AJGA Blog

Gilchrest’s winning ways

When Matt Gilchrest finishes the first round at TPC Sawgrass – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course Friday, he hopes to find himself in familiar territory. Matt will be entering The Junior PLAYERS presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf with three consecutive victories.

“Any season where you win three times is probably a good one,” Matt said. “I wish I would’ve played better from January to the start of the summer, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”

Before claiming his first victory in July at the Genesis Shootout presented by the Valero Texas Open, Matt’s season was far from perfect. His highest finish came at the Thunderbird International Junior, where he entered the field as an alternate and took 11th, and then he missed the cut in his next two events.

As a result, his ranking ballooned to No. 121 in the Polo Golf Rankings. The problem was apparent, and for Matt, the answer was better preparation.

“I really focused on having a more consistent pre-shot routine,” Gilchrest said. “I spent more time and effort into course strategy and developing a gameplan ahead of going onto the course, which takes the decision-making out of it once I’m at the tee.”

The change proved to be for the best, as he recorded a 69.00 scoring average during his winning streak, which also included wins at the Harvey Penick Junior and the Goodman Networks Junior at Timarron. Through this 162-hole span, Matt made five eagles, 40 birdies, 99 pars, 14 bogeys, 3 double-bogeys and one triple-bogey.

Matt said his recent win at the Goodman Networks Junior at Timarron was the most special since Timarron Country Club is where he picked up his first golf club.

It will also be remembered in the AJGA Record Book, as his final-round of 10-under-par 62 is tied for the lowest score in relation to par in AJGA history.

Looking to extend his streak and ingrain his name to another record in the book, Matt plans to develop this week’s strategy and stick to it.

“I played here last year and I really loved it,” said Matt, who finished T22 in his first AJGA Invitational. “It’s a really special environment and it’s the one everyone wants to get in, so I’m looking forward to a good week.”

By Abby Liebenthal, AJGA Communications

Pre-tournament notes: Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf

The sixth-annual Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf will feature 78 players from 22 states and 19 countries (Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States).

Tournament field
First-round pairings
Golfweek preview

INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONS

Kade McBride, Australia

• Junior Male Amateur Golfer of the Year (2011)
• Won 2012 Boys' Victorian Amateur

Matt Williams, Canada

• T4, 2012 Junior World Golf Championship
• No. 2 in CN Future Links National Jr. Boys Order of Merit

Jose Mendez, Costa Rica

• No. 111 in World Amateur Golf Rankings
• Won 2012 Costa Rica National Match Play

Emil Sogaard, Denmark

• No. 104 in European Golf Rankings
• 2nd, 2012 European Boys Team Championship

Bobby Keeble, England

• 2nd, 2012 English U18 (Carris Trophy)

Robert Burlison, England

• No. 81 in European Golf Rankings
• 17th, 2012 English Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship

Pierre Mazier, France

• No. 52 in European Golf Rankings
• Semifinalist at 2012 British Boys Amateur

Gareth Lappin, Ireland

• Won 2012 Irish Boys Amateur Open

Paul McBride, Ireland

• Top scorer for his province in winning 2012 Boys Interprovincial Championship
• 12th, 2012 Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters

Federico Zucchetti, Italy

• No. 41 in European Golf Rankings
• 11th, 2012 St. Andrews Links Trophy

Reo Hiruta, Japan

• No. 5 in the Japan Junior Golf Association rankings
• Won 2012 JJGA Junior Players

Alfredo Ruiz Gomez, Mexico

• T14, 2012 AJGA Golf Pride Junior Classic

Diego Gudino, Mexico

• Won the 2012 Campeonato Nacional Interzonas LII

Kristoffer Ventura, Norway

• 2nd, 2012 European Nations Cup
• Making third start at this event

Antonio Cruz-Conde, Spain

• 15th, 2012 Barcelona Men's Championship

Hampus Bergmann, Sweden

• 5th, 2012 European Boys Team Championship

PAST CHAMPIONS

• 2011 – Gavin Hall (Pittsford, N.Y.)
• 2010 – Michael Johnson (Birmingham, Ala.)
• 2009 – Bobby Wyatt (Mobile, Ala.)
• 2008 – Evan Beck (Virginia Beach, Va.)
• 2007 – Morgan Hoffmann (Saddlebrook, N.J.)

