Wright Birdies First Playoff Hole to Win at Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic Hosted By Longbow Golf Club
Moriya Jutanugarn storms out of the gate and takes girls division by two strokes

MESA, Arizona — Zachary Wright of Phoenix defeated Nicolo Galletti of Clayton, Calif., on the first playoff hole Sunday and finished at 4-under-par 209 to notch his first career AJGA victory at the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club. Moriya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand, shot a 3-under-par 68 for a tournament-record total of 8-under-par 205 to win the Girls Division.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club was a 54-hole stroke play tournament. The 144-player field at the par-71 Longbow Golf Club featured 96 boys and 48 girls from 14 states, Canada, and Thailand. The Boys Division played at 7,000 yards and the Girls Division played at 6,150 yards.

A 2010 honorable mention Rolex Junior All-American, Wright began the day eight shots behind Jonah Texeira of Northridge, Calif. The Arizona native shot a 4-under-par 67 and saw the rest of the leaders come back to him.

“People kept me posted and I started hitting on the range after I realized it was going to be close,” Wright said. “When I saw Jonah had to hole the chip I started getting ready for the playoff.”

Wright and Galletti played the par-5 18th as the playoff hole. Wright placed his third shot four feet from the cup, while Galletti left his chip shot on the fringe.

“I had never been in any situation like that before,” Wright said as he spoke about the moments leading up to his birdie putt that would give him the win. “It was just hanging there on the lip and I didn't think it was going to go in but it dropped.”

Galletti's 4-under-par 209 was good for second place, while Texeira and Patrick-Reilly McMahon of Santa Maria, Calif., finished tied for third at 3-under-par 210. J.J. Holen of Castaic, Calif., Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita, and Jake Knapp of Costa Mesa finished in fifth at 1-under-par 212.

The Jutanugarn sisters dominated the top of the leaderboard for the third straight day, but it was Moriya who overtook younger sister Ariya for the Girls Division title.

“It was my first AJGA win and open win,” Moriya said. “It was exciting because it was a good field and I really felt it on the last hole.”

Moriya began the day two shots out of the lead, but carded an impressive front-nine 32 and shot even par on the back nine to close out the victory.

Ariya Jutanugarn took second at 6-under-par 207. Kyung Kim of Chandler, Ariz., and Gabriella Then of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., finished tied for third at 3-under-par 210.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 40 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

For more information on the event, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit ajga.org.

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