| LEBOW, SAHYOUN FIRE 12-UNDER-PAR 60 TO WIN AT CLEVELAND GOLF/ SRIXON BOYS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTED BY JIM FURYK
California pair post 20-under-par 196 tournament total at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club
GOLD CANYON, Ariz. — Shane Lebow of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Ramsey Sahyoun of Reseda, Calif., posted a 54-hole total of 66-70- 60 — 196 to finish 20-under-par and win at the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Boys Team Championship hosted by Jim Furyk at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Boys Team Championship hosted by Jim Furyk, was a 54-hole stroke play event held at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club — Prospector Course. The tournament field consisted of 36 teams with players ages 12-18 from 14 states and China. The par-72 course was played at 7,225 yards. The teams competed in three different formats: modified scotch, foursome and four-ball.
Known as the Bronx Bombers, Lebow and Sahyoun have more to share than a first-place finish. The team has been swinging clubs together since they were 9 years old. As long time friends, Lebow said this weekend's event holds a special place for them.
“It is cool to come out here as best friends and play as a team in such a big event,” Lebow said.
Trailing by three strokes after Saturday's rounds, they knew they had to stay focused and approach the final round with steady persistence.
“We just had to trust in each other today,” Sahyoun said. “We were both confident in the four-ball format and knew we had nothing to lose. We just went out there to play our best.”
They carded twelve birdies in today's round, and throughout the weekend the pair carded par or better on every hole but one. After struggling through last year's season, the two say the win is that much sweeter.
“We both struggled with our games last year so it was good to come out here and show everyone how hard we have been working,” Lebow said. “All of the hard work and practice has really paid off.”
Lebow, 16, is currently ranked No. 166 in the Polo Golf Rankings, and was champion at the Golf World West Coast Championship in 2007. He has nine career top-20 finishes. Sahyoun, 17, has 11 top-20 finishes including his tie for 29th at the Heather Farr Classic presented by Longbow Golf Club this year. He was also a second-team Rolex Junior All-American in 2007.
Finishing in second at 17-under-par 199 was team Wonderboys, made up of James Back of Cerritos, Calif., and Daniel Lee of Valencia, Calif. Team Big Bang comprised of Andrew Yun and Chun-Ji Kim, both of Chandler, Ariz., finished in third place at 14-under-par 202. Team Shake “N” Bake, made up of Ben Itterman of Carlsbad, Calif., and Alberto Sanchez of Nogales, Ariz., the Back 9 Bandits, a team comprised of Marcel Puyat and James Yoon, both of Bradenton, Fla., and team David and Goliath, made up of Reid Martin of Mukilteo, Wash., and Tyler Kato of Seattle, all finished tied for fourth at 11-under-par 205.
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, the largest Association of its kind, has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 foreign countries.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 200 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 350 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.
For more information please call AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.
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