TOURNAMENT RECORDS

From 2007-2010, all three rounds were played on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. Since 2011, Dye’s Valley Course has been played during the second round.

• Lowest first round: 66 – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course; Bobby Wyatt (2009)
• Lowest second round: 64 – Dye’s Valley Course; Gavin Hall (2011)
• Lowest final round: 66 – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course; Cody Proveaux (2010)
• Scoring averages: 75.54 (2011 total) – 76.81 (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course), 73.00 (Dye’s Valley Course); 76.71 (2010); 76.72 (2009); 76.14 (2008); 76.28 (2007)

News and Notes: Sunriver Junior Open

By: Alexis Witman and Morgan Seeley, AJGA Communications

CROSSING THE BORDER: Fourteen players from Canada are participating in the tournament this week. Twelve of these players hail from British Columbia, while two are from Alberta. These players represent 13% of Canada’s AJGA membership. Of the Boys Division top five, Scrymgeour, Qiu and Ko are from Canada.

TRAINING GROUND: Not only is the Sunriver Resort the current training ground for tomorrow’s PGA and LPGA stars, but the land that currently makes up the resort was originally the location of Camp Abbot, a World War II training facility designed to train combat engineers in a simulated combat environment. Camp Abbot originally opened in 1942, but was closed by 1944. While most of the settlement was razed following the camp’s closure, the Officer’s Club still stands as Sunriver Resort’s “Great Hall.”

FAMILIAR FOE: Jordan Ferreira and Marianne Li find themselves competing in the final group in the Girls Division yet again after they tied for the lead following the second round of play. Two weeks ago at the AJGA Junior at Fox Hill, Ferreira and Li competed in the final group. At the AJGA Junior at Fox Hill, Li finished in second, while Ferreira took third place. In last week’s Pacific Northwest Junior Girls' Amateur Championship, Ferreira and Li played against each other in the final match. Ferreira won the match 2 and 1.

AJGA players enjoy field trip to USGA Museum, Test Center

Golf’s greatest moments – Francis Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open; and golf’s greatest personalities – Arnold Palmer foremost among them; are brought to life at the USGA Museum.

Players at the 2012 Genesis Junior Open had the chance to get up close to golf’s wonderful history at the USGA Museum after the first  round of play. With the USGA campus located just 15 minutes from Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, the AJGA took full advantage of the opportunity to get the
next generation of golfers and their families to the home of golf in the United States.

The buzz on the first tee the next morning was that the Museum was excellent, but the USGA Test and Research Center was the star of the show. Learning how golf equipment is tested for conformity was a real crowd-pleaser. And seeing some of the equipment that missed the cut was good for plenty of laughs. Case in point: Lasers in hats? Genius, maybe. But conforming? No.

Also popular was The Pynes Putting Course, where replica antique putters and golf balls were put to the test on an enormous undulating green. Prizes and food perfectly topped off the occasion.
Thank you to the staff of the USGA Museum for helping create such a memorable experience for the AJGA tournament participants, proving once again that not all the fun takes place on the golf course.

See Facebook Album for more photos.

Norman Junior All-Star

By James Millard

THE RAIN DIARIES

According to country singer Luke Bryan, Rain is a Good Thing, a phrase that Norman, Oklahoma would agree with. After a 70-day rain drought, Norman saw precipitation for the first time during the final round of the Sooner Junior All-Star, minutes before the final groups were to tee off. Four hours and eight minutes later, the juniors were back on the course in 90-degree weather finishing out the tournament.

DOUBLE DUTY

AJGA junior Brad Dalke of McKinney, Texas, is from a long line of Oklahoma Sooners and has verbally committed to play golf at OU himself, so it came as no surprise that he was on-site at the Sooner Junior All-Star.  However, instead of playing, Dalke was instead volunteering.  Earning the much-desired title of “The Waterboy”, Dalke helped fill coolers and distribute water around the course.

