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AJGA hp BOYS JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
The Westin Innisbrook Golf Resort - Copperhead and Island
Courses
Palm Harbor, Florida
July 27-August 1, 2003
DAVIS COMES FROM DOWN UNDER TO WIN hp BOYS
Gandranata finishes one shot off the pace
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - In just his second AJGA event,
Tom Davis of Burgengary, Australia, took the Copperhead Course
by storm in Friday's final round of the AJGA hp Boys Junior
Championship. Davis' 2-under-par 69 was enough to earn him
championship honors with a four-day total of 2-over-par 287.
The 72-hole stroke play event, conducted by the American Junior
Golf Association, featured 143 boys from 29 states and two
foreign countries. The event was held at the Westin Innisbrook
Golf Resort, Copperhead and Island Courses. Past champions
of the event include David Duval, Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods.
Coming into the final round, Davis was four shots behind third-round
leader Trent Leon of Dallas. He played in the third to last
group on Friday and came into the day with a target score
in mind.
"At the start of the day I just thought if I could get
to 1-over par, I would have a good chance to win; maybe a
playoff at worst," Davis said.
Davis started the day at 4-over-par for the tournament and
wasted no time charging toward his goal. Davis birdied the
first two holes en route to a 1-under-par 35 on the front
nine.
"I started birdie birdie and just played pretty steady
after that," Davis said. "I wasn't hitting the driver
great, but I got a few good breaks and capitalized with my
putter."
Davis continued his solid play on the back nine, collecting
birdies on hole nos. 12 and 13. However, an errant tee shot
on the par-4 18th found Davis in trouble to the right of the
fairway. Davis had to navigate his second shot underneath
a set of overhanging branches to have a shot at par. He was
able to hit the front of the green; however a three-putt resulted
in a bogey on the last final hole.
Fortunately, the bogey was just enough to ensure the one-shot
victory.
"It's great to win," Davis said. "It still
hasn't sunk in yet because I kind of came from nowhere; and
all of a sudden I've won."
"These events are really fun, you don't know how good
you have it over here," Davis said. "I advise everyone
to come over here from back at home."
Finishing one shot behind Davis was George Gandranata of Bradenton,
Fla., whose 1-over-par 72 left him with a four-day total of
3-over-par 288.
Third-round leader Leon was in position to win coming down
the stretch. However, Leon's final-round 4-over-par 75 was
not enough to overcome the streaking Davis. Leon's four-day
total of 4-over-par 289 earned him a third-place tie with
Kevin Schultz of Richardson, Texas. Schultz fired a 1-over-par
72 in the final round. Mark Anderson of Beaufort, S.C., rounded
out the top five with a 3-over-par 74 on Friday, finishing
at 5-over-par 290 for the tournament.
For more information on the AJGA hp Boys Junior Championship,
contact the Association's National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.
Complete
Results
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