AJGA Blog

Egypt, to IMG, to OCU

The international influence within the membership of the American Junior Golf Association grows year after year, with more and more players who were born abroad competing in the United States’ premier junior golf organization.

That international influence had some noteworthy growth at the Preseason Junior at Sterling as Issa Abou el Ela, a native of Egypt who plays out of Bradenton, Fla., and the IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy, played in his first AJGA event.

The move to the United States came in part because of practice limitations back in Egypt.

“My parents knew that I loved golf, but in Egypt school ends at 4 p.m. and it gets dark at six, so by the time I got to the golf course it was almost dark,” Abou el Ela said. “We had heard of IMG, and once my parents saw in me that I wanted to play seriously, they let me go.”

Abou el Ela has been at the IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy since January of 2011. Since then he has decided to attend Oklahoma City University this coming fall, and this week he finished runner-up in his first AJGA event. All of that has made Abou el Ela very thankful to have the game of golf in his life.

“Golf has given me something that I know I want to do,” Abou el Ela said. “I’m going to play college golf, enjoy it as much as I can. If I get good enough where I can turn pro, I’d be lucky, but if not I’ll still play golf no matter what, so it’s all right.”

- by Jenna Galloway and Teddy Newton, AJGA Communications Interns

The Bangkok Connection

When they were seven years old, KK Limbhasut and Pailin Ruttanasupagid played golf together in Bangkok, Thailand. Nearly one decade later and 9,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, the two were joined together again as champions of the Under Armour ® / Gary Woodland Championship.

Outside the clubhouse at Diablo Grande Golf & Country Club, the pair gathered for champions’ photos, while sharing with the AJGA staff how long they have been friends. After growing up in Thailand, KK, now 16, moved to the States just two years ago; Pailin about a year and a half ago.

Now residing in southern California, KK and Pailin live about 100 miles apart, with KK in Loma Linda and Pailin in San Diego. Sunday afternoon, as they patiently posed for photos, they stood just inches apart – their golf journey taking them from young kids in Thailand to AJGA champions in Patterson, California.

- by Rob Coleman, AJGA Communications

News Nuggets from Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic

by Rob Coleman, AJGA Communications

Parting thoughts from Mesa, Ariz., as we wrap up the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club:

LOOK OUT BELOW: Records were falling in the final round. The women’s course record was broken by Lindsey Weaver who closed with a 7-under-par 64. The boys’ tournament record was claimed by Beau Hossler, who shot 66-68-64—198 to win by five shots.

SEVEN-LETTER PAIRING: There’s no official record for this category, but when Bethany Wu, Lidia Vu and Minjia Luo were paired together in the final round, there were only seven letters combined in their last names. By contrast, there are 18 letters in the last name of this week’s tournament director Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana.

CLUTCH CHIP: Cha Cha Willhoite made the girls’ 36-hole cut on the number. What the scorecard doesn’t tell us is that she chipped in for par on her 36^th hole to hit that number.

SWEET & LOW: Gordon Neale fired seven birdies and an eagle in the final round en route to a tournament-low 8-under-par 63.

ROUGH START – AMAZING FINISH: Derek Castillo was 6-over-par through five holes in Saturday’s second round. Then he rallied with 10 birdies the rest of the way to shoot a 4-under-par 67, including a back-nine 29.

SISTERLY LOVE: When the Gariepy sisters tied for fourth at Wednesday's TaylorMade-adidas Golf qualifier, they appeared destined for a playoff to claim the final spot in the field. Alexia, an eighth-grader, told big sister Carolane that she'd give the spot to her because Carolane is a junior and needs the exposure for college. Luckily, it never came to that. One player ahead of them couldn't play in the tournament, so they both got in the field.

SHOT OF THE WEEK: Nathan Wunderli aced the 158-yard eighth hole with an 8-iron in the first round. He eventually finished in a tie for 12^th place.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Lindsey Weaver (pictured below) has won an AJGA tournament in seven consecutive years, 2006-2012. Since players can only play in the AJGA from age 12-18, this record might never be broken. Lindsey heads off to Notre Dame this fall, but her name may forever stand in the AJGA record book.

King of the Island

“Whenever you see Jack Nicklaus in the airport, you say ‘Hi Mr. Nicklaus,’ never ‘Hi Jack.’ Unless you want to be arrested.” This was just one small bit of the inspired wisdom provided by Chi Chi Rodriguez to the 79 boys playing this week at the Puerto Rico Junior Open.

The Puerto Rico native took some time to come out to Trump International Golf Club this week to speak to the field and put on a clinic following the first round. Rodriguez entertained the crowd with stories about his idols Ben Hogan and Mother Teresa and reliving his biggest thrill in golf; winning the Denver Open Invitational.