News and Notes: The Peninsula Junior Classic

by Colvin Hedgepeth, AJGA Communications

The Peninsula Junior Classic was a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72, The Peninsula Golf & Country Club. The event featured 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 16 states and five countries.

GOOD TO KNOW THE NGO’S

Only one letter and two years separates the Ngo sisters. Team 1 first happened upon the Ngo sisters in June at the Killington Junior Golf Championship. On paper, at first glance, you might think your eyes are playing tricks on you; the names Vinh-Hoa Ngo and Vinh-Hop Ngo seem to be a mirage, appearing in a row on the tournament pairings. This is the first summer the Ngo sisters participated in a full schedule of AJGA tournaments, with the majority of the events occurring in the Northeast region.

On any given tournament day, you will find the pair playing with a quiet composure as they barely talk with fellow players -- they have a disciplined approach to the game, with a fierce focus while on the course. After the round, the two can be spotted on the putting green, adding hours of practice to perfect any flaws from the day. Hard work has paid off for the duo, as Vinh-Hoa will head to Boston College to play golf in a few weeks and Vinh-Hop has recorded a top-ten finish this summer.

The sisters were happy to share their favorite moments from working with AJGA team 1 throughout the summer. Vinh-Hop enjoyed getting to know the familiar faces each week and interacting with staff members out on the course, while Vinh-Hoa loved being on the starting tee with Caleb, the world class AJGA announcer.

“Playing with the AJGA and seeing the same people each week is cool,” Vinh-Hoa said. “I’ve had a fun summer.”

Vinh-Hoa (left) and Vinh-Hop finish out their summer AJGA tour next week at the Genesis Junior Open in Bedminster, N.J.

PENINSULA PATRONS

When producing a first-time event, you never know how the community will react to an influx of juniors spreading over their home course. Junior players arrive in good spirits, dressed in their best manners and equipped to face a new challenge. This week, The Peninsula Golf & Country Club members showed up equally as enthusiastic to take on the role of tournament volunteers. Throughout the week, 60 plus total volunteers helped with timing stations, spotting, scoring, and shuttling players between long walks. Several volunteers even stayed beyond their designated time to aid with transporting players or to catch a glimpse of junior play on their beloved course.

Volunteers were easy to spot in their uniform white polo shirts and red hats.

EXECUTIVE PAR

Vice President Joe Biden has paid multiple visits to The Peninsula Golf & Country Club this summer -- the AJGA just missed him as he played a round of golf mere days before juniors arrived on the scene. Biden moved to Delaware in his early teen years and graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965.

News and Notes: AJGA Junior at Robinson Ranch

08/15/2012

News and Notes: AJGA Junior at Robinson Ranch

by Morgan Seeley, AJGA Communications

FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME

This week’s volunteer staff included two current AJGA juniors, Danny Ochoa and Alison Lee. Ochoa (pictured)  traveled three hours to help out this week as a shuttle driver during the qualifier and FJ Live Scoring helper during the second round. Valencia, Calif., native Alison Lee, shuttled juniors during the second round from Nos. 12-13. Lee has five AJGA wins, is a four-time, first-team Rolex Junior All-American and won this event in 2008.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Located 30 miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Calif., has over 30 TV shows and 24 movies filmed in the area. This week’s host hotel the Hyatt Regency Valencia was even used as the Alice, Bella and Jasper’s hideout in Twilight. Other notable shows include: Melrose Place, CSI and The Dukes of Hazzard.

IN LIM-BO

Tied for the lead after the first round, Thomas Lim of Moorpark, Calif., separated himself from the pack in an interesting way during the second round on Wednesday. Starting round two from the back nine, Lim was three-under-par when he got to his eighth hole. He faltered after carding a triple bogey to return to even-par. Lim answered well when in trouble and managed to birdie his next five holes to bolster him to a 6-under-par 66, and a second-round lead.

DEATH ROW

This week’s tournament is being played on the Valley Course, which features the challenging “Death Row.”  Nos. 13-18 make up “Death Row,” it includes two par 5s, four par 4s and a par 3.

