AJGA WINDY CITY JUNIOR
Winnetka Golf Club
Winnetka, Illinois
June 15-17, 2004
GOBIS STORMS BACK TO CAPTURE WINDY CITY JUNIOR
Hong erases 3-stroke deficit to capture Girls Division title
WINNETKA, Ill. – Two turned out to be Peter Gobis’s lucky number as he entered the final round of the AJGA Windy City Junior trailing by two strokes, but the native of Racine, Wis., ended up capturing the Boys Division crown by two shots with a 2-under-par 211.
Jennifer Hong of Windermere, Fla., proved patience is a virtue by finally earning her first AJGA title in 17 tries. Hong entered the round three strokes behind Lindsey Bergeon of Sarasota, Fla., but closed the gap quickly as she gained the lead by the end of her second hole and won the title with a 5-over-par 218.
The AJGA Windy City Junior is a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Winnetka Golf Club. The tournament features 100 of the nation’s premier junior golfers, ages 12-18, from 26 states and Canada.
Gobis, who will play college golf at Wisconsin-Green Bay, fired a closing round 70 that included three birdies and a 12-foot putt to make eagle on the par-5 No. 15.
“I knew I could play with these guys and just kept trying to hit the fairway and get the ball on the green,” Gobis said. “The putter got hot and it feels great to win and gain confidence for my next tournament.”
In a three-way tie for second place, Ryan Linton of Lake Forest, Ill., Charlie Hendrickson of Columbus, Ohio, and Cashel Rosier of Grand Ledge, Mich., finished at even par with a 213. Four others tied for fifth at 2-over-par 215.
Thirteen one-putts saved Hong’s day as she capped off her second consecutive 1-over-par round of 72.
“I kept saying that today was my day and I believed it,” Hong said. “It is such a relief to finally win.
“I just took one shot at a time and played pretty solid.”
Bergeon, along with Becca Huffer of Denver, Colo., tied for second at 9-over-par 222.
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 largest association of its kind, the AJGA has a junior 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.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir, Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, Grace Park, Christie Kerr and Beth Bauer.
For more information about the AJGA Windy City Junior, please contact the AJGA at (847) 501-2050.
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