Then survives sudden-death playoff during Rolex Tournament of Champions
Hak cruises to victory at Sunriver Resort - Crosswater Course

SUNRIVER, Ore. — Shun Yat Hak of Lake Mary, Fla., and Gabriella Then of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., won the 34th annual Rolex Tournament of Champions Friday on the Crosswater Course of Sunriver Resort.

The Rolex Tournament of Champions was a 72-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Sunriver Resort - Crosswater Course in Sunriver, Ore. The tournament field featured 77 boys and 66 girls from 31 states, Argentina, Canada, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Martinique, the Philippines, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and Thailand. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 7,542 yards and the Girls Division played at 6,463 yards.

Then started the day with the 54-hole lead, but fell behind Ariya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand, after Jutanugarn made birdie on the first two holes.

“It looked like Ariya was making birdie after birdie,” Then said. “At one point she was so far ahead of me that I thought I just had to play shot-by-shot so I could stay in contention and have a chance for first.”

Then and Jutanugarn finished all 72 holes tied at 6-under-par 282. They continued to a sudden death playoff on No. 10 where Then hit her approach shot to 15 feet and drained the birdie. Jutanugarn missed her 10-footer and Then's victory was complete.

“I was 15 feet out on the playoff; I had hit to the same area earlier during the day,” Then said. “I was about six feet out then so I knew the line I had and I just hit it to the middle of the cup and sank it.”

Moriya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand, ended the tournament in third place by carding a 5-under-par 283. Alison Lee of Valencia, Calif., placed fourth at 1-under-par 287. Jaye Marie Green of Boca Raton, Fla., rounded out the girls top five with an even-par 288.

In the Boys Division, Hak maintained his lead throughout the final round to card a 6-under-par 282 and win by seven shots.

“I just played my game today and I didn't make many mistakes,” Hak said. “My partners were playing really well today so I had to be on top of my game.”

Hak won his first AJGA Invitational by firing three birdies and one bogey on the day to hold a 7-stroke lead.

“I'm very happy that I won the Rolex Tournament of Champions. It means a lot to me,” Hak said. “My junior golf career has been pretty good so far, but this win is the high point of it.”

Tied for second place were Henry Do of Ypsilanti, Mich., Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon, Wis., Marcel Puyat of Indio, Calif., Kyle Kochevar of Glen Ellyn, Ill., Lee McCoy of Clarkesville, Ga., and Cody Proveaux of Leesville, S.C., at 1-over-par 289. David Faraudo of Guadalajara, Mexico and David Lee of Houston tied for eighth, carding a 3-over-par 291. Jonathan Garrick of Atherton, Calif., finished in 10th place with a 5-over-par 293.

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.

Rolex, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. Along with sponsoring the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, Rolex is also the title partner of the Rolex Tournament of Champions and the proprietor of the Rolex Junior All-America Teams.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

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, Rickie Fowler, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

For more information about the Rolex Tournament of Champions, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.