WEST IS BEST ON DAY ONE
Francis, Schultz, Joh Post 2-0 Records on Opening Day

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Day one at the 15th annual Canon Cup belonged to the West squad, as the defending champions built a 9 ½-5 ½ lead at Caves Valley Golf Club.

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 West has a three-year winning streak on the line, although the East leads the series, 7-6-1.

In morning four-ball matches, the West scored early and often, winning seven of the day’s first eight points. Their strong performance in morning matches pushed them to a 7 ½-2 ½ lead, which shrunk by a point after the East edged the West, 3-2, in the afternoon mixed foursome matches.

The tone was set in the first match of the day, as Rolex Junior Boys Player of the Year Brian Harman of Savannah, Ga., and Webb Simpson of Raleigh, N.C., fell victim to Philip Francis of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Rolex Tournament of Champions winner Jamie Lovemark of Rancho Santa Fe., Calif.

“I got a little nervous being the first match out,” said Lovemark, who is known for his nerves of steel. “I knew there would be a lot of birdies.”

Lovemark proved prophetic, as the first five holes were all won or halved with birdies. Even so, both Lovemark and Francis relished the opportunity to play Harman, the nation’s top-ranked junior.

“I wanted to play Brian,” said Francis, who beat Harman in a playoff at the Aaron Baddeley World Junior Championship. “I had been in that position with him before and I’m not afraid to play him. I thought it would be a fun opportunity.”

After winning the morning match, Lovemark caddied for Francis in the afternoon as he earned a second point for the West, teaming with Sydney Burlison of Salinas, Calif.

A dramatic comeback was needed for the Rolex Junior Girls Player of the Year, Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., and Amanda Blumenherst of Scottsdale, Ariz., to earn another West point in the day’s second match. After falling three holes behind after eight holes, Creamer and Blumenherst rallied to win 2 and 1.

Tiffany Joh of San Diego, Calif., and Kevin Schultz of Richardson, Texas, each earned two points for their team. After winning their morning four-ball matches separately, they joined in the mixed foursomes to win 4 and 3 over David May of Auburn, N.Y., and Marika Lendl of Goshen, Conn.

“In the morning, we just flat out regulated,” said Schultz, who teamed with Will Osborne of Wichita Falls, Texas, for a 6-and-5 victory. “In the afternoon, Tiffany and I were all square through nine; both teams were playing well. Then we birdied four of the next six holes to win 4 and 3.”

Before pairing with Schultz in the afternoon, Joh enjoyed the day’s most dominant performance, teaming with fellow San Diegan Allison Goodman to win 8 and 7.

“I was really fortunate because Allie Goodman was on fire,” Joh said. “I could have left on the front nine and she could have carried the team.”

It was Joh who sealed the victory with consecutive birdies on 10 and 11 to secure the win. Together, Joh and Goodman posted seven birdies in 11 holes.

“I’m pretty confident,” Joh said of the West’s large lead. “But I don’t want to get cocky, because we haven’t won anything yet.”

Day two will feature morning foursome matches beginning at 7:30 a.m., and afternoon mixed four-ball matches starting at 1:30 p.m., as 15 more points will be up for grabs. The final day will feature 20 singles matches, as the first team to reach 25 ½ points will win the Canon Cup.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Day one 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 ONE TOTAL: WEST 9 ½, EAST 5 ½

MORNING FOUR-BALL MATCHES
WEST 7 ½, EAST 2 ½

Jamie Lovemark, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. & Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz., WEST def. Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. & Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C., EAST, 2&1

Paula Creamer, Pleasanton, Calif. & Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz., WEST def. Julieta Granada, Bradenton, Fla. & Jennifer Pandolfi, Navarre, Fla., EAST, 2&1

Daniel Lim, Gilroy, Calif. & Christopher Ward, McKinney, Texas, WEST def. George Gandranata, Bradenton, Fla. & Noah Goldman, Longwood, Fla., EAST, 4&2

Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, Toms River, N.J. & In-Bee Park, Eustis, Fla., EAST def. Esther Choe, La Quinta, Calif. & Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif., WEST, 2&1

Jordan Cox, Redwood City, Calif. & Erik Flores, Grass Valley, Calif., WEST def. David May, Auburn, N.Y. & Jarred Texter, Millersville, Pa., EAST, 1-up

Allison Goodman, San Diego, Calif. & Tiffany Joh, San Diego, Calif., WEST def. Stephanie Connelly, Pasadena, Md. & Marika Lendl, Goshen, Conn., EAST, 8&7

Kevin Schultz, Richardson, Texas & Will Osborne, Wichita Falls, Texas, WEST def. Robert Gates, Jr., Gainesville, Fla. & Jon McLean, Weston, Fla., EAST, 6&5

Jennie Lee, Huntington Beach, Calif. & Angela Park, Torrance, Calif., WEST def. Mallory Hetzel, Summerville, S.C. & Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla., EAST, 6&4

Rory Hie, Lakewood, Calif. & Lucas Lee, Torrance, Calif., WEST vs. Robert Riesen, Pinehurst, N.C. & Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala., EAST, halved

Brittany Lincicome, Seminole, Fla. & Morgan Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla., EAST def. Lauren Espinosa, Hickory Creek, Texas & Taylor Leon, Dallas, Texas, WEST, 4&3

AFTERNOON MIXED FOURSOME MATCHES
WEST 2, EAST 3

Jennifer Pandolfi, Navarre, Fla. & Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C. EAST def. Esther Choe, La Quinta, Calif. & Daniel Lim, Gilroy, Calif. WEST, 2-up

Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif. & Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. WEST def. Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, Toms River, N.J. & George Gandranata, Bradenton, Fla. EAST, 3&2

Julieta Granada, Bradenton, Fla. vs. Jarred Texter, Millersville, Pa. EAST def. Allison Goodman, San Diego, Calif. & Will Osborne, Wichita Falls, Texas WEST, 2-up

Tiffany Joh, San Diego, Calif. & Kevin Schultz, Richardson, Texas WEST def. Marika Lendl, Goshen, Conn. (2008) & David May, Auburn, N.Y. EAST, 4&3

Catherina Wang, Orlando, Fla. & Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. EAST def. Lauren Espinosa, Hickory Creek, Texas & Christopher Ward, McKinney, Texas WEST, 1-up