Andrew Yun of Tacoma, Wash., shot a
2-under-par 70 three consecutive days for a tournament total
of 6-under-par 210 to win the Boys Division at the inaugural
PING Invitational Oct. 9 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater,
Okla. Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., set and then matched
the course record at Karsten Creek, firing two 4-under-par
68s, along with a 74, to finish the tournament at 6-under
par 210 to win the Girls Division by five strokes.
 |
| Yun captured
his second AJGA Invitational victory on the heels
of a 6-under-par tournament total. |
With the wins,
both players captured their second AJGA Invitational titles
of 2006. Yun previously won the FootJoy Boys Invitational in
Greensboro, N.C., in June, while Choe was victorious at the
Rolex Girls Junior Championship in Park City, Utah.
The inaugural
PING Invitational was a 54-hole stroke play event held
at Karsten Creek Golf Club. The 85-player field featured
players from 21 states, Sweden and Australia. The Girls Division
played Karsten Creek Golf Club at 6,252 yards, while the
Boys Division played at 7,221 yards.
Yun began the final round with a one-stroke
lead over HP Boys Junior Championship winner Rickie Fowler
of Murrieta, Calif., and was determined to continue to play
smart and consistent. Yun felt his ball striking was
off all day, but was extremely pleased with his putting.
“My putting kept me in it,” Yun
said. “This
was the best putting I've ever done. Most of my putts were
the exact speed and right on line.”
Yun fell behind Fowler early in the round,
but changed his luck at the turn. He chipped in on No. 9
for birdie, which propelled his game for the back
nine. Yun drained a 10-foot putt for birdie on No. 10 and
followed with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 11. He sank two
more birdie putts for a back-nine total of 3-under-par 33.
“When I first played (at Karsten Creek),
I wondered if anyone would shoot under par,” Yun said. “This
is probably the biggest win of my career because this course
is so hard and I had to play better.”
Yun also placed
in the top five at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in Evergreen,
Colo., and the HP Boys Junior Championship in Orlando, both
in July.
 |
| Choe set
a new course record at Karsten Creek with two 4-under-par
68s. |
Conrad Shindler of Coppell, Texas, fired
a tournament
low 5-under-par 67 during the final round to
earn sole possession of second place with a 213 tournament
total. Fowler shot a 74 to finish in third place with a three-day
total of 215. Connor Driscoll of Encinitas, Calif., Sihwan
Kim of Buena Park, Calif., and William Kropp of Edmond, Okla.,
tied for fourth with 216 tournament totals.
The 17-year-old Choe began
her final round with a three-shot lead over Glory Yang of
Murrieta, Calif. Choe lost her lead in the final round at
several events during the summer and was determined to maintain
her lead Monday.
“I am really happy that all my hard work paid off,” Choe
said. “I struggled this summer and I am so excited
to end the season on a good note.”
Choe, who has verbally committed to the University
of Arizona for the fall of 2007, played consistently all
round. Her bogey-free round consisted of four birdies, including
one on the difficult par-4 No. 10. Choe did not finish
outside the top three in any AJGA event during the 2006 season.
Yang finished five shots back in second place with a three-day
total of 215. Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif., shot a 216
tournament total for sole possession of third place. |
