SHAUN, KEEL COME FROM BEHIND TO WIN JUNIOR ALL-STAR AT CHÂTEAU ÉLAN

BRASELTON, Ga. — Corey Shaun of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Jisoo Keel of Coquitlam, B.C., staged final-round comebacks on Easter Sunday to win the Junior All-Star at Château Élan.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Junior All-Star at Château Élan featured 96 boys and 36 girls, ages 12-15, from 29 states and five foreign countries. The 54-hole stroke play event was staged on the par-71 Château Course at Château Élan. The Boys Division played the course at 6,654 yards while the Girls Division played at 5,902 yards.

The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series is a collection of 10 events specifically designed for boys and girls ages 12-15 and presents opportunities for younger members to develop their skills and earn entry into Open tournaments. The series concludes with the Montverde Academy Junior All-Star Invitational over Columbus Day weekend for winners and top finishers in the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events.

In the Boys Division, Shaun trailed by one shot as the final round began. A steady diet of pars on the front nine enabled him to capture the lead before making the turn.

“I was consistent today — mostly pars,” Shaun said. “Even when I missed the greens, I got up and down a lot.”

After 10 straight pars, Shaun made his first birdie at No. 11. “I hit a 7-iron to 15 feet and the putt was straight,” he said. “I hit it with perfect speed.”

Shaun maintained his lead despite carding his first bogey at 12. Four pars later, Shaun gave himself some breathing room at the 336-yard, par-4 17th when he knocked in a 20-foot birdie putt. Taking a three-shot lead to the final hole, Shaun found some trouble, making a double-bogey but hanging on for a one-shot victory at 4-over-par 217.

“It was my first AJGA tournament, so I wasn't expecting much,” Shaun said. “Winning surprised me and probably surprised a few other people too.”

Tied for runner-up honors were Christian Cichan of Charlotte, N.C., and Rigel Fernandes of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who closed at 5-over-par 218. Adam Wood of Zionsville, Ind., Colin Proctor of Anderson, Ind., and Brock Drogosch of Westlake Village, Calif., tied for fourth place at 7-over-par 220.

In the Girls Division, Keel began the day two shots off the lead and reached the pivotal 14th hole just a single stroke behind. With a wedge in her hand and 75 yards to the hole, Keel hit the shot of the day into the three-tiered green.

“I hit my wedge to about a foot from the hole and had an easy putt,” Keel said.

With Keel's birdie assured, the tournament leader Natalia Forero of Cali, Colombia, bogeyed to fall a shot behind. On the remaining four holes, Keel stretched her lead to three, including a near ace on the 139-yard, par-3 16th, to earn her first AJGA victory in only her second attempt.

“It feels so good,” said Keel, who closed with a 1-over-par 72 for a 54-hole total of 4-over-par 217. “I was very consistent today. The golf course was in great condition and the weather was nice.”

Forero, who held the 36-hole lead, finished runner-up at 7-over-par 220. Hannah Kim of San Ysidro, Calif., placed third at 11-over-par 224.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

GARY GILCHRIST GOLF ACADEMY, a full-time junior golf training and development program, enters its second year as an Official Partner of the AJGA. The partnership features an endowment of an AJGA Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and title sponsorship of the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series, which provides juniors access to national competitive golf opportunities.

For more information about the Junior All-Star at Château Élan, contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.