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AJGA NIKE GOLF JUNIOR ALL-STAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Langdon Farms Golf Club
Aurora, Oregon
August 29 – September 1, 2003
KIM, SAKURAI CLAIM AJGA NIKE GOLF
JUNIOR ALL-STAR SERIES TOP HONORS
Sakurai wins first AJGA title in sudden-death playoff
for Girls Division title
AURORA, Ore. — The ink is now dry
as another line has been officially added to the American
Junior Golf Association’s Nike Golf Junior All-Star
Series history books. California native Sihwan Kim of La Mirada
and Yuki Sakurai of Kyoto, Japan, were crowned the 2003 champions
of the fourth annual AJGA Nike Golf Junior All-Star Series
Championship on Labor Day.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the 54-hole
national golf tournament featured 77 boys and girls (13-15
year olds) representing 26 states, Canada and Japan. The event
was held at the par-71 layout of Langdon Farms Golf Club.
To qualify for this season-ending championship, the participants
needed to garner top finishes in 2003 Nike Golf Junior All-Star
Series events.
Kim (69-75-70—214), who claimed his second consecutive
victory after winning the AJGA PING Phoenix Junior Championship,
started the final round with a bogey on the par-4, 405-yard
first hole.
“My confidence was pretty low during the first few
holes,” he said. “But, after leaving my second
shot three feet from the hole on No.4 for birdie, I was feeling
much better about my game.”
Due to the breezy conditions, Kim’s overall strategy
was to play his game; which he did.
“It was really windy out there and it did not help
that the greens were so hard,” the high school freshman
said. “I concentrated on my short game because chipping
is usually my strongest aspect.”
Kim’s performance peaked at the turn as he had carded
eight pars in-a-row and then finished the round with a birdie
on the par-5, 514-yard No. 18.
Kim, who was paired in the second-to-last group in the Boys
Division, did not even know that he was in contention for
the tournament honors.
“I didn’t think I had a chance of winning,”
he said. “I am so excited right now. This feels great.”
One-stroke behind Kim at 215 were Case Cochran of Paducah,
Ky., and Mu Hu of Bradenton, Fla., while California natives
Alex Resurreccion of Long Beach and Daniel Miller of Santa
Maria round out the Boys Division with three-day totals of
216.
In the Girls Division, Sakurai claimed her first AJGA title
in dramatic fashion as she won on the first hole sudden-death
playoff on the par-4, 371-yard 16th hole against fellow Japan
native Ami Nakagawa of Osaka.
“I am very happy with my win,” Sakurai said.
“I concentrated very hard on my driver yesterday at
the driving range and it definitely helped.”
Nakagawa (74-75-77—226) finished in second place and
Florida native So-Hyun Park carded rounds of 85-75-74—234
for third.
For more information on the AJGA Nike Golf Junior All-Star
Series Championship, please contact AJGA National Headquarters
at (770) 868-4200, or visit the American Junior Golf Association’s
Web site at ajga.org.
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