News and Blogs
IJGT Major Championship at TPC Sawgrass
Tiger Tames TPC Sawgrass
Ruiz Reigns in Girls Division
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. – A highly skilled field of junior golfers took part in the 54-hole International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) Major Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The first two rounds were played at Dye’s Valley Course, which hosts the Nationwide Tour’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. Sunday’s final round was played at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, which is home to the PGA TOUR’s THE PLAYERS Championship.
Tiger Lee of Howey in the Hills, Fla., was the wire-to-wire champion in the Boys 15-19 Division aftering firing three impressive rounds on the difficult courses at TPC Sawgrass. Lee, a Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy (GGGA) student, fired rounds of 3-over-par and 1-over-par at Dye’s Valley Course giving him a one stroke lead going into the final round at the Stadium Course. Lee started off sluggishly making a bogey on his opening hole. He would make two more bogeys before finally getting back on track with a birdie on hole No. 9. After that, Lee would make three more birdies, including one on the challenging par-5, 16th hole, to secure the IJGT Major Championship. His tournament total of 221 was four strokes clear of his nearest competitor.
Although Lee held a slim lead going into the final round, he took a simple approach that ended up working well for him. “Enjoy the view. It is a once in a lifetime experience to play these courses,” said Lee on his mindset going into the final round at the Stadium Course on Sunday.
Coming in second place was Andrea DeBono of Basiglio, Italy. DeBono, a Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy student, (HHIJGA) finished with a stellar score of 225 including a final-round score of 1-under-par 71, which was the lowest score of the day. Finishing in third place with a tournament total of 228 was Willis Huynh of Syosset, N.Y.
In the Girls Division, Ana Ruiz (HHIJGA) of Chihuahua, Mexico, captured her first IJGT title of the fall 2011 season. The 108th ranked junior girl golfer by Golfweek, built a six stroke lead after torching Dye’s Valley Course with rounds of 1-over-par 73 and 4-over-par 76. She knew that victory on Sunday would not come easy and she would have to avoid big mistakes in order to take home the Major Championship trophy. Ruiz got off to a solid start carding a 2-over-par 38 on her first nine holes including a birdie on the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. After making a double bogey on her 16th hole she calmly keep her composure and finished par-par to win the tournament by four strokes with total score of 229.
Sometimes it is difficult to play with a large lead, but Ruiz treated it as if it was just like any other day of the tournament. “I focused on every shot and played the same as I did during the first two days,” said Ruiz.
Nicolette Donovan from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., finished in second place with an excellent tournament total of 233. Taking third place with a total score of 241 was Tong Wang (GGGA) of Shenzhen, China.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Daulet Tuleubayev of Almaty, Kazakhstan, won in come-from-behind fashion to claim his first IJGT victory. He started the final round two strokes behind the leader, Rij Patel of Hunt Valley, Md. After a slow start, Tuleubayev swung the momentum in his favor after a birdie on hole No. 12. At that point in the tournament, he was still trailing Patel, however Tuleubayev turned it on when it mattered most on the difficult closing stretch of the Stadium Course. He would make four straight pars to close out his round of 5-over-par 77. Tuleubayev’s tournament total of 240 gave him the coveted trophy he was looking for when making the trip over to the United States.
Tuleubayev was happy with his position going into the final round. “I felt like I was in a better position not having the lead. I was in attack mode from the start,” said Tuleubayev.
Patel finished in second place with a tournament total of 242. In third place from Chicago, Ill., was Christian Thornton (HHIJGA) with a score of 251.
The IJGT will be back in action again for the 4th Annual Hank Haney Invitational at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
To sign up for this event or others, or for more information, call (800) 792-9143 or visit www.IJGT.com.
