Consistency Leads Crampton to the Top at Preseason Junior At Cypress Ridge
Cho goes wire-to-wire to take Girls Division crown
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. — Sebastian Crampton of Pacific Grove, Calif., shot his second straight 1-over-par 73 on Sunday for a tournament total of 2-over-par 146 to medal in the Boys Division at the Preseason Junior at Cypress Ridge. Sarah Cho of San Diego fired a 3-over-par 75 for a tournament total of 9-over-par 153 to take the Girls Division title.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Preseason Junior at Cypress Ridge was a 36-hole stroke play competition played at the par-72 Cypress Ridge Golf Club. The Boys Division played at 6,593 yards and the Girls Division played at 5,784 yards. The 96-player field featured players from eight states and Canada.
Crampton attributed the win to his ability to keep the ball in the fairway and reaching the greens in regulation despite battling the wind throughout the round.
“The biggest key for me was definitely hitting fairways and greens since it was so windy out there,” Crampton said. “I hit a lot of punch shots to keep it out of the wind, but when I was downwind I would go for the flag.”
Crampton's win came in his first AJGA event, and the significance of it was not lost on the first-time winner.
“I mean, the AJGA is the biggest tour in the nation so this is awesome,” Crampton said.
Alone in second place was Riley Elmes of Lake Oswego, Ore., at 6-over-par 150. Tied for third place at 7-over-par 151 was Brett Patton of Santa Barbara, Calif., Connor Gann of Victoria, British Columbia, and Eric Cech of Portland, Ore.
Cho entered Sunday with a one-stroke lead, but wound up with a two-stroke deficit going into the back nine. Cho was able to regain the lead by shooting even par on the back side while other players were scoring higher, and she finished with a four-stroke cushion.
“It feels amazing to win, especially on Mother's Day, after I worked really hard at it,” Cho said. “Even after I made bogey on the first hole I just tried to keep my mental game strong and give myself a chance.”
Tied for second place at 13-over-par 157 was Michelle Xie of Palo Alto, Calif., and Luciane Lee of Torrance, Calif.
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.
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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.
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