by special report to The Chattanoogan
posted June 5, 2008
RINGGOLD, Ga. Yao-Chun Yang of Troy, Mich., watched a four-shot lead on No. 13 become a one-shot lead heading to No. 18, but was able to hold off playing partner Jackson Beindorf of Vero Beach, Fla., for the win at 66-71-70207.
In the Girls Division, first-round leader Kyndall Ardoin of Gibsland, La., dropped a 7-foot putt on No. 18 to prevent a playoff with second-round leader Sherlyn Popelka of Reunion, Fla. Ardoin closed the tournament with a total of 65-72-75212 to win by one.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic was held at WindStone Golf Club. The tournament field consisted of 71 boys and 27 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states and China. The Boys Division was played at 6,484 yards and the Girls Division at 5,797 yards.
Yang and Beindorf battled through steady play on the front nine. Beindorf missed a 3-footer on No. 9 to give Yang a two-shot lead at the turn. Beindorfs misses continued on No. 10 after his tee shot went out-of-bounds on the right side. A birdie by Yang on No. 12 pushed his lead to four going to No. 13.
After an attempt to play it safe on No. 17, Yang put his approach shot on the par-5, 10 feet past the hole. When Beindorf barely missed holing out for an eagle on that same hole, Yang let his nerves kick in.
I just couldnt get past how close that [Beindorfs third shot] was to going in, Yang said. I kept thinking about it and made a three-putt. When I got to No. 18, I told myself to be calm and I hit the fairway.
After Beindorf hit an errant approach shot to the green, Yang regained confidence. When Jackson pushed his second shot left of the green and mine was on the green, I had no more pressure, he said.
Completing the top five in the Boys Division were Phillip Choi of Orlando, who shot a low round of the day at 66, Keith Mitchell of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Beindorf with three round totals of 1-under-par 209. Jade Scott of Daingerfield, Texas, finished fifth at 73-70-68211.
In her first AJGA win, Ardoin too was feeling nerves. A familiar putt she remembered from the practice round put her nerves to rest, and gave her the championship.
I was pretty confident on that last putt because I remembered it from the practice round, she said. Anything can happen on the final day, and it does. Im excited though, Im glad that putt fell.
Rounding out the top three in the Girls Division was second-place Popelka with a three-round total of 68-68-77213. Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale, Ga., and Kristina Wong of Bradenton, Fla., tied for third at 214.
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 an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 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, 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. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 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 about the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic please contact AJGA National Headquarters at 770-868-4200 or visit the AJGA Web site at ajga.org.
RINGGOLD, Ga. Final results from the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at WindStone Golf Club. Par: Boys: 35-3570; Girls: 35-3570. Yardage: Boys: 6,484; Girls: 5,797. Rating/Slope: Boys: 71.4/128; Girls: 73.2/126.
BOYS DIVISION
Yao-Chun Yang, Troy, Mich. 66-71-70207
Phillip Choi, Orlando, Fla. 70-73-66209
Keith Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn. 72-68-69209
Jackson Beindorf, Vero Beach, Fla. 66-72-71209
Jade Scott, Daingerfield, Texas 73-70-68211
Will Jones, Rome, Ga. 73-73-66212
Craig Stevenson, Sarasota, Fla. 70-71-71212
Zeyu He, Shen Zhen, China 68-72-72212
Kenny Leech, Boca Raton, Fla. 72-74-67213
Zhong Yang Fu, Bradenton, Fla. 69-75-69213
Clark Palmer, Augusta, Ga. 71-70-72213
Brett Patterson, McMinnville, Tenn. 75-70-69214
Billy Stevens, Venice, Fla. 75-70-69214
Drew Aimone, Savannah, Ga. 68-75-71214
Jack Adkins, Martinsville, Va. 73-71-70214
Corbin Mills, Easley, S.C. 74-69-71214
Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville, Ga. 71-71-72214
Matt Kocolowski, Apopka, Fla. 71-73-71215
Billy Kennerly, Alpharetta, Ga. 69-74-72215
Patrick Lundy, Little River, S.C. 74-69-72215
William Meason III, Alpharetta, Ga. 75-70-71216
Stewart Hagestad, Newport Beach, Calif. 75-69-72216
Franco Castro, Alpharetta, Ga. 70-71-75216
Adam Carpenter, Little Rock, Ark. 79-70-68217
Chase Parker, Augusta, Ga. 69-77-71217
Dykes Harbin, Augusta, Ga. 71-69-77217
Tory Henderson, Little River, S.C. 78-71-69218
Dean Hester, Dublin, Ga. 69-77-72218
Jacob Everts, Ooltewah, Tenn. 70-75-73218
Mario Clemens, Beverly Hills, Calif. 69-72-77218
James Ellis, Greenville, N.C. 75-75-69219
John Varol, Weddington, N.C. 72-77-70219
Justin Cho, Norcross, Ga. 72-76-71219
Kevin Lee, Dacula, Ga. 77-70-72219
Brad Sill, Duncan, S.C. 69-77-73219
Anders Albertson, Woodstock, Ga. 70-73-76219
Abdul Sihag, Bradenton, Fla. 70-73-76219
Matt Bernstein, Alpharetta, Ga. 72-78-70220
Chung Lee, Suwanee, Ga. 74-74-72220
Zachary Balit, Bradenton, Fla. 78-69-73220
Austin Barreras, Peachtree City, Ga. 75-72-73220
Thomas Bradshaw, Columbia, S.C. 74-72-74220
Ashton Pellicano, Albany, Ga. 74-72-75221
Grant Milner, Knoxville, Tenn. 78-73-71222
Tyler Hollister, Hixson, Tenn. 77-73-72222
Charlie Harrison, Atlanta, Ga. 68-78-76222
Nathan Kerns, Ironton, Ohio 73-75-75223
Hunter Keener, Dalton, Ga. 72-75-76223
Brian Carter, Augusta, Ga. 66-76-81223
James Olley, Woodstock, Ga. 71-78-75224
Collin Ho, Albany, Ga. 65-81-78224
Logan Knebels, Alpharetta, Ga. 72-76-77225
Seth Blann, Bowling Green, Ky. 76-75-75226
William Bazzel, Jr., Atlanta, Ga. 75-75-77227
Dylan Healey, Franklin, Tenn. 83-68-76227
David Talley, Bluff City, Tenn. 77-79-73229
Alex Carpenter, Little Rock, Ark. 69-77-83229
Jack Yancey, Rome, Ga. 77-76-77230
Will England, Gainesville, Ga. 76-81-75232
Nicklaus Ward, Fayetteville, Ga. 78-75-80233
Thomas Holmes, Macon, Ga. 81-75-77233
Parker Page, Louisville, Ky. 76-81-77234
Garrett Vilcheck, Bluffton, S.C. 79-79-77235
Taylor Fulbright, Carrollton, Ga. 80-78-80238
Steven Albright, Woodstock, Md. 81-78-79238
Michael Koetting, San Antonio, Texas 77-81-80238
Tyler Herndon, Davie, Fla. 85-77-77239
John-Christian Templeton, Sarasota, Fla. 82-83-75240
Walker Sullivan, Atlanta, Ga. 81-82-82245
Tyler Chandler, Graham, N.C. 83-81-81245
Shay Womack, Jr., Marietta, Ga. 88-82-81251
Caulder Moore, Isle of Palms, S.C. JWD
GIRLS DIVISION
Kyndall Ardoin, Gibsland, La. 65-72-75212
Sherlyn Popelka, Reunion, Fla. 68-68-77213
Kristina Wong, