Young, Strom crowned champions

Young, Ström crowned 2013 Polo Golf Junior Classic champions

Pair collects first AJGA victories at PGA National Resort & Spa

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Cameron Young of Scarborough, N.Y., defeated three first-team Rolex Junior All-Americans en route to his first AJGA win at the Polo Golf Junior Classic. Linnea Ström of Hovas, Sweden, edged her final three challengers 1-up to earn her first AJGA victory at PGA National Resort & Spa.

The Polo Golf Junior Classic, which has been conducted annually since 1978, marked the first tournament of the American Junior Golf Association's 2014 season. The 156-player invitation-only field was made up of 78 boys and 78 girls, ages 13-18, from 27 states and seven foreign countries. Former champions include Stewart Cink (1989), Trevor Immelman (1995), Tiger Woods (1991), Paula Creamer (2002), Grace Park (1994, 1996) and Morgan Pressel (2004).

Young, playing in only his second AJGA event, earned the No. 5 seed for match play competition after finishing stroke play at 1-over-par 144. Standing between the 2015 graduate and champion honors were five players who have combined for seven AJGA wins and included three first-team Rolex Junior All-Americans.

“This is probably the best field I’ve ever played against – the most concentrated junior field in the world,” Young said. “Beating the kids I did in Brad Dalke, Andy Zhang and Jorge [Garcia] today … I even surprised myself.”

Young faced No. 30 seed Jorge Garcia of Miami, a two-time 2013 champion, in the final match Friday. After halving the first hole, Garcia made double and conceded No. 2, giving Young the 1-up lead. Young would never relinquish the lead, playing the remainder of the round without a bogey and pushing ahead to a 4-up lead through 13 holes. On the green of No. 14, Young ended the match after sinking a 20-foot putt for birdie.

“It’s an honor to be here and to have won, it’s a great feeling,” Young said. “At the end of this long week, I was just so tired. I was so focused on every shot and just getting one foot in front of the other. It made it a lot easier, actually, not being able to think too much.”

Ström faced an equally difficult track to the final match as Young, facing two first-team Rolex Junior All-Americans, as well as a member of the Second Team and an Honorable Mention honoree. Her challengers have combined for 10 AJGA wins.

In the final match of the event, No. 18 seed Ström was slated against No. 13 seed Lakareber Abe of Angleton, Texas. An accomplished match play competitor, Abe made it to the finals of the 2013 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in July. After taking a 5-up through nine lead, Ström faced a difficult back-nine stretch, losing five of the next six holes.

“I was very nervous the entire round,” Ström said. “Even when I was 5-up after nine holes I just tried to focus on my own game. She [Abe] started to play good and I made some bogies, but I just wanted to win so much.”

With a 1-up edge after the first of three holes in the infamous Bear Trap, the Swede channeled her inner competitor, making skilled plays from bunkers on No. 16 and 17 to protect her lead. On the final hole of the afternoon, Ström made par to seal the victory and become the first Swedish girl to win the Polo Golf Junior Classic.

“I’m just very happy,” Ström said. “It has been so great to be here this week. Everything has been so well organized, everyone is so nice and the courses have been very good. I have been working very hard back home in Sweden, so I’m just very happy [to get this win].”

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About Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 46 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, RRL, RLX, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren, Chaps and Club Monaco, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands.

About the American Junior Golf Association

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 6,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 50 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 fourth decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Day two match play results from the Polo Golf Junior Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at PGA National Resort & Spa — Champion Course.

Boys — Champion: Par: 35-36--71. Yardage: 7,092. Rating: 75.4. Slope: 148

Girls — Champion: Par: 36-36--72. Yardage: 6,384. Rating: 78.3. Slope: 158

BOYS DIVISION

First Round

Austin Connelly, Irving, Texas (2015) def. Derek Castillo, Yorba Linda, Calif. (2016),
3 & 2

Scott Scheffler, Dallas, Texas (2014) def. Tony Gil, Vaughan, Ontario (2016), 6 & 4

Jorge Garcia, (Venezuela) Miami, Fla. (2015) def. Benjamin Griffin, Chapel Hill, N.C. (2014), 1-Up

Paul Elissalde, Biarritz, France (2016) def. Dylan Meyer, Evansville, Ind. (2014), 1-Up

Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (2015) def. Ryan Grider, Lewisville, Texas (2017),
1-Up

Grant Hirschman, Collierville, Tenn. (2014) def. William Gordon, Davidson, N.C. (2015), 3 & 2

Sam Horsfield, (United Kingdom) Davenport, Fla. (2015) def. Mitchell Meissner, San Antonio, Texas (2014), 5 & 4

Nathan Jeansonne, Keithville, La. (2015) def. Wilson Furr, Jackson, Miss. (2017), 3 & 2

Kristian Caparros, Hollywood, Fla. (2015) def. Davis Riley, Hattiesburg, Miss. (2015),
4 & 3

Adam Wood, Zionsville, Ind. (2014) def. Jonathan Rector, Hendersonville, N.C. (2015), 1-Up

Sam Burns, Shreveport, La. (2015), def. Aaron Terrazas, Veracruz, Mexico (2015),
3 & 2

Andy Zhang, (China) Reunion, Fla. (2016) def. Jonah Texeira, Sun Valley, Calif. (2014),
6 & 4

Brad Dalke, Hobart, Okla. (2016) def. Michael Pisciotta, Alpharetta, Ga. (2014), 1-Up

Youxin (Robin) Wang, (China) Lake Mary, Fla. (2017) def. Cameron Champ, Sacramento, Calif. (2014), 1-Up

Yechun (Carl) Yuan, (China) Lake Mary, Fla. (2015) def. Luis Gagne, Orlando, Fla. (2015), 3 & 2

Hidetoshi Yoshihara, (Japan) Irvine, Calif. (2016) def. Patrick Martin, Birmingham, Ala. (2015), 20 Holes

Second Round

Austin Connelly, Irving, Texas (2015) def. Hidetoshi Yoshihara, (Japan) Irvine, Calif. (2016), 3 & 2

Nathan Jeansonne, Keithville, La. (2015) def. Kristian Caparros, Hollywood, Fla. (2015), 19 Holes

Brad Dalke, Hobart, Okla. (2016) def. Paul Elissalde, Biarritz, France (2016)

Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (2015) def. Andy Zhang, (China) Reunion, Fla. (2016), 20 Holes

Scott Scheffler, Dallas, Texas (2014) def. Yechun (Carl) Yuan, (China) Lake Mary, Fla. (2015), 5 & 4

Sam Horsfield, (United Kingdom) Davenport, Fla. (2015) def. Adam Wood, Zionsville, Ind. (2014), 2-Up

Jorge Garcia, (Venezuela) Miami, Fla. (2015) def. Youxin (Robin) Wang, (China) Lake Mary, Fla. (2017), 5 & 4

Sam Burns, Shreveport, La. (2015) def. Grant Hirschman, Collierville, Tenn. (2014),
6 & 5

Quarterfinals

Nathan Jeansonne, Keithville, La. (2015) def. Austin Connelly, Irving, Texas (2015), 5 & 3

Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (2015) def. Brad Dalke, Hobart, Okla. (2016), 2-Up

Sam Horsfield, (United Kingdom) Davenport, Fla. (2015) def. Scott Scheffler, Dallas, Texas (2014), 7 & 5

Jorge Garcia, (Venezuela) Miami, Fla. (2015) def. Sam Burns, Shreveport, La. (2015), 2-Up

Semifinals       

Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (2015) def. Nathan Jeansonne, Keithville, La. (2015), 2 & 1

Jorge Garcia, (Venezuela) Miami, Fla. (2015) def. Sam Horsfield, (United Kingdom) Davenport, Fla. (2015), 3 & 2

Championship Match          

Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (2015) def. Jorge Garcia, (Venezuela) Miami, Fla. (2015),
5 & 4

GIRLS DIVISION

First Round

Kristen Gillman, Austin, Texas (2016) def. Vanessa Ha, (Canada) Allen, Texas (2014),
5 & 4

Michaela Owen, Suwanee, Ga. (2015) def. Sabrina Long, Alpharetta, Ga. (2015), 5 & 4

Sierra Brooks, Sorrento, Fla. (2016) def. Cindy Ha, Demarest, N.J. (2014), 2-Up

Marijosse Navarro, (Mexico) San Antonio, Texas (2014) def. Ruixin Liu, (China) Orlando, Fla. (2017), 4 & 3

Robynn Ree, Redondo Beach, Calif. (2015) def. Brooke McDougald, The Woodlands, Texas (2015), 1-Up

Ron Ji, (China) Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2015), def. Gabriella Coello, (Venezuela) Winter Garden, Fla. (2016), 5 & 3

Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. (2017) def. Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Texas (2014), 4 & 3

Dylan Kim, Winter Garden, Fla. (2015) def. Mika Liu, Bradenton, Fla. (2017), 3 & 2

Kana Nagai, Tokyo, Japan (2016) def. Jordy LaBarbera, Allen, Texas (2014), 2 & 1

Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. (2015) def. Shannon Aubert, (France) Champions Gate, Fla. (2014), 5 & 3

Jillian Hollis, Rocky River, Ohio (2015) def. Lydia Choi, Beverly Hills, Calif. (2014), 1-Up

Lilia Vu, Fountain Valley, Calif. (2015) def. Rachel Dai, Milton, Ga. (2015), 3 & 2

Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas (2014) def. Anna Zhou, Palo Alto, Calif. (2015), 2 & 1

Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell, Ga. (2015) def. Lauren Stephenson, Lexington, S.C. (2015), 1-Up

Linnea Ström, Hovas, Sweden (2015) def. Nicole Morales, South Salem, N.Y. (2014),
3 & 2

Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (2016) def. Muni He, (China) Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2017), 1-Up

Second Round

Kristen Gillman, Austin Texas (2016) def. Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (2016), 5 & 4

Dylan Kim, Winter Garden, Fla. (2015) def. Kana Nagai, Tokyo, Japan (2016), 20 holes

Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas (2014) def. Maijosse Navarro, San Antonio, Texas, (2014), 19 holes

Lilia Vu, Fountain Valley, Calif. (2015) def. Robynn Ree, Redondo Beach, Calif. (2015), 2 & 1

Linnea Ström, Hovas, Sweden (2015) def. Michaela Owen, Suwanee, Ga. (2015), 7 & 6

Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. (2015) def. Angel Yin, Arcadia, Calif. (2017), 5 & 4

Sierra Brooks, Sorrento, Fla. (2016) def. Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell, Ga. (2015), 2 & 1

Jillian Hollis, Rocky River, Ohio (2015) def. Rong Ji, (China) Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., (2015), 1-up

Quarterfinals

Kristen Gillman, Austin Texas (2016) def. Dylan Kim, Winter Garden, Fla. (2015), 7 & 6

Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas (2014) def. Lilia Vu, Fountain Valley, Calif. (2015), 3 & 1

Linnea Ström, Hovas, Sweden (2015) def. Bethany Wu, Diamond Bar, Calif. (2015), 1-Up

Sierra Brooks, Sorrento, Fla. (2016) def. Jillian Hollis, Rocky River, Ohio (2015), 20 holes

Semifinals

Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas (2014) def. Kristen Gillman, Austin Texas (2016), 4 and 3

Linnea Ström, Hovas, Sweden (2015) def. Sierra Brooks, Sorrento, Fla. (2016), 1-Up

Championship Match

Linnea Ström, Hovas, Sweden (2015) def. Lakareber Abe, Angleton, Texas (2014), 1-Up