Figueroa victorious at the AJGA Florida Junior
Forero finished on top at Weston Hills Country Club — Tour Course

WESTON, Fla. — Edward Figueroa of Naples, Fla., posted a final round 3-under-par 69 and finished with a 7-under-par 209 to claim victory at the AJGA Florida Junior. First-round leader, Natalia Forero of Cali, Colombia, took first place in the Girls Division with a 5-under-par 211 at Weston Hills Country Club — Tour Course.

The AJGA Florida Junior was a 54-hole tournament conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Weston Hills Country Club — Tour Course. The event featured 54 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from nine states and 10 countries. The Boys Division is played the par-72 course at 6,987 yards while the Girls Division played the course at 6,095 yards.

Figueroa finished third this spring at the AJGA Junior at Savannah Quarters. After finishing 10th in the 2010 AJGA Florida Junior, Figueroa captured the Boys Division Championship this year. His final round included three birdies and an eagle on No. 12.

“After I made the eagle on No. 12 my dad told me I was leading by one, so I knew if I just played the rest of the holes really good I could win it,” Figueroa said. “I had a good feeling coming into the tournament and I knew if I made the putts I'd do good.”

Michael Perez of Weston, Fla., finished the tournament at 5-under-par 211 to take home second place. In third place was Spencer Ciesla of Naples, Fla., with a tournament total of 3-under-par 213. Carlos Pena of Mission, Texas, finished in fourth place with a tournament total 2-under-par 214. Tied for fifth place, Ramsey Touchberry of Bradenton Fla., and Kristian Caparros of Miami Lakes, Fla., finished with a tournament total 1-under-par 215.

Forero led after the first round of the AJGA Florida Junior with a 69 and completed the final round with six birdies.

“Yesterday I told myself that if I make my putts I know I can win,” Forero said. “I was thinking about my game and my strategy of where I had to hit the ball and I think that was good because I wasn't thinking about the others.”

In the Girls Division, A.J. Newell of Tampa, Fla., finished second carding a tournament total 1-under-par 215. In third place was Kailey Walsh of Boca Raton, Fla., who shot 4-over-par 220.

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.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex, 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 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

For more information on the AJGA Florida Junior please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.

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