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Pressel
Completes Career Slam at McDonald's Betsy Rawls Girls Championship |
Stanley
captures first invitational title at HP Boys Junior Championship |
The AJGA Invitational schedule continued in late July with the
staging of the McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship,
held at White Manor Country Club in Malvern, Pa., and the HP
Boys Junior Championship, contested at Arnold Palmer’s
Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla.
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| Morgan
Pressel captured her fifth AJGA Invitational victory,
completing the "Career AJGA Slam" at the McDonald's
Betsy Rawls Girls Championship. |
With
a hole-in-one and an 11-shot margin of victory, Morgan Pressel
of Boca Raton, Fla., added to her storied junior career and
earned her fifth AJGA Invitational crown at the McDonald’s
Betsy Rawls Girls Championship. Pressel finished at 6-under-par
207, with each round’s score being the day’s lowest,
and led wire-to-wire to complete her AJGA stroke-play career.
“It’s pretty important and exciting,” Pressel
said. “I’m looking forward to moving on from here.
I wouldn’t be the player I am if it wasn’t for my
five years with the AJGA.”
With the win, Pressel completed the career AJGA Invitational-slam,
claiming victories at each of the five AJGA Invitational events
in which she was eligible. This feat was accomplished by only
one other player – boy or girl – in the Association’s
27-year history: Kellee Booth in the early 90s. Back then, however,
the AJGA staged only four invitationals in which she could compete
(the Thunderbird International Junior did not begin until 2000).
Grace Park and Beth Bauer came close in the 90s, winning all
but the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.
Even more impressive, Pressel took these five titles in slightly
more than a year’s time. Her first invitational win came
at the Rolex Tournament of Champions July 9, 2004. She then
won the Polo Golf Junior Classic (Nov. 26, 2004), Thunderbird
International Junior (May 30, 2005), Rolex Girls Junior Championship
(June 17, 2005), and finally the McDonald’s Betsy Rawls
Girls Championship (July 28, 2005). Add to this distinction
that she was a member of victorious teams at the PING Junior
Solheim Cup (2002) and Canon Cup (2004), and there is little
doubt that Pressel is one of the all-time great junior golfers.
She has won 11 AJGA titles in her career, placing her tied for
sixth with Paula Creamer in the AJGA record book, behind Kellee
Booth (18), Grace Park (18), Leigh Anne Hardin (18), Beth Bauer
(17) and Vicki Goetze-Ackerman (15). Along the way, she was
named a Rolex Junior All-American four times, including a first-team
selection in 2003 and 2004.
Pressel’s hole-in-one was the first in her competitive
career and third overall. The 11-wood on No. 3 landed on the
front edge of the green, rolled across the putting surface,
and found the hole 171 yards away.
“I hit a good shot,” Pressel said, laughing. “First
I said, ‘be the right club,’ then, ‘go in,’
and it did.”
Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., 2005 Rolex Tournament of Champions
winner, finished second with a three-round total of 72-71-75—218,
and Joy Kim of Duluth, Ga., finished in third at 70-71-79—220.
Kimberly Kim of Pahoa, Hawaii, finished in fourth at 73-72-76—221,
while Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights, Calif., Isabelle Lendl
of Bradenton, Fla., and So-Hyun Park of Bradenton, Fla., tied
for fifth at 224.
At the HP Boys Junior Championship, Kyle Stanley 17, of Gig
Harbor, Wash., came from two shots behind on the back nine to
overtake Josh Jones, 15, of The Colony, Texas and claim victory.
Stanley fired a final round 5-under-par 67 to outlast Jones,
who started the final round tied with Stanley at 7-under-par.
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| Kyle
Stanley lines up a putt on the 18th green at Arnold Palmer's
Bay Hill Club & Lodge shortly before clinching the
title. |
The
victory was extra special for Stanley, who had close calls this
year at the Rolex Tournament of Champions and the Pacific Northwest
International Junior presented by Jeff Troesch, only to settle
for second-place finishes.
“That all made me really hungry to come down here and
get a win,” Stanley said.
Stanley fired a 2-under-par 34 on the front nine, but at the
turn was two strokes behind Jones, whose 4-under-par 32 on the
front side gave him the lead with nine to play.
Birdies on Nos. 10, 14 and 15 left Stanley two ahead of Jones
with three to play, but when Jones birdied the par-5 16th hole,
the cushion was only one.
“You've got to tip your hat to him for the way he played,”
Stanley said.
Stanley said he still cannot believe he has won a tournament
that so many PGA TOUR stars have won in the past.
“It hasn't sunk in yet,” Stanley said. “It
probably will take a couple of days.”
Jones made five birdies to keep the pressure on Stanley all
day, and said being in contention was a good experience.
“I'm looking forward to playing a lot more and getting
back there,” Jones said. “Hopefully next time I
get the job done.”
Jones made par on the par-3 17th hole with Stanley in thick
rough short of the green, but watched as Stanley got up-and-down.
“That was pretty fantastic,” said Jones of his competitor's
clutch chip.
Jones was left down one stroke in the 18th fairway, and fired
his approach shot at the flag, only to have it fall into the
lake short of the green. Stanley made par to seal the win.
Turning in the round of the week was Arnond Vongvanij of Bradenton,
Fla., who fired an 8-under-par 64 to shoot the tournament's
low round. Vongvanij was bogey-free and made eight birdies on
his round to finish the tournament alone in third at 3-under-par
285.
Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, Fla., finished in fourth place alone
at 2-under-par 286 for the tournament. Dan Rush of Avon Lake,
Ohio, and Jason Kang of Valencia, Calif., tied for fifth at
1-under-par 287 for the week.
The AJGA’s Invitational schedule continues Aug. 8-11 with
the Canon Cup at the Capital City Club – Crabapple Course
in Alpharetta, Ga. |
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