Newsmakers: June 23, 2008

Junior Round-up

Cory Whitsett of Houston triumphed at the 91st Western Junior Amateur on Friday. Whitsett beat T.J. Vogel of Cooper City, Fla., and Tyler McCumber of Ponte Verda, Fla., by four shots and finished at 12-under-par. All three are current members of the AJGA and Whitsett, a rising junior, is currently ranked No. 2 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Amateur Round-up

Former AJGA member, Tiffany Joh of San Diego, claimed another U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Chamopnship title this past Saturday, defeating Jennifer Song 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final. Joh’s victory makes her the fifth player to win multiple WAPL titles. She won her first in 2006 when she beat current AJGA member, Kimberly Kim of Pahoa, Hawaii. The tournament was held June 16-21 at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin. Joh is currently a rising senior at UCLA and played for the victorious Curtis Cup team earlier this year.

Brendan Gielow of Muskegon, Mich., set a new record at the Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, R.I., this past Saturday. The former AJGA player made birdie on the 72nd hole to finish 9-under-par. He also became the only player in tournament history to post four sub-par rounds, finishing with scores of 68, 66, 67 and 66.

Jennie Arsenaeult of Grinnell, Iowa, came in first this past weekend at the Women’s Western Amateur held at Summer Grove Golf Club in Nawnan, Ga. Aresenaeult, a rising senior at the University of Virginia, beat Mary Narzisi of Omaha, Neb., and finished the tournament 1 up. Both women are former members of the AJGA.

Professional Round-up

The dry spell is over for Stewart Cink, a former AJGA member, who took home his first win in four years this past weekend at the Travelers Championship. Cink played well, shooting a 67 in the final round to finish at 18-under-par, beating Tommy Armour III and defending champion, Hunter Mahan by one stroke. The Travlers Championship was Cink’s fifth career win and pushed him to third place in the FedEx Cup standings behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and to second in the U.S. Ryder Cup Standings.