Final Results from the Orlando Junior at Falcon’s Fire

Velez defends Falcon’s Fire title

Whaley holds on as Girls Division Champion

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) held the Orlando Junior at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla., May 11-12. Juniors endured very warm temperatures with moderate humidity at the Rees Jones designed golf course. The tournament acts as a great tune-up for IJGT’s Bridgestone Golf Tournament of Champions.

Manuel Velez of Panama City, Panama, winner of the IJGT’s 2012 Florida Swing at Falcon’s Fire, defended his title to win the Boys 15-19 Division, shooting 1-under-par for a two-day total of 143. Velez took fire at the hole locations, recording nine birdies and one eagle over two rounds. His best play came on the par 5s where he played them in 5-under-par.

Velez did not go unchallenged however, as Yan Peng of Beijing, China kept pace the entire tournament. Over two days, Peng played the front nine in a bogey-free 3-under-par.

With Velez holding onto a one shot lead heading into No. 18, both he and Peng striped drives down the middle of the fairway. As both players were in great position, Peng was the one who took advantage and hit the green, while Velez short-sided himself in the greenside bunker.

Velez was able to make a difficult up-and-down seem ordinary, blasting out of the bunker to only a few feet. Peng had a birdie opportunity from about 25 feet to force a tie, but it was not meant to be. Velez converted his par putt to win by one stroke.

Coming in third place was Matt Cheng of Taipei, Taiwan, who carded an even-par 72 on the final day.

Payton Olsen of Winter Park, Fla., received the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award for his 3-under-par 69.

Alan Xu of Hilton Head Island, S.C., shot 81 on both days to take home the Boys 14 Under Division title. Xu said he played “awesome” during the final round, which showed, recording a score no higher than a five for the entire day. He played consistently for the day with nine pars and nine bogeys.

Aaron Elmore of Rincon, Ga., took home second place honors in the division shooting a solid 81 in the final round. This was Elmore’s first event in the division, but he had played a number of previous events in the IJGT’s Discovery Tour.  Third place in the Boys 14 Under Division was Kotaro Nishimura of Ota-Ku, Japan.

In the Girls Division, Kelly Whaley of Farmington Conn., came out victorious with an impressive 1-under-par 143 two-day total. Whaley stayed patient and played consistently en route to her victory. She recorded five birdies and 27 pars over the weekend, including 15 pars during the final round.

“I told myself there were a lot of holes left to birdie,” Whaley said. “If it gets close, you know you still have holes left. I had a one-shot lead on the last hole and had to be confident I would par it.”

Whaley stumbled early as she recorded a 2-over-par 38 on her first nine holes, including a bogey on the opening hole. It was different after the turn however, making birdie on her 10^th hole then paring the rest of her remaining holes.

Thamonpat Siriko of Bangkok, Thailand, made it difficult for Whaley during the final round, always hanging within one or two strokes of the lead. Siriko put on her own impressive final round, recording two birdies and 15 pars to shoot a 1-under-par 71 which was good enough to earn her second place. Wei-Wei Zhang of Howey in the Hills, Fla., took home third-place honors after also shooting a 1-under-par 71. Both Siriko and Zhang earned the Clazic Belts Low Final Round Award for their performances.

The KENTWOOL Socks Lo-Pro Award, which goes to the players who shoot the lowest score in the first round of every IJGT Event, was won by Velez with a score of 1-under-par 71 and Whaley with a score of 2-under-par 70.

The International Junior Golf Tour will travel back to the Orlando, Fla. area in two weeks to host its annual Bridgestone Golf Tournament of Champions at Grand Cypress Resort May 25-27. For more information about the Tournament of Champions and its corresponding events, please visit www.IJGT.com or call (843) 785-2444.

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, KENTWOOL, CHAMP Spikes, AB Golf Designs, Clazic Belts, morodZ, Sundog Eyewear, PURE Grips, The First Tee, Golfweek and International Junior Golf Academy.

To obtain more information about the IJGT, please visit www.IJGT.com or call (843) 785-2444

KISSIMMEE, FLA. – Final round results of the IJGT Orlando Junior conducted by the International Junior Golf Tour completed May 12, 2013. Boys 15-19 Division: Gold Tees – 6,839 yards, Par 72 (73.2/136).  Boys 14 Under Division: Blue Tees – 6,239 yards, Par 72 (70.1/128). Girls Division: White Tees – 5,991 yards, Par 72 (74.4/130).

Weather:  Sunny with temperatures in the Low 80s, winds 5-10 mph

Sunny with temperatures in the Mid 80s, winds 5-10 mph

International Junior Golf Tour

The Orlando Junior at Falcon’s Fire Golf Club

Kissimmee, Fla.

