| Seiple and Fan earn medalist honors at TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier
Six boys and one girl advance to play in the Aspen Junior Golf Classic
ASPEN, Colo. — Joshua Seiple of Castle Rock, Colo., shot a 1-under-par 70 to win the TaylorMade-adidas Qualifier event at the Aspen Golf Club, simultaneously gaining entry into the Aspen Junior Golf Classic that begins Tuesday, June 5th. In the Girls Division, Brittany Fan of Pearl City, Hawaii carded a 3-over-par 74 to win the round. Fan, however, was already qualified to play in the Aspen Junior Golf Classic, giving way for Dorsey Addicks of Atlanta, GA., to earn the lone female qualifier spot.
The TaylorMade-adidas Qualifier event was an 18-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at the Aspen Golf Club in Aspen, Colo. The tournament field consisted of 80 boys and 18 girls, ages 12-18, from three countries and eight states, including 45 golfers from Colorado. Boys Division played the par-71 course at 7,046 yards and the Girls Division played at 5,955 yards. TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to "play their way in" to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or earn a Tournament Exemption or Performance Star for a future event. The TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier Series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events.
Entering the qualifier uncertain whether he would be playing in the championship, Seiple credited his wedge shots and putting for the victory. Playing almost-perfect golf on the back nine, Seiple made three straight birdies, counteracting a triple bogey he had on No. 5.
After his drive on No. 12, Seiple was in shock that he saved birdie.
“It [my drive] was in the left trees and then I hit a wedge to about a foot away… and then I putted it in,” Seiple said. He would then do the same for hole Nos. 13 and 14.
Behind Seiple, five other boys gained entry into the Aspen Junior Golf Classic: Wilson Belk of Colorado Springs, Colo., Zi Hao Chen of San Leandro, Calif., Matthew Vacek of Lafayette, Colo., Michael Wilhelm of Boca Raton, Fla., and Jake Kelley of Littleton, Colo. Belk shot the second lowest round of the day with a 37-36 — 73, while the other four players all shot 4-over-par 75's.
In the Girls Division, Fan, a two-year AJGA veteran, started off the day with a birdie, helping to build her momentum early on.
“I hit my drive on the left side, and then I hit a good iron shot into the green and I made the birdie putt,” Fan said. “This victory is pretty special… I used to play AJGA tournaments and wouldn't make the qualifiers, but I've gotten a lot better.”
Since Fan was already qualified for the Aspen Junior Golf Classic, Addicks' qualifier round score of 88 secured her position in the championship.
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 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 40 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.
TaylorMade Golf has led the golf industry's technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf creates high-performance, technology-infused golf apparel and footwear worn by hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Ashworth, which became a brand of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company in 2008, creates relaxed, lifestyle-oriented golf apparel synonymous with authenticity and quality. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf and its brands at (866) 530-TMAG (8624) or www.taylormadegolf.com, www.adidasgolf.com, www.ashworthgolf.com, and www.tmag.com.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.
For more information about the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier series, please contact the AJGA Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit ajga.org.
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