AJGA BANK OF MONTREAL FUTURE LINKS JUNIOR AT DUNCAN MEADOWS
Duncan Meadows Golf and Country Club
Duncan, British Columbia
August 19-22, 2002

HARLINGTEN CLUTCH IN FINAL ROUND TO CLAIM VICTORY
Paula Creamer wins wire-to-wire

DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Seann Harlingten of Rancho Mirage, Calif., took home his first AJGA victory Thursday at the AJGA Bank of Montreal Future Links Junior at Duncan Meadows by carding a 2-under-par 69, totaling an even-par 213 tournament total. Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., led start to finish and claimed her third AJGA title of 2002 at 6-under-par for the tournament.

Hosted by the American Junior Golf Association in conjunction with the Royal Canadian Golf Association, this tournament field boasted some of the best juniors North America has to offer. Eight states and four provinces were represented, including 20 British Columbia natives. This 54-hole event was held at the par-71 Duncan Meadows Golf and Country Club on Vancouver Island.

In the Boys Division, Harlingten, who won the Canadian Juvenile Championship (16-and-under division) last week, stumbled a bit as he came down the home stretch but got it together in time to salvage victory. After looking at the leaderboard on No. 17, he pulled his 4-wood out of his bag and topped the ball just off the par-five's tee box.

"I was just like, 'Oh my gosh,'" he said. "But I knew I could still make par."

He did just that and then again on No. 18 to maintain his lead over Joseph Kim of Laguna Niguel, Calif., who finished two back at 215 with rounds of 73-72-70.
Harlingten had previously finished sixth at the AJGA ClubCorp Junior at Mission Hills earlier in the summer. He said it was a tremendous weight off his shoulders now that he had a win under his belt.

"I'm friends with [AJGA tournament winners] Randy Lowry and Tarik Can, and they are always bugging me about when I was going to win," he said. "Now, I know that I can be grouped with them as a champion."

Behind Kim, Steven Dales of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Marty Melcher of Redlands, Calif., Mitch Berg of Gresham, Ore., and Matthew Fladwood of Remond, Ore., tied for third at 5-over-par 218 for the tournament.

In the Girls Division, Creamer, who is becoming accustomed to taking home trophies from AJGA events, shot the low final round of the division with a 4-under-par 67. Her 70-70-67-207 tournament total put her ten shots ahead of Kelly Robb of Concord, Mass. Robb fired a 3-under-par 68 the final round, but Creamer was just too much.

"This helps my confidence a lot," she said. "I'm hitting the ball better now than ever, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the year."

Creamer went the entire tournament without three-putting a single green. Her winning, she said, is just part of the on-going pursuit of accomplishing her overall goals.

"I wanted to come out this summer and put up some good numbers," she said. "For the most part, I've done that. In the end I just want to play good golf and have fun."

Kristen Svicarovich of Hillsboro, Ore., finished in third with rounds of 80-75 -77-232 tournament total.

For more information about the AJGA Bank of Montreal Future Links Junior at Duncan Meadows, or any AJGA event, call the AJGA National Headquarters at (877) 373-2542.