' said Blumenherst, No. 8 in the Golfweek/Titleist rankings.
''Before it was just kind of go out and do my best.''
* Meet Kenneth Gantt, a 63-year-old U.S. Postal worker from
Washington D.C,. who has been a caddie since he was 13. Gantt, who caddies
at nearby Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, is looping this week for
16-year-old Peter Ahn, who had rounds of 74-70 to make the match play
portion of the championship.
''I caddie every chance I get,'' Gantt said. ''I am excited about the
Junior. I am excited to even get a bag in the tournament and it is a plus to
caddie in an (U.S. Golf Association) event.
''I told him the other day par is a good score here, if we can shoot 70
everyday I don't care what anybody else is doing we are going to beat more
players and we will win more times than lose.''
Gantt says he is a ''1,000'' shooter, but still loves the game and it shows.
''Instead of going home I'm sitting here making sure he is solid with his
hands and getting the ball where he wants it to go,'' he said.
As for Ahn, he said he got the best caddie available this week.
''He is very valuable in a tournament like this,'' Ahn said. ''When I first
came here I just wanted to make the cut and now that I have done that I want
to win.''
* Short shots: The American Junior Golf Association has canceled two
qualifying events. Qualifiers for the BMO Financial Group Future Links
Junior at Okanagan (Aug. 23) and BMO Financial Group Future Links Junior at
Caledon Woods (Aug. 25) have been canceled because of the low number of
applicants for the actual tournaments. Players interested in participating
in either event should e-mail the AJGA Player Services Department at ajga@ajga.org. . . . Seung Su Han
will make his PGA Tour debut July 24 at the Greater Hartford Open. Han, No.
84 in the Golfweek/Titleist PI, is playing the GHO on a sponsor
exemption. . . . The Plantations Junior Golf Tour has unveiled its
138-tournament tentative schedule for 2003-04. The lineup includes
season-opening stops in Des Moines, Iowa, Daniels, W.Va., and Phoenix in
late August as well as a year-ending finale in May at Walt Disney World
Resort in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit www.pjgt.com.
- For more, visit www.
golfweek.com/articles/2003/juniorgolf/girls/34599.asp
PLAYER TO WATCH
McLean, who carded rounds of 71-75 to easily advance to match play, defeated
Dustin Groves, 5 and 4, in the first round of match play and appears poised
to make a run for the title.
Despite his very own golf guru at home, Jon McLean doesn't ask his father
for many swing tips.
''He really doesn't take any lessons really. Once in a while he will ask me
some little thing but he is not a mechanical player at all,'' Jim McLean
said. ''We talk about other things like strategy and stuff like that but it
is pretty light.''
Joining Jim McLean in Jon's gallery at Columbia this week is older
brother Matt, 18, who is 221st in the Golfweek/Titleist PI.
Name: Jon McLean
Age: 17
Golfweek/Titleist Ranking: 140th (through July 23
Residence: Weston, Fla.
The Skinny: Jon McLean, son of renowned golf instructor Jim McLean,
spent his entire summer preparing for this week's U.S. Junior Amateur at
Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. Through one round of match play,
McLean's single-minded focus is paying off.
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
AJGA
Independent
WCJGT
SJGT
PGA Junior Series
July 21-24 -- Steel City Junior Classic; Totteridge GC, Greensburg, Pa.
July 21-24 -- hp Junior Classic at English Turn; English Turn G&CC, New
Orleans
July 21-24 -- Marshallia Ranch Junior Classic; Marshallia Ranch GC, Lompoc,
Calif.
July 21-24 -- I.R.I. Golf Group Highland Creek Junior; Highland Creek GC,
Charlotte, N.C.
July 21-24 -- ClubCorp Junior Players Championship; The Homestead Resort
(Lower Cascades Course), Hot Springs, Va.
July 21-23 -- Monterey Junior Open
July 21-26 -- U.S. Junior/U.S. Girls' Junior, Chevy Chase, Md./Fairfield,
Conn.
July 20-22 -- Ping Western Canadian Junior Championship
July 23-25 -- SJGT Championship
July 21-23 -- Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, Morgantown, W.Va.
(as of July 23)
| BOYS | ||||
| 1. | Brian Harman | 69.54 | ||
| 2. | Brendon Todd | 69.67 | ||
| 3. | Benjamin Alvarado | 69.90 | ||
| 4. | Martin Ureta | 70.60 | ||
| 5. | Sean Moore | 70.77 | ||
| 6. | James Lee | 71.09 | ||
| 7. | Brett Lange | 71.11 | ||
| 8. | Chris Kirk | 71.23 | ||
| 9. | Jonathan Moore | 71.24 | ||
| 10. | Daniel Im | 71.34 | ||
| 11. | Bronson Burgoon | 71.34 | ||
| 12. | Jarred Texter | 71.38 | ||
| 13. | Chanin Puntawong | 71.38 | ||
| 14. | David Yoon | 71.40 | ||
| 15. | Ben Leong | 71.69 | ||
| 16. | Rob Grube | 71.77 | ||
| 17. | Giwon Suh | 71.77 | ||
| 18. | Robert Gates Jr. | 71.80 | ||
| 19. | Webb Simpson | 71.87 | ||
| 20. | Roberto Castro | 71.97 | ||
| - For complete rankings, visit www.golfweek.com/ juniorgolf/ratings/boys.asp | ||||
| GIRLS | ||||
| 1. | Paula Creamer | 69.59 | ||
| 2. | In-Bee Park | 70.02 | ||
| 3. | Julieta Granada | 71.07 | ||
| 4. | Ashley Knoll | 71.67 | ||
| 5. | Carmen Alonso | 71.67 | ||
| 6. | Brittany Lincicome | 71.67 | ||
| 7. | Jane Park | 71.86 | ||
| 8. | Amanda Blumenherst | 71.89 | ||
| 9. | Angela Park | 71.91 | ||
| 10. | Hannah Jun | 72.19 | ||
| 11. | Nicole Hage | 72.51 | ||
| 12. | Brittany Lang | 72.86 | ||
| 13. | Morgan Pressel | 73.02 | ||
| 14. | Sukjin Wuesthoff | 73.04 | ||
| 15. | Lauren Espinosa | 73.40 | ||
| 16. | Amie Cochran | 73.41 | ||
| 17. | Kelly Robb | 73.42 | ||
| 18. | Ashley Rollins | 73.74 | ||
| 19. | Elizabeth Dotson | 73.89 | ||
| 20. | Jennie Lee | 73.92 | ||
| - For complete rankings, visit www.golfweek.com /juniorgolf/ratings/girls.asp | ||||
NUMBER CRUNCHING
BOYS
GIRLS
Here is a list of last week's winners and their movement in the
Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index:
AJGA Nike Golf Junior Classic at Cimarron -- Matthew Pierce (408th to
350th)
AJGA Nike Golf Junior Classic at Kingwood -- Jace Long (N/R)
North & South Junior -- Nathan Stamey (185th to 148th)
AJGA Abilene Reporter-News -- Jeff Gerlich (53rd to 49th)
AJGA PING Junior at The Peninsula Club -- Ryan Solan (247th to
202nd)
Westfield PGA Junior -- Phillip Bryan (N/R to 87th)
Callaway Golf Junior World -- Yuta Ikeda (N/R)
Western Junior -- Brady Schnell (N/R)
BMO Financial Group Future Links Ontario -- David Markle (N/R)
BMO Financial Group Future Links Quebec -- Renaud Langevin (N/R)
AJGA Nike Golf Junior Classic at Kingwood -- Ginny Brown (154th to
149th)
North & South Junior -- Ann Laney (N/R)
AJGA Abilene Reporter-News -- Lauren Espinosa (19th to 15th)
AJGA PING Junior at The Peninsula Club -- In-Bee Park (Remained No.
2)
Women's Western Junior -- Monique Gesualdi (56th to 54th)
Callaway Golf Junior World -- Hannah Jun (Remained No. 10)
Westfield PGA Junior -- Emma Cabrera (N/R)
BMO Financial Group Future Links Ontario -- Joanna Periversoff
(N/R)
BMO Financial Group Future Links Quebec -- Isabelle Gendreau (150th
to 142nd), Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (N/R)
THIS WEEK IN GOLFWEEK
Check this week's Golfweek for a complete review of the 132nd British
Open Championship and senior writer James Achenbach's analysis of
Hilary Lunke's magical short-game.
POLL QUESTION
What gets your vote for golf's most surprising development this year?
Have a question about the Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index? E-mail rankings@golfweek.com.
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.