Social Recap presented by True Temper: June 15, 2021

AJGA alumni Garrick Higgo of Stellenbosch, South Africa, captured his first career PGA TOUR victory in just his second start at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina over the weekend. Higgo held off six players, three of whom are AJGA alums, by one stroke to win the tournament with an 11-under-par 273. Higgo also has three victories on the European Tour since September 2020.

Higgo, who played college golf for two years at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, competed at TPC Sawgrass in 2017 as a member of the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup. The three AJGA alums who finished T2 were Hudson Swafford, Doc Redman, and Chesson Hadley. Swafford, a University of Georgia golf alum, won the 2004 Burgett H. Mooney, Jr. Rome Classic and was a Rolex Junior All-American that same year. Redman played college golf at Clemson University. In 2015, he was named a Rolex Junior All-American and was runner-up at the 2014 IZOD AJGA Championship. Hadley, who played college golf at Georgia Tech, was named a Rolex Junior All-American in 2005 and 2006. He had two AJGA tournament victories in his junior career at the 2005 Golf Pride Junior Classic and 2005 Hargray Junior Classic.

Matilda Castren won the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California, over the weekend. With a tournament total 14-under-par 274, Castren won her first LPGA event by two strokes.

The highest placing AJGA alums were Celine Boutier, Jenny Shin, Jenny Coleman, and Danielle Kang who all finished T5. Boutier, who played college golf at Duke University, won the 2011 Diamond Resorts ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex and was a Rolex Junior All-American the same year. Shin won two AJGA tournaments during her junior career, including the 2008 Stockton Sports Commission Junior Classic and 2009 PING Heather Farr Classic. She was also a three-time Rolex Junior All-American in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Coleman played college golf at University of Colorado and had her highest AJGA tournament placement come at the 2009 Golf World Preseason Junior at Marshallia Ranch where she finished T5. Kang, who played college golf at Pepperdine University, was a two-time Rolex Junior All-American in 2008 and 2009. She had six top-five finishes in AJGA tournaments from 2006-2009.

AJGA alumni Mito Pereira of Santiago, Chile, won his third tournament of the season at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation with a tournament total of 27-under-par 258. With his third victory on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, Pereira earned the Three-Victory Promotion to the PGA TOUR. Pereira is also the 12th player to win back-to-back events on the Korn Ferry Tour. Fellow AJGA alum Cameron Young did the same a few weeks ago.

Pereira, who competed in AJGA tournaments from 2009 to 2013, had three top-10 finishes in that time. He also played in the 2010 The Junior PLAYERS Championship and 2013 Thunderbird International Junior.

Morgane Metraux claimed her first Symetra Tour win over the weekend at the Island Resort Championship in Harris, Michigan. Metraux shot a tournament total of 17-under-par 199 to edge out AJGA alum Maude-Aimee Leblanc by one stroke.

Leblanc, who won a team national championship playing college golf at Purdue University, competed in one AJGA tournament as a junior. She finished T19 at the 2004 McDonald's Betsy Rawls Girls Championship.