With his brilliant charisma we have come to love and adore, Chi Chi emphasized the importance of honesty and integrity while always believing in yourself. Rodriguez reminded the players that “a hero dies only once, but a coward dies every single day,” as they prepared to tee it up this week in search of the coveted exemption into the Puerto Rico Open that will be awarded to the champion.

Each and every junior was able to soak up guidance and advice from the legend that won eight times on the PGA TOUR and 22 times on the Champions Tour, something they will never forget. Thanks to Chi Chi for being a great role model for all of us and an even better ambassador for the game of golf!

-Photo and blog by Casey Ceman, AJGA Tournament Director

From near and far

Now in its fifth year, The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf has featured players from 24 countries, two of which will be represented for the first time in 2011 (Austria and Belgium).

The 18 international invitees in this year’s field bring resumes that include top finishes in some of the world’s best amateur events.

Robin Goger (Austria)

• Medalist, 2011 European Boys Team Championship

Thomas Detry (Belgium)

• Won 2011 Beligum National Match Play

Mads Sogaard (Denmark)

• 2nd, 2011 Danish Amateur

Frederick Hammer (Denmark)

• T10, 2011 Danish Amateur

Maximilian Rottluff (Germany)

• Won 2011 Junior Orange Bowl International

Gary Hurley (Ireland)

• Won 2011 Munster Boys Open

Gavin Moynihan (Ireland)

• T2, 2011 Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters

Richard Broadhurst (Italy)

• T3, 2011 Italian Boys U-18 Stroke Play

Edoardo Torrieri (Italy)

• Won 2011 Italian Boys U-18 Stroke Play

Takahiro Hataji (Japan)

• T3, 2011 Japan Junior Championship (15-17)

Emilio Maurer (Mexico)

• T8, 2011 Mexican International Amateur

Daniel De la Garza (Mexico)

• Three AJGA top-five finishes in 2011

Alvaro Ortiz (Mexico)

• Won 2011 AJGA Bass Pro Shops / Payne Stewart Junior Championship

Kristoffer Ventura (Norway)

• Won 2011 Norwegian Challenge

Joakim Carlsson (Sweden)

• T7, 2011 JSM Slag

Jamie Clare (United Kingdom)

• 2nd, 2011 English Amateur

Matthew Fitzpatrick (United Kingdom)

• 2nd, 2011 Carris Trophy

David Boote (United Kingdom)

• Won 2011 Welsh Boys' Championship

Serving the next generation

From recording times as Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Pace of Play timing station volunteers, to shuttling golfers on the course, to calling in scores for FJ Live Scoring, past and present AJGA juniors showed their support by volunteering at the Junior All-Star at Robinson Ranch.

Our junior volunteers gained a new, behind-the-scenes insight of AJGA tournaments. One of the tournament’s volunteers, J.J. Holen, is a former AJGA golfer and 2010 honorable mention Rolex Junior All-American. The soon-to-be college freshman will be playing at California State University – Long Beach. Holen noted that he didn’t realize how much went into each event.

“As a junior, I’d get to a course and thought that was it, but there’s more to it,” Holen said. “The AJGA staff and volunteers work harder and longer have a lot of fun doing it.”

Holen said he liked seeing the AJGA staff have fun while they worked. “You’ll never see anyone get upset. It’s all teamwork all the time.”

An AJGA player whose sister is playing at Robinson Ranch Golf Club this week, Troix Tonkham, volunteered as a Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Pace of Play timing station volunteer on No.2. Tonkham said he issued his sister, Tyra Tonkham, a red card during the first round. He said he knows how she felt, and now understands why it’s important to keep groups in position on the golf course.

“It made her realize she was playing slow,” Tonkham said. “None of us like waiting on holes for other groups to finish.”

Kendall Dusenberry , who is also a former AJGA golfer and upcoming freshman who will play golf at Purdue University (2010 NCAA National Champion), said she is an even bigger supporter of the AJGA after volunteering.

“It’s special to see all of what the staff and volunteers do when the juniors are focused on their game,” Dusenberry said.

Now that AJGA juniors have seen all that others do to host a tournament, they have a better sense of the level of dedication it takes. Speaking for juniors, Dusenberry said, “We’re happy to give back what we’ve been given.”

-Shelby Madsen

AJGA members battle in quarterfinal match at U.S. Women's Amateur

With the quarterfinal matches of the U.S. Women’s Amateur slated to be played Friday afternoon at Rhode Island Country Club, it is guaranteed that a current AJGA member will make it to the semifinals. Moriya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand will go up against fellow AJGA member Casey Danielson of Osceola, Wis., in the final pairing of the day.

