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2005
Rolex Junior All-America Teams Finalized
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135
boys and girls recognized as the nation’s top junior
golfers
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Junior
golf’s top honors were announced as 72 boys and 63 girls
were named Rolex Junior All-Americans by the American Junior
Golf Association.
Introduced by the AJGA in 1978, the Rolex Junior All-America
Teams annually recognize those players who have established
themselves as the world’s premier junior golfers. This
year’s selections distinguished themselves through their
outstanding play in 70 national events, 54 of which where conducted
by the AJGA.
The
teams are comprised of 135 junior golfers, ages 13-19, from
29 states and three foreign countries. These standouts will
be recognized Nov. 20, during the Rolex Junior All-America Awards
Banquet held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll
Island, Ga.
Former Rolex Junior All-Americans comprise the top players on
both the PGA and LPGA Tours. Of the PGA TOUR’s current
top-10 money leaders, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Toms,
Jim Furyk and Sergio Garcia were all Rolex Junior All-Americans.
On the LPGA Tour, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Hee-Won Han and
Candie Kung were named Rolex Junior All-Americans as junior
golfers before working their way to the top of the pay-for-play
ranks. Other AJGA alumni who help make up the list of past Rolex
Junior All-Americans include Justin Leonard, Sean O’Hair,
Scott Verplank, Billy Mayfair, Marisa Baena, Heather Bowie and
Jennifer Rosales.
This year, James Lee of La Habra, Calif., earned the distinction
of being named a Rolex Junior All-American for the fourth consecutive
year. Lee, who also earned first-team honors in 2003, began
the season with a victory at the Polo Golf Junior Classic and
continued his dominance with two more victories before heading
to UCLA this fall to continue his golf career.
For the second consecutive year, Bronson Burgoon of The Woodlands,
Texas, Jordan Cox of Redwood City, Calif., Philip Francis of
Scottsdale, Ariz., Rory Hie of Lakewood, Calif., Kyle Stanley
of Gig Harbor, Wash., Peter Uihlein and Arnond Vongvanij, both
of Bradenton, Fla., and Daniel Woltman of Beaver Dam, Wis.,
earned All-America honors. Burgoon, now a freshman at Texas
A&M University, won the Thunderbird International Junior.
Cox defeated Stanley by one shot at the prestigious Rolex Tournament
of Champions. Francis and Vongvanij both had six top-10 finishes
in national junior golf during the 2005 season. Uihlein’s
season included two victories and eight top-10 finishes in national
junior golf. Stanley had two victories, including the HP Boys
Junior Championship. Woltman earned his first AJGA victory at
the FootJoy Boys Invitational. Hie finished the season with
seven top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish at the
Rolex Tournament of Champions.
Of the players on the first team, Rickie Fowler of Murrieta,
Calif., is the lone Rolex Junior All-America first-timer. He
won the 88th Annual Western Junior Amateur and the Hudson Junior,
carding final-round 64s at both events.
This year’s team is composed of nine members of the Canon
Cup East and West Teams. They also have amassed 14 victories
and 35 top-10 finishes during the 2005 season.
This year’s girls’ Rolex Junior All-America First
Team is highlighted by Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla. In
2005, she posted victories at three AJGA Invitational events:
Thunderbird International Junior, Rolex Girls Junior Championship
and McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship. In addition
to her AJGA success, Pressel had a great season on the amateur
and professional levels, winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur
and coming in a tie for second at the U.S. Women’s Open.
She also finished tied for 25th or better at six LPGA Tour events
this season.
Four other first team members gained All-America honors for
the third time. Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., Megan Grehan
of Mamaroneck, N.Y., Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif., and Angela
Park of Torrance, Calif., earned a combined five national victories
during the 2005 season.
In-Bee Park, 2002 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, took home
her fifth Rolex Junior All-America honor. This season, Park
won two AJGA events while increasing her playing time on the
LPGA Tour and at other amateur events.
The four remaining players all earned Rolex Junior All-America
honors for the first time. Kimberly Donovan of Hopkinton, Mass.,
Taylore Karle of Scottsdale, Ariz., Hsiao-Ching Lu of Rancho
Santa Fe, Calif., and Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., earned a
combined five victories during the 2005 season. This season
marked first-time victories for Donovan, Lu and Rah. Karle added
two more wins to her already impressive resume, bringing her
total to four.
This year’s Rolex Junior All-America First Team is composed
of seven Canon Cup Team members as well as five members from
the U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup Team. During the 2005 season,
these ten golfers earned a total of 15 victories and an additional
38 top-10 finishes in national tournaments.
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