 

Hangin’ with Webb

AJGA alum and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson stopped by Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center Tuesday and spent some time with the juniors playing in the tournament that bears his name. While there, he talked to members of the local media, signed autographs for juniors and met with a few of the players on the putting green.

The four-time first-team Rolex Junior All-American spoke to the media about his recent run on the PGA Tour — including the U.S. Open title — and about his junior golf experience with the AJGA. Simpson spoke highly of his time in the AJGA, talking about how it helped him prepare for life in professional and competitive golf.

After the interviews, Simpson met with the juniors playing in his tournament, talked about their rounds today, signed autographs for the kids, and posed for photos with everyone, including Alaina Yeatts of Durham, N.C. (pictured right).

Simpson isn’t in the Greensboro, N.C., area just for his AJGA tournament, however. He begins his quest to earn a second consecutive Wyndham Championship title Thursday at Sedgefield Country Club. Following his victory in 2011, Webb has collected two more wins on the PGA TOUR, including his U.S. Open victory June 17 at Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Watch the Golf Channel feature on Webb Simpson here.

By Kyle Scholzen and Stephanie Dittmer, AJGA Communications

Randy Wise Junior Open News and Notes

By: AJGA Communications

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Randy Wise Junior Open was a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72 course at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club. The event featured 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 14 states and two countries. The Boys Division played the course at 7,122 yards, while the Girls Division played the course at 6,024 yards.

A TRIO OF FACTS: While this is her first career victory, Girls Division champion Muni He has previously recorded three top-three AJGA finishes, including a third place finish at the 2011 Randy Wise Junior Open. The 13-year-old finished third at last week’s AJGA Stonehenge Junior Open, and kicked-off her AJGA career with a third place finish at the Junior All-Star at Robinson Range in 2011.

Final-round play was interrupted by a three hour and thirty-eight minute rain delay. During the delay, players followed the action of the PGA Championship, which has similarly been plagued by summer showers.

Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club is used to hosting large-scale tournaments, as the course conducted the Buick Open from 1958 to 2009. The last Buick Open resulted in the third win of AJGA alum Tiger Woods. Woods also won the event in 2002 and 2005.

PREPARE TO BE AMAZED: Perhaps one of the most mind-blowing tournament social activities, Jeff the Magician entertained more than sixty players, parents and staff with two magic performances after the first round. During the cookout, Jeff made his way around the tables demonstrating close-up magic tricks and illusions before wowing the crowd with a stage show. Several juniors participated in the finale, where he picked one phone number out of the phone book and made the digits appear in folders held by participants.

LOCAL LEGENDS: Local golf-beat writer Joe Akers was onsite during each round to cover local players and leaders in the field. Akers offered a closer look of the competition at the Randy Wise Junior Open, showcasing future talent originating from the state of Michigan. Visit Detroit Area Golf Scene for pictures, interviews and stories from Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club.

News & Notes: AJGA Junior at Fox Hill

By: Alexis Witman & Jenna Galloway, AJGA Communications

IN HONOR OF: Longmont, Colo. is located just 40 miles north of Aurora, Colo., the location of the  movie theatre shooting on July 20, 2012. Several participants of the tournament this week have black ribbons pinned to their hats and bags in honor of those lost and injured in the tragedy.

THE EVERGREEN STATE: Catherina Li, Marianne Li, and Jordan Ferreira make up the final group of the Girls Division. What makes this group unique is that all three players hail from Washington State. The AJGA has 70 members from the state of Washington, meaning that the group of Catherina, Marianne, and Jordan represent 4.3 % of their state’s AJGA membership.

LOVELY LONGMONT: Longmont, located just a short drive outside of Denver, is named for Longs Peak. Longs Peak, named for explorer Stephen Long, is clearly visible in the mountains that surround the city.

JUST LIKE PHIL: In the final round, the 8:50 pairing is made up of three left handed players. While it’s hard to know exactly how many left-handed people there are in the United States, it is estimated that around 10% of Americans favor their left hand.