Nygren pulls through in sudden-death playoff at Aspen Junior Golf Classic
Wong captures first tournament victory at Aspen Golf Club
ASPEN, Colo. — Cole Nygren of Niwot, Colo., was victorious in a one-hole sudden-death playoff Thursday to win the Boys Division in the Aspen Junior Golf Classic over Kolton Lapa of Mesa, Ariz. In the Girls Division, Alexandra Wong of San Francisco, maintained her 36-hole lead throughout the final round en route to her eight-stroke victory, her first AJGA win.
The Aspen Junior Golf Classic was a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Aspen Golf Club in Aspen, Colo. The tournament field included 72 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 11 states and four countries. The Boys Division played the par-71 course at 7,092 yards and the Girls Division played at 6,012 yards.
Nygren spent the entire week at the course, playing over six rounds since Sunday's TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier. After carding a final-round 1-under par 70, Nygren made par on the first playoff hole to secure the win. This marks Nygren's first AJGA victory, shooting a tournament total of 5-over-par 218.
“I feel overwhelmed,” Nygren said. “I had never been in a playoff before. My confidence is definitely up and that's what I have been working on the most.”
Lapa came in second after the playoff, also with a 5-over-par 218 tournament total. In third, Walker Huddy of Studio City, Calif., carded a 6-over par 219, while Eric Hallberg of Castle Rock, Colo., and Corbin Kasten of Southlake, Texas, tied for fourth with a 9-over-par 222 tournament total.
In the Girls Division, Wong held on to her second-round lead continuing her aggressive play through the final hole. She finished the tournament carding a 2-over-par 215.
“I was definitely really nervous starting off today,” Wong said. “However, you overcome this barrier when you first win, and now I finally feel like all this work is paying off.”
Mikayla Harmon of Gilbert, Ariz., took second with a 10-over-par 223. Rounding out the top three for the Girls Division was last year's champion Patricia Lee of Lone Tree, Colo., and Stephanie Liu of Fernandina Beach, Fla., both shooting a total of 15-over-par 228.
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 more than 40 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, 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 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.
For more information about the Aspen Junior Golf Classic, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200, or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.
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