PING PHOENIX JUNIOR QUALIFIER
Moon Valley Country Club
Phoenix, Arizona
August 18, 2004
ANDERSON AND STORM GO UNDER PAR FOR MEDALIST HONORS
Gibson takes home Girls Division Medalist honors
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Chase Anderson of Paradise Valley, Ariz., and Andrew Storm of Omaha, Neb., fired 1-under-par 71s to share Boys Division medalist honors in Wednesday’s PING Phoenix Junior Qualifier. In the Girls Division, Alexandra Gibson of Henderson, Nev., shot a 5-over-par 77 to lead the Girls Division Qualifier field into this week’s tournament.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the PING Phoenix Junior Qualifier was held at the Moon Valley Country Club. Sixty-eight boys and nine girls from 13 states and Mexico competed for 13 spots in the Boys Division and four spots in the Girls Division for entry into this week’s 54-hole tournament, which will also be held at Moon Valley Country Club.
Both Anderson and Storm made four birdies on the day, but both accredit their success to different facets of their game.
“My driver set me up for a lot of birdie chances today,” the seventeen-year-old Anderson said. “My putter was solid for me and helped me shoot the score I did.”
Storm relied on deadly accuracy en route to his under-par round.
“I was hitting the ball well today, and I hit 14 greens and 12 fairways,” Storm said. “The course really suited my eye well. I can’t wait to get out there this week for the tournament.”
Also earning spots in this week’s tournament are Richard Ciombor of Anthem, Ariz., Bradley Wyatt of La Verne, Calif., Scott Travers of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Michael Lee of Eustis, Fla., Lawrence Kulik of Mesa, Ariz., Ryan Felix of Tucson, Ariz., Gary Beene of San Jose, Calif., and Austyn Karle, Andrew McLaren, Josh Porter, and Jin Song of Scottsdale, Ariz. Song qualified via a two hole sudden death playoff.
John Kostis of Paradise Valley, Ariz., opted to take one AJGA tournament exemption in lieu of playing in the PING Phoenix Junior.
Gibson’s round started rough, but she recovered to be the top finisher in the Girls Division on Wednesday.
“I didn’t think I was going to qualify after the front-nine, but I picked it up on the back,” said Gibson, who carded a 42-35—77 on the day. “I was hitting everything straight, but my short game just wasn’t there. These greens are tough.”
Also qualifying for the PING Phoenix Junior in the Girls Division is Stephanie Bird of Las Vegas, Nev., Alejandra Llaneza of Mexico City, Mexico., and Brooke Schneider of Cave Creek, Ariz.
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 has a membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign countries.
Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
First-round tee times begin at 6:30 a.m. Friday off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees at Moon Valley Country Club. For more information about the PING Phoenix Junior, please contact tournament headquarters at (602) 942-0000, ext. 4611.