Moriya and Casey, both rising high school juniors, have had busy summers that included a few major highlights for both. Moriya earned low amateur honors at the U.S. Women’s Open, while Casey was a member of the victorious Wyndham Cup East Team. They both notched their first AJGA victories, Moriya’s coming early in the year at the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club, while Casey’s was more recently at the W. Duncan MacMillan Classic at Rush Creek held in July.

As is the case with top-tier junior golfers, the two girls have competed against one another multiple times in 2011 at high-level events. In three such instances, they have both found themselves in the top 10 every time.

In June, at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, Moriya finished in fifth, Casey in a tie for 10th. At the Rolex Tournament of Champions, Moriya was third, while Casey once again found herself in a tie for 10th.

Tables were turned in August however, when Casey had a third-place showing at the Junior PGA Championship, and Moriya finished in fifth.

Needless to say, these girls have seen one another. They know one another’s strengths and weaknesses and will surely draw on past experiences as they battle it out in their quarterfinal match, set to tee off at 1:15 p.m.

 

"Birdies for Bradley" to unite Wyndham Cup teams

Bradley Johnson never played in a Wyndham Cup. Chances are, the runner-up at the 2005 U.S. Junior would have earned a coveted spot on the East team in the summer of 2006 had he not been fatally injured in a car accident in March of that year.

Five years later, however, his little brother is getting a chance to do just that. Next week, Michael Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., will suit up in the traditional red of the East team, and every birdie he makes will not just benefit his team, but also will pay tribute to his brother. And actually, the birdies of many Wyndham Cup participants will do just the same thanks to a program called “Birdies for Bradley.”

After Bradley’s untimely passing, his parents, Sheri and Hugh Johnson, began the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation, which has a mission to help provide junior and collegiate golfers with the financial resources to play competitive golf. Through this foundation, the Johnson’s have committed to endow an ACE Grant, which will help an AJGA member from Alabama compete in national events. 

“Birdies for Bradley” will help fund that ACE Grant.

Wyndham Cup participants are currently taking pledges for each birdie they make at the match play event, as well as one-time donations. Regardless of East or West, red or blue, the Wyndham Cup will unite these players in an effort to help bring the game of golf to someone else, all in the name of someone who truly treasured the sport.

Bradley was a Rolex Junior All-American and finished runner-up to Kevin Tway
at the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

“I think this shows a lot of good teamwork,” East team member Jaye Marie Green said. “I think we can make a lot of birdies, and I know we will.”

Green knows the important of the ACE Grant, and “Birdies for Bradley” has proven to be her chance to give back to a program that has helped her navigate junior golf.

“The ACE Grant opens up so many doors. It’s the best thing that has happened to me and I wouldn’t be where I am without it,” Green said. “It’s good to know that I’m helping at least one person to have the same experience I have had.”

If you are interested in making a pledge or a one-time donation through the “Birdies for Bradley” program, please contact Beth Dockter (bdockter@ajga.org) at (678) 425-1758.

NPR tunes in to Mariah Stackhouse

AJGA Player Representative Mariah Stackhouse has had a busy summer. Traveling cross country, forcing playoffs, winning golf tournaments. She made time prior to the U.S. Girls Junior Championship to speak with NRP about her life as a junior golfer and a couple of reasons why she shouldn’t be called the next Tiger Woods.

Check out the article and listen to her interview with NPR’s Michel Martin on the Tell Me More show.

Chances are, this isn’t the first you’ve heard about Mariah Stackhouse. The odds are even better that this won’t be the last you hear of the Stanford-bound golfer.

Home Away From Home

Unlike most teenagers, a typical week for an AJGA player begins and ends on an airplane. So far this summer, AJGA player Jordan Lippetz has traveled to Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, and now the Rolex Tournament of Champions in Oregon to compete in golf tournaments. Lippetz played in eleven tournaments during the 2010 tournament season. As she prepares for her sixth tournament so far this season, she considers a golf course to be her second home.

 “I’ve only been home once since high school got out in May,” Lippetz said. “It’s an around-the-clock sport, but that’s all part of the game.”

Lippetz compared golf to volleyball, another sport she plays, and said it’s a whole other mindset. Rather than simply driving over to a gym to play a match, tournament competitors have to arrive at a course in the early morning hours four or five days in a row and walk a typical five-to-six miles each day.

Lippetz said she’s always in tournament mode, both on and off the course. “Other sports allow you to check into your hotel and have some down time before your tournament,” Lippetz said. “But with golf, as soon as I arrive I find the practice putting green.”

She’s a long way from her hometown of Bradenton, Fla., but Lippetz won’t let a change in terrain and temperature slow her down this week at the Rolex Tournament of Champions.

From Martinique to Thailand, the top AJGA players are in Sunriver, Ore., this week to play for the coveted Rolex Tournament of Champions title. No matter which way the players come and go from this invitational, it’s all up from here.

-- by Shelby Madsen, AJGA Communications