Newsmakers: November 12, 2007

Junior Round-up

The 2007 Rolex Junior Player of the Year Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., earned her keep amongst the professionals when she topped the leaderboard at the Duramed Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament Friday. Her 5-under-par 72-68-72-71–283 helped her to a one-stroke victory and secured her exempt status on the Duramed Futures Tour for the 2008 season.

Hurst will compete in the AJGA’s Polo Golf Junior Classic next week at Ginn Reunion Resort in Reunion, Fla. Hurst earned Rolex Junior Player of the Year honors on the heels of two AJGA Invitational victories (McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship and The PING Invitational).

College Round-up

The Wolverine at Mission Inn finished up Tuesday, Nov. 6 with AJGA alumni topping the leaderboard. The University of Michigan took home top team honors led by Tim Schaetzel who finished at 5-under-par 211, three strokes ahead of the field. Iowa’s Cole Peevler finished second.

CordeValle Golf Club hosted the CordeValle Collegiate, which wrapped up Wednesday, Nov. 7 with UCLA sitting atop the leaderboard. James Lee’s 5-under-par 65-72-74–211 tie for first helped ensure a win for the Bruins. Also finishing tied for first were Stanford University freshman Sihwan Kim and Augusta Stat’s Henrik Norlander.

Grant Doverspike of Fresno State finished second at the Stockton Sports Commission Pacific Invitational three strokes off the lead. Kansas State’s Joe Ida finished third. The University of Charlotte took home top team honors.

The Turtle Bay Collegiate finished up Wednesday, Nov. 7 with Sean Shahi of UC-Irvine finishing in a tie for first. His 16-under-par 65-67-68–200 was matched by Tennessee’s Charles Ford. Andrew Putnam of Pepperdine finished one shot off the lead tied for third with UTA’s Zack Reeves. Tennessee took home the team title.

At the Challenge at Wolfdancer, Seul Ki Park of Illinois and Therese Nilsson of Lamar tied for second at 5-over-par 221. Northwestern finished first in the team division.

East Carolina took home the team title last week at the UAB Beach Bash with help from Amber Littman who finished first in the individual competition. Littman shot a 70-75–145 for a 1-over-par finish.

The Lamkin Cup/Cal Poly Invitational wrapped up Wednesday with UC-Riverside’s Jennifer Bermingham leading the way with a 2-under-par 142. Her finish helped lead UC-Riverside to top of the team leaderboard. Dakin Banta and Sophia Choi, both of Northern Arizona, and Miki Ueoka of Santa Clara finished tied for second at 1-over-par 145.

Professional Round-up

Two other AJGA Rolex Junior Players of the Year earned wins this past weekend in the professional ranks. Rolex Junior Player of the Year from 1986-88 Phil Mickelson took home the HSBC Champions trophy Sunday after winning a three-way playoff in China. It was Mickelson’s second win outside of the United States and his first since he won in France 14 years ago.

The 2003 Rolex Junior Player of the Year Paula Creamer earned her second LPGA victory of the 2007 season at the Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions held at the RTJ Magnolia Grove’s The Crossings in Mobile, Ala. Her eight-stroke victory made her only the third player on the LPGA Tour to win multiple events this season. Creamer won the 2002 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Junior Classic on the as an AJGA junior.