Corpuz Makes History at Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club as Fourth-Youngest Person to Win AJGA Event
Huggins comes out on top in sudden-death playoff at AJGA Junior at Quad Cities

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. —  Allisen Corpuz, 12, of Honolulu, battled through three rounds and a sudden-death playoff in the AJGA Junior at Quad Cities this week to become the fourth-youngest winner of an AJGA tournament. Nick Huggins of Marietta, Ohio, also won a sudden-death playoff and scored a tournament total of 2-over-par 215 to take the top spot in the Boys Division.

The AJGA Junior at Quad Cities was a 54-hole stroke play tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club in Rock Island, Ill. The 140-player field featured 106 boys and 34 girls, ages 12-18, from 25 states, Canada, China and Thailand. The boys played the Rock Island Arsenal Course at 6,573 yards and the girls played at 6,060 yards.

Corpuz, playing in only her second AJGA event, was the only girl to shoot under par for the final round. In her first AJGA win, Corpuz carded three birdies and ended with a 2-over-par 215. On her playoff hole, she made a winning par against last year's champion, Emma Talley.

“Going into this tournament I hoped I would make top three and I knew I had a chance, but I didn't really think I would actually get into a playoff and win it,” Corpuz said. “Going into the playoff, I just thought I had to hit it straight and hopefully make a few putts.”

Talley, a two-time honorable mention Rolex Junior All-American from Princeton, Ky., was the runner-up with a tournament total 2-over-par 215. Lauren English of Bloomington, Ill., placed third with a tournament total 6-over-par 219.

Huggins is starting his season off well with his first AJGA victory in only his fifth tournament. Heading into the final round tied for the lead, Huggins took one shot at a time and enjoyed the pressure that came from the playoff. He credits solid play to his final-round success. Huggins birdied his first playoff hole against co-leader Michael Bernard.

“I just wanted to hit a good drive and I did,” Huggins said of the playoff hole. “The hole has a hanging branch so I decided to play it low, I got a good hop with enough spin on it and it was three feet from the hole.”

Bernard of Huber Heights, Ohio, was the tournament runner-up with a score of 2-over-par 215. Illinois residents Sean Jones of Chicago, Blake Biddle of St. Charles and Mitchell Homb of Dixon tied for third with 3-over-par 216s.

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 30 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.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. 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 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.

For more information about the AJGA Junior at Quad Cities, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.

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