The Canon Cup trophy changed hands in dramatic fashion Thursday, as the East team completed an impressive two-day rally to edge the West 25 ½ to 24 ½ in the 15th annual Canon Cup. In what became the deciding match of the tournament, Jon McLean of Weston, Fla., held on at No. 18 to halve his bout with Lucas Lee of Torrance, Calif., closing out the win and sending the East crowd into a frenzy.

The Canon Cup annually brings the nation’s top 40 junior golfers together for an East-vs.-West match play competition. Each team is represented by 10 boys and 10 girls during three days of competition. Past players include Tiger Woods, Charles Howell III, Grace Park and Beth Bauer.

The East’s win broke the West’s three-year winning streak and improved the East’s overall record to 8-6-1.

McLean trailed Lee by one after 16 holes, and needed to win one hole to prevent a Canon Cup tie. After Lee missed his par putt on No. 17, McLean sank a five-footer to bring the match back to all square.

“That’s more pressure than I’ve ever felt, with everyone there from both teams,” McLean said. “I just hit it soft and prayed.”

The West team led by one point entering the final day, but the East won 11 of the 20 singles matches and halved two matches to prevent a tie, which would have resulted in the West keeping the trophy.

Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla., and Webb Simpson of Raleigh, N.C., set the tone early for the East team, winning their matches 1-up against Angela Park of Torrance, Calif., and Jordan Cox of Redwood City, Calif., respectively.

Jennifer Pandolfi of Navarre, Fla., closed out Amanda Blumenherst of Scottsdale, Ariz., 4 and 3, to give the East three wins in the first four matches, and Brittany Lincicome of Seminole, Fla. won the 18th hole to halve her match with Taylor Leon of Dallas.

Lincicome said her Canon Cup experience topped shooting a 66 in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open in July.

“That was nothing in comparison – this is my favorite tournament every year,” Lincicome said. “I always look forward to this – hanging out in rooms with the girls, buying a bunch of red and white stuff.”

The West team didn’t lay down without a fight. Rolex Girls Junior Player of the Year Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., defeated Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J., 1-up on No. 18 to give the West a one-point lead with three matches remaining.

The East team, however, grinded out two wins to take the lead. Julieta Granada of Bradenton, Fla., put away Allison Goodman of San Diego, 5 and 4, and Mallory Hetzel of Summerville, S.C., defeated Sydney Burlison, 3 and 2, to bring the East’s point total to 25.

“It was a great ending,” Creamer said. “(The East) played a lot of good golf and we didn’t just give it to them. Hopefully I will get to play next year because this was so much fun.”

East Captain Matt Cuccaro said his team’s enthusiasm was essential to the victory, his first in three years as a Canon Cup team captain.

“It all really started this morning at 7:30 a.m.,” Cuccaro said. “All 20 of our players showed up on No. 1 to cheer on the first group – that just shows how they came together as a team.”

For more information, please contact AJGA headquarters at (877) 373-2542.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Day three results from the 15th annual Canon Cup, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Caves Valley Golf Club. Par 36-35—71. Yardage: Boys 7,012; Girls 6,146.

DAY THREE TOTAL: EAST 25 ½, WEST 24 ½

SINGLES MATCHES
EAST 11, WEST 9

Jamie Lovemark, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2006) WEST def. Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. (2005) EAST, 2&1

Morgan Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. (2006) EAST def. Angela Park, Torrance, Calif. (2006) WEST, 1-up

Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C. (2004) EAST def. Jordan Cox, Redwood City, Calif. (2006) WEST, 1-up

Jennifer Pandolfi, Navarre, Fla. (2004) EAST def. Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz. (2005) WEST, 4&3

Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. (2007) WEST def. Jarred Texter, Millersville, Pa. (2004) EAST, 2&1

Brittany Lincicome, Seminole, Fla. (2004) EAST vs. Taylor Leon, Dallas, Texas (2005) WEST, halved

Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (2004) EAST def. Kevin Schultz, Richardson, Texas (2004) WEST, 1-up

Tiffany Joh, San Diego, Calif. (2005) WEST def. In-Bee Park, Eustis, Fla. (2006) EAST, 5&3

Erik Flores, Grass Valley, Calif. (2005) WEST def. Robert Gates, Jr., Gainesville, Fla. (2004) EAST, 4&3

Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla. (2006) EAST def. Jennie Lee, Huntington Beach, Calif. (2005) WEST, 2&1

Robert Riesen, Pinehurst, N.C. (2005) EAST def. Rory Hie, Lakewood, Calif. (2006) WEST, 3&1

Esther Choe, La Quinta, Calif. (2007) WEST def. Stephanie Connelly, Pasadena, Md. (2005) EAST, 4&3

David May, Auburn, N.Y. (2005) EAST def. Daniel Lim, Gilroy, Calif. (2005) WEST, 3&2

Paula Creamer, Pleasanton, Calif. (2005) WEST def. Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, Toms River, N.J. (2005) EAST, 1-up

Christopher Ward, McKinney, Texas (2006) WEST def. Noah Goldman, Longwood, Fla. (2005) EAST, 5&3

Marika Lendl, Goshen, Conn. (2008) EAST def. Lauren Espinosa, Hickory Creek, Texas (2005) WEST, 5&3

Will Osborne, Wichita Falls, Texas (2004) WEST def. George Gandranata, Bradenton, Fla. (2005) EAST, 5&4

Mallory Hetzel, Summerville, S.C. (2005) EAST def. Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif. (2008) WEST, 3&2

Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. (2004) EAST vs. Lucas Lee, Torrance, Calif. (2005) WEST, halved

Julieta Granada, Bradenton, Fla. (2005) EAST def. Allison Goodman, San Diego, Calif. (2005) WEST, 5&4