Padova holds on to win at Jones Creek Golf Club
Hoang claims first AJGA victory at the E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Austin Padova of Hudson, Fla., claims victory at the E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship presented by Electrolux with a 3-under-par 213. Jessica Hoang of North Augusta, S.C., won her first AJGA tournament with a 3-over-par 219.

The E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship presented by Electrolux was a 54-hole tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Jones Creek Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The event featured 72 boys and 23 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states and six countries. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 6,818 yards while the Girls Division played the course at 6,160 yards.

Padova kept his lead all three rounds at Jones Creek Golf Club. He had a strong back nine after a birdie at No. 15 and finished on top by four strokes.

“I just tried to keep the same mental part of my game today as I did throughout the first two rounds,” Padova said. “I made a long putt for birdie on No.15 and from then on out I pretty much knew I had it in the bag.”

Tied for second were Joseph Lewis of Savannah, Ga., Corey Carlson of Green Cove Springs, Fla., and Richard Hubbard of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., carding a tournament total 1-over-par 217. Anthony Alex of Wayne, N.J., finished in fifth with a 2-over-par 218.

Hoang has had three top-10 finishes in 2011 including, runner-up at the Golf Pride Junior Classic. She finished atop the leaderboard after tough competition in the final day.

“I was really up and down on the front nine,” Hoang said. “Abby [Newton] and I were going back and forth the whole time and at the turn Rachel [Dai] was making a great comeback. You weren't really sure who would come in at the end, but coming back here and winning feels amazing.”

Rachel Dai of Suwanee, Ga., placed second with a 6-over-par 222 and Abby Newton of Katy, Texas, finished third with an 8-over-par 224.

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, 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 E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship presented by Electrolux, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.

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