Farmingdale, NY - 54-holes later pool play competition at the 45th Polo Golf Junior Classic is complete. The field has now been cut in half and 16 juniors remain in each division. They will face off tomorrow morning in Quarterfinal matches. The winners of the morning matches will move on to the semifinals.
The 16 juniors moving on to the bracket stage of play include:
Boys Division
- Jack Gilbert of Houston, Texas
- Boyi (Barry) Zhang of (China) Lake Mary, Florida
- Carson Bertagnole of Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Michael Riebe of Encinitas, California
- Jay Leng Jr of San Diego, California
- Kale Fontenot of Lafayette, Louisiana
- Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
- Nathan Miller of Dallas, Texas
Girls Division
- Gloria Nip of (Hong Kong) Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Ryleigh Knaub of Debary, Florida
- Nikki Oh of Torrance, California
- Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Kathryn Ha of Roanoke, Virginia
- Kylie Chong of Torrance, California
- Katie Li of Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Michelle Woo of Fremont, California
Only one sudden-death stroke-play playoff was needed to decide who moved on out of pool play.
Happening now at #PoloGolfJC 🚨
— AJGA (@AJGAGolf) June 28, 2023
Playoff for Boys Pool H between Zhang, Dunham and Summerlin. pic.twitter.com/KVUksZdMZB
In Pool H, Boyi (Barry) Zhang of (China) Lake Mary, Florida, Phillip Dunham of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and Smith Summerlin of Raleigh, North Carolina, all finished with two points.
The playoff began on No. 1 where all three boys made par to advance the match to No. 2. On No. 2 all three boys bogeyed moving the match to No. 3. Zhang got off to a quick start on No. 3, he was the only one to hit the green. Dunham and Summerlin both finished with bogey and Zhang a par for him to close out the playoff. Zhang moved on out of Pool H. He will face Jack Gilbert of Houston, Texas, in the quarterfinal match.
A full look at the match ups for Thursday morning are below.
Play continues Thursday morning with the eight quarterfinal matches, followed by the four semifinal matches this afternoon to decide who will play for the 45th Polo Golf Junior Classic title.
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About Bethpage State Park Golf Courses - Black Course
The move of the Polo Golf Junior Classic in 2022 to Bethpage Black marks the first time the event is being played on a public course. The Black Course is rich in tradition having hosted three major championships, two FedEx Cup playoff events and the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup.
The course which opened in 1936 as part of the Depression Era public-works project that build Bethpage State Park burst onto the scene in 2002 with its first hosting of the U.S. Open. It was this year that a young Tiger Woods, who won the Polo Golf Junior Classic in 1991, captured his second U.S. Open title. The Black Course again hosted the U.S. Open in 2009 where AJGA alumni Lucas Glover took home the title. The ‘extremely difficult course’ recommended ‘only for highly skilled golfers’ also hosted the 2012 and 2016 FedEx Cup playoff event, The Barclays. AJGA alumni Brooks Koepka won the 2019 PGA Championship when the course hosted its first major in ten years.
About Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren, a premium lifestyle brand, has been a partner for more than three decades. Since 1995, Polo Ralph Lauren has supported junior golfers who become the next generation of college graduates and business leaders. Every week through AJGA social and digital content, Polo Ralph Lauren celebrates the top performances of AJGA members worldwide, through Polo Ralph Lauren #InspiredPerformances
. Polo Ralph Lauren has hosted the Polo Golf Junior Classic, an Invitational dating back to 1978 and one of the longest-running events in AJGA history.