May 11-12, 2013

Boys 15-19 Division – (Gold Tees) Yards: 6,839, Par 72

 

1. Manuel Velez, Panama City, Panama *71-72–143

2. Yan Peng, Beijing, China *73-71–144

3. Matt Cheng, Taipei, Taiwan *76-72–148

4. Matthew Rushton, Cape Town, South Africa *77-72–149

4. Luke Tetreault, Horseheads, NY *76-73–149

4. Rafael Miranda, Guayaquil, Ecuador *75-74–149

7. Payton Olsen, Winter Park, FL *81-69–150

7. Mos Bangpetch, Hilton Head Island, SC *72-78–150

7. Taiga Fujii, Toyama-shi, Japan *73-77–150

10. Sense Chaowalit, Bangkok, Thailand *73-78–151

11. Keith Techasith, Bangkok, Thailand *77-75–152

11. Austin McCulloch, Alexandria, MN *78-74–152

11. André Hammer, Scania, Sweden *77-75–152

11. Keanu Hasmana, Jakarta, Indonesia *76-76–152

11. Shogo Ito, Tokyo, Japan *75-77–152

16. Daniel Tello Vargas, Pachuca, Mexico *80-74–154

16. Yong Sherng Hui, Taman Dagang, Malaysia *77-77–154

18. Takakazu Furukawa, Shiga, Japan *73-82–155

19. Garrett Johnson, Hilton Head Island, SC *80-76–156

20. Andre Becerra, Zapopan, Mexico *79-79–158

21. Gus Uriostegui, Leon, Mexico *82-77–159

22. Konstantin Kosta Kosutic, Belgrade, Serbia, *79-81–160

23. Tyler Hughes, Howey in the Hills, FL *81-80–161

24. Nicco Gentile, Bluffton, SC *77-85–162

25. Connor Hogan, Monroeville, AL *76-87–163

26. Czech Chalermchaiwat, Bangkok, Thailand *85-79–164

26. Matthew McDonald, Celebration, FL *82-82–164

26. Shogo Taniguchi, Osaka, Japan *82-82–164

26. Andrea Bacchi, Milan, Italy *82-82–164

26. Guodong Ji, Quing Dao, China *82-82–164

31. Marshall Clemens, Weston, MA *84-82–166

32. Andrew Boyer, Muskoka, ON *80-87–167

33. Davis Keough, Cole Harbour, NS *85-84–169

34. David Rice, Pittsburgh, PA *93-82–175

35. Cam Hammel, Wexford, PA *98-86–184

36. Sheock Hyun Shim, Seoul, South Korea *90-107–197

DID NOT FINISH

Nate Anderson, Billings, MT *JWD

Boys 14 Under Division – (Blue Tees) Yards: 6,239 Par 72

1. Alan Xu, Hilton Head Island, SC *81-81–162

2. Aaron Elmore, Rincon, GA *88-81–169

3. Kotaro Nishimura, Ota-Ku, Japan *92-89–181

DID NOT FINISH

Kevin Ying, Shanghai, China *DQ (Rule 15-3b)

Paul Schumacher, Canton, OH *DQ (Rule 6-6d)

Girls Division – (White Tees) Yards: 5,991 Par 72

1. Kelly Whaley, Farmington, CT *70-73–143

2. Thamonpat Siriko, Bangkok, Thailand *73-71–144

3. Wei-Wei Zhang, Howey in the Hills, FL *75-71–146

4. Cake Phuchanbanchob, Chiang Mai, Thailand *74-75–149

4. Rei Nakatani, Tokyo, Japan *73-76–149

6. Luiza Altmann, Sao Paulo, Brazil *76-74–150

6. Veronica Vetesnik, Winnipeg, Canada *74-76–150

8. Yunjie Zhang, Howey in the Hills, FL *75-76–151

9. Yuka Kajiki, Howey in the Hills, FL *79-74–153

10. Maggie Ashmore, Kingston, GA *80-76–156

11. Jasmine Chee, Hong Kong, China *83-78–161

11. Jessica Danford, Longwood, FL *80-81–161

11. Mallory Etcheberry, Wesley Chapel, FL *79-82–161

14. Aracelly Maria Jimenez Rios, Merida, Mexico *80-82–162

15. Grace Kim, Sao Paulo, Brazil *81-82–163

16. Carla Loyola, Queretaro, Mexico *78-86–164

17. Bria` Sanders, Cordova, TN *82-83–165

17. Kathryn Crouch, Harker Heights, TX *81-84–165

19. Ariana Dial, Clarksville, MD *84-82–166

20. Lizzie Hammel, Wexford, PA *83-85–168

21. Paige Cappelli, Blue Bell, PA *85-85–170

22. Kali Boyer, New Ringgold, PA *88-90–178

23. Sophie Guo, Bluffton, SC *90-92–182

24. Haley Danford, Longwood, FL *96-91–187

25. Alana Brand, Pennyan, NY *100-97–197

DID NOT FINISH

Sydney Nix, Huntsville, AL *81-JWD