Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., came within a stroke of a playoff at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Sunday. Cristie Kerr made birdie while Creamer made par on the final hole of regulation, a separation of one stroke for two players who have a lot in common. Both are AJGA alums. Both have earned the title of Rolex Junior Player of the Year: Creamer currently holds the honor; Kerr was given the award in 1995. Both received sponsor's exemptions to the ShopRite Classic, it was Kerr's first LPGA event back in 1997. Read more about Creamer's performance in an article in the Contra Costa Times .
Phil Mickelson continued his stellar season with a second-place finish at the U.S. Open. After winning the Masters this Spring, the 1986-'88 Rolex Junior Player of the Year nearly captured the second leg of golf's Grand Slam, finishing two strokes behind South Africa's Retief Goosen.
Spencer Levin, a Rolex Junior All-American in 2001 and 2002, took low-amateur honors with a tie for 13th, the best finish by an amateur at the Open since 1971. Levin is a sophomore at the University of New Mexico and earned an exemption to next year's U.S. Open by virtue of his top-15 finish.
Two of Park’s record-setting 18 AJGA wins came at the McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship.