Feng Wins Top Spot by Four Strokes at Rolex Girls Junior Championship
Jutanugarn places second at Long Cove Club in first AJGA event
HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Yueer Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla., overcame a two-stroke deficit Thursday to triumph at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, her second consecutive win at an American Junior Golf Association Invitational. The leader of the first two rounds, Ariya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand, grabbed second place, shooting a tournament total of 3-under-par 210.
The Rolex Girls Junior Championship was a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the AJGA at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C. The tournament field featured 76 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states, Japan, Argentina, Colombia, Thailand, Mexico, Northern Ireland and Venezuela. The field played the par-71 course at 6,229 yards.
Feng, who won the Thunderbird International Junior just over two weeks ago, fought a close battle with Jutanugarn all week. The two were tied after the first round, each shooting a 3-under-par 68. Following the second round, Feng fell to second, carding a 1-under-par 70, which put her two strokes behind Jutanugarn. However, Feng hit her stride Thursday, sinking three birdies and recording a bogey-free day to card a tournament total of 7-under-par 206. She cited consistency as the key to her recent success, as well as staying calm after big wins.
“Before, when I was really young, I would get really hyper after winning one,” Feng said. “This time my parents are keeping me grounded and golf technique wise, I am more consistent than before.”
While Jutanugarn had a tough third round, carding a 3-over-par 74 after scoring 68s in the first two rounds, Feng aimed to stay focused throughout the day regardless of what her competitor was doing.
“I can only control what I do so I was just trying to play my best and see what happens,” Feng said.
Kyung Kim of Chandler, Ariz., placed third with an even-par 213. Ginger Howard of Bradenton, Fla., took fourth, scoring a 1-over-par 214. California residents Alison Lee of Valencia and Nicole Zhang of La Quinta shared fifth place at 2-over-par 215.
Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. Along with sponsoring the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, Rolex is also the title partner of the Rolex Tournament of Champions and the proprietors of the Rolex Junior All-America Teams.
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 30 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. 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 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.
For more information about the Rolex Girls Junior Championship please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.
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