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AJGA ROBERT TRENT JONES GOLF TRAIL JUNIOR
CLASSIC
Magnolia Grove Golf Club
Mobile, Alabama
August 29 - September 1, 2003
KIZZIRE BECOMES FIRST ALABAMA
NATIVE TO WIN TITLE AT MAGNOLIA GROVE
In Bee Park notches fourth AJGA victory of the summer
MOBILE, Ala. - Patton Kizzire became
the first junior from the state of Alabama to win the Boys
Division title at the AJGA Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Junior
Classic Monday as he took first place at 7-under-par 209.
In Bee Park of Eustis, Fla., birdied the final three holes
of the day to claim the Girls Division title with a three-day
score of 5-under-par 211.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Robert
Trent Jones Golf Trail Junior Classic featured a field of
100 boys and 65 girls from 29 states and Mexico. 2003 marked
the 10th anniversary of the AJGA's summer-ending event in
Mobile. Kizzire and Park join David Gossett, Charles Howell
III and Ty Tryon of the PGA TOUR and Beth Bauer of the LPGA
as champions of the 54-hole event.
Kizzire of Tuscaloosa, Ala., shot 1-under 71 in the final
round to earn his first career AJGA victory. A steady, consistent
approach proved to be his strength Monday. A final push on
the back nine sealed the victory as Kizzire shot 2-under-par
34 on the final nine holes.
"I never got to more than 1-over par today," the
17-year-old Kizzire said. "I made birdies when I needed
to and just played well throughout the round."
Birdies on holes No. 15 and 18, including a chip-in from the
fringe on the day's final hole, helped Kizzire to hold off
hard-charging Webb Simpson, who finished second at 3-under-par
213. Finishing tied for third place were Will Osborne of Wichita
Falls, Texas, and Dallas' Trent Leon at 1-under-par 215. Simpson,
from Raleigh, N.C., and Leon joined Kizzire in the day's final
pairing.
"We had some good golf in our group today," Kizzire
said. "It always helps to play with good players. You
feed off each other. When one guy makes a good shot, you want
to try and match that."
Rounding out the top five in the Boys Division were Randy
Lowry of Spring, Texas, and Jonathan Moore of Portland, Ore.
The duo shot even-par 216 for the tournament.
The Girls Division win for Park, the reigning AJGA Polo Golf
Player of the Year, was her fourth AJGA win of the summer.
She opened the day by making bogeys on two of her first three
holes, but rebounded to finish the day 1-under par.
"My putting was not working early on," she said.
"But I birdied the last three holes by making good putts."
The 15-year-old sank putts of 20, six and three feet on the
final three holes to pull ahead of second-place finisher Jane
Park of Beaumont, Calif., who completed the day at 1-under-par
71. She closed the event four strokes back of In Bee Park.
Sukjin Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J., took third place as
she completed the tournament at 3-over-par 219.
For more information on the AJGA Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Junior Classic, contact the AJGA's national headquarters at
(770) 868-4200 or log on to ajga.org.
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