About the IJGT
The IJGT provides exceptional junior golfers with the opportunity to develop and showcase their competitive skills while setting high standards to preserve the traditions and integrity of the game. As a tour that operates primarily throughout the academic year, the IJGT hosts approximately 60 tournaments annually. In addition, the IJGT hosts three international events. Each event provides multi-day competition for junior golfers of all skill levels ages 9-19. Players representing 45 states and 43 countries around the world regularly compete in events at venues such as TPC Sawgrass, Pinehurst, Bethpage State Park, and Harbour Town Golf Links. Official partners of the IJGT include Bridgestone Golf, Quagmire Golf, The First Tee, Golf Digest/Golf World, and Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy.
To obtain more information about the IJGT, please visit www.IJGT.com or call (800) 792-9143.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. —Final round results of the IJGT event conducted by the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) at TPC Sawgrass – Dye’s Valley Course on Friday and Saturday, November 25-26th, and The Stadium Course on Sunday, November 27th. Dye’s Valley: Boys 15-19 Division: Blue Tees - 6738 yards, par 72, (73.3/135). Boys 14 & Under Division: White Tees – 6250 yards, par 72, (70.6/132). Girls Division: Green Tees – 5852 yards, Par 72 (74.9/136). Stadium Course: Boys 15-19 Division: Blue Tees - 6650 yards, par 72, (73.8/146). Boys 14 & Under Division: White Tees – 6250 yards, par 72, (70.3/136). Girls Division: Green Tees – 5739 yards, Par 72 (76.6/151).
International Junior Golf Tour at TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley/Dye’s Valley/Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
November 25-27, 2011
Boys 15-19 Division (Dye’s Valley Blue Tees) 6738 yards, Par 72 (Stadium Blue Tees) 6658 yards, Par 72
1. Tiger Lee, Howey in the Hills, FL *75-73-73--221
2. Andrea DeBono, Basiglio, Italy *79-75-71--225
3. Willis Huynh, Syosset, NY *79-72-77--228
4. Shota Ozaki, Tokyo, Japan *78-71-80--229
5. Matt Cheng, Taipei, Taiwan *79-74-77--230
6. Saravit Kerdsinchai, Nonthaburi, Thailand *78-76-77--231
6. Adrian Gonzalez, Chihuahua, Mexico *79-75-77--231
8. Shosei Inokawa, Atamishi, Japan *75-82-79--236
9. Cole Ray, Raleigh, NC *83-75-79--237
10. Sun Wongwaiwate, Chiang Mai, Thailand *81-79-78--238
11. Raphael Higuet, Ohain, Belgium *78-82-79--239
11. David Novakoski, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL *76-83-80--239
13. Tyler Smith, Yorba Linda, CA *80-80-80--240
14. Renato Bordes, Xalapa, Mexico *79-84-79--242
14. Charles MacCallum, Melbourne Australia, *82-79-81--242
16. James Bromwell, Schuylkill Haven, PA *80-86-77--243
17. A-J Suoniemi, Tampere, Finland *81-85-79--245
17. Alex Shattuck, Sioux Falls, SD *78-84-83--245
19. Tyler Zoellner, Ogallala, NE *85-80-81--246
19. Sense Chaowalit, Thanyaburi Patumthani, Thailan, *86-83-77--246
21. Henry Torres, Jacksonville, FL *86-79-82--247
21. Jasper Volver, Kolding, Denmark *76-86-85--247
21. Clarke Stresing, Newberry, FL *90-82-75--247
24. Jason Barrera, Washington, DC *85-80-85-250
25. Jackson Kleinert, Greenwich, CT *88-79-84-251
25. Arthur Griffin, Lake Placid, NY *83-86-82-251
27. Alexandre Britsch-Idhammou, Paris, CA *79-92-82-253
27. Zhi Ling, Shenzhen, China *79-90-84-253
29. Kevin Reich, Winterthur, Switzerland *86-89-80-255
29. Sun Kim, L'ile-perrot, Canada *86-83-86-255
31. John Collins, Wilton, CT *87-80-89-256
31. Ben Warner, Weston, MA *82-86-88--256
33. Ryan Baker, Houston, TX *86-83-88--257
34. Wataru Koguchi, Fukuoka, Japan *89-90-79--258
34. Nick Hsieh, New York, NY *80-92-86--258
36. Nick Dorian, Riverside, CT *84-82-94--260
37. Kyle Huntzberry, Smithsburg, MD *96-83-82--261
38. James Grigjanis-Meusel, Niagara on the Lake, Canada *86-95-84--265
38. Sean Conway, South Abington Twp., PA *88-86-91--265
40. John Conley, Leesburg, VA *90-87-90--267
40. Alexander Raptapolus, Harrisburg, PA, *84-93-90--267
40. Michael Rossi, Highland Hts., OH *91-86-90--267
43. Ryan Cseplo, Painesville, OH, *94-91-83--268
44. Jae Sung Hur, Seoul, South Korea *79-86-107--272
45. Shogo Taniguchi, Osaka, Japan *102-83-90--275
46. Erik Tiitus, Tallinn, Estonia *98-97-88--283
47. Andrew Yuan, Bluffton, SC *92-91-103--286
48. Joseph Dorsch, West Friendship, MD *97-95-98--290
49. Katsuya Asano, Kanagawa, Japan *106-107-101--314
50. Rich Streicher, Bluffton, OH *108-100-112--320
51. Sheock Hyun Shim, Seoul, South Korea *116-131-146--393
DID NOT FINISH
WD. Chandler White, Clemmons, NC *82-78
WD. Jae-Hong Ryoo, Cheonan, South Korea *133-109
DQ. Imroz Farhan, Dhaka, Bangladesh *105-DQ 6-6
Boys U-14 Division (Dye’s Valley Blue Tees) 6250 yards, Par 72 (Stadium Blue Tees) 6036 yards, Par 72
1. Daulet Tuleubayev, Almaty *81-82-77--240
2. Rij Patel, Hunt Valley, MD *86-75-81--242
3. Christian Thornton, Chicago, IL *77-88-86--251
4. Lohith Ramaraju, London, England *88-84-84--256
5. Chris Cato, Maitland, FL *81-91-85--257
6. Masato Yoshitsugu, Aichi , Japan *87-89-82--258
7. Kevin Ying, Shanghai, China *83-89-89--261
8. Ben Pirro, Bayport, NY *87-83-92--262
9. Jake Sollon, Venetia, PA *95-88-85--268
10. Matthew Lee-Tolley, New York, NY *92-88-92--272
11. Tyler Mealey, Edgewater, MD *89-96-91--276
11. Ryan Rybicki, Remsen, NY *94-94-88--276
13. Dongjin Park, Fresh Meadows, NY *90-98-92--280
14. Alec Stopperich, Venetia, PA *90-99-93--282
15. Adam Agustin, El Dorado Hills, CA *101-97-95--293
16. Alexandr Kuzmin, Almaty, Kazakhstan *98-110-114--322
17. Brian Aslanian, Purchase, NY *111-103-112--326
Girls Division (Dye’s Valley Blue Tees) 5852 yards, Par 72 (Stadium Blue Tees) 5739 yards, Par 72
1. Ana Ruiz, Chihuahua, Mexico *73-76-80--229 2. Nicolette Donovan, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL *76-79-78--233
3. Tong Wang, Shenzhen, China *83-76-82--241
4. Cake Phuchanbanchob, Chiang Mai, Thailand *83-78-82--243
4. Yingzhou Yun, Guangxi, China *80-79-84--243
6. Ana Paula Valdes, Morelia, Mexico *80-83-81--244
7. Xing Ji Chun Xu, Hubei, China *85-81-79--245
8. Wenjia Cao, Jilin, China *82-81-83--246
9. Carolin Schart, Vilshofen, Germany *86-88-73--247
10. Larissa Carter, Auburn, NY *84-86-82--252
10. Ailin Li, Windermere, FL *86-80-86--252
12. Susana Vik, Greenwich, CT *85-84-91--260
13. Camilla Vik, Greenwich, CT *90-90-83--263
14. Phyllis Tang, Hong Kong, China *96-95-86--277
15. Baylee Vigil, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL *92-100-90--282
16. Nicole Flores, Brambleton, VA *90-94-101--285
