Winslow Captures Lead by 4 Strokes, Lippetz by 1 Stroke at Lockton Kansas City Junior
Leaders Claim First AJGA-Event Wins at Kansas City Country Club
MISSION HILLS, Kan. — Joseph Winslow of Overland Park, Kan., maintained his three-day lead at the Lockton Kansas City Junior, finishing at 2-under-par 208 for his tournament total. Jordan Lippetz of Bradenton, Fla., claimed the Girls Division lead by one stroke at Kansas City Country Club with a 216 tournament total.
The Lockton Kansas City Junior was a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan. The tournament field featured 99 boys and girls ages 12-18 from 16 states and Thailand. The Boys Division played the par-70 course at 6,764 yards while the Girls Division played at 6,054 yards.
Winslow entered and closed the final round with a 4-stroke lead but said sticking to his game plan was more difficult due to his putting. Despite carding four bogies en route to a 2-over-par 72, Winslow hit every fairway except for No. 16, helping him gain opportunities to make par. He said winning an AJGA event close to home meant a lot to him and the competitive field prepared him for the rest of the summer.
“I knew if I made a good number I would get it done,” Winslow said about his strategy. “I wasn't trying to make a bunch of birdies, I was trying to play smart and hit the right positions on the green.”
Harry Higgs of Overland Park, Kan., and Michael Decker of Pebble Beach, Calif., tied for second at 2-over-par 212 for the tournament. Donald Stimble of Shell Knob, Mo., and Charlie Saxon of Tulsa, Okla., finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively, each carding the low final rounds of 71.
In the Girls Division, Lippetz said the key to her round was setting good approach shots for birdies and capitalizing on them, as she did on Nos. 1, 7 and 8. After trailing one stroke behind the lead in the first two rounds, Lippetz was anxious going into the final round of her first AJGA-event win.
“I felt a lot more pressure today but I knew I wanted to go out there and have a solid round,” the 2009 Rolex Junior All-American said. “I practiced my putting a lot yesterday and I had a lot of good shots today.”
Sarah Schmelzel of Phoenix, Ariz., carded the women's course record at Kansas City Country Club with a 2-under-par 68 in the final round, placing her in second place at 217 for her tournament total. Carly Ragains of Highland Village, Texas and Patricia Lee of Lone Tree, Colo., tied for third at 218.
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. 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 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 Lockton Kansas City Junior contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit our website at ajga.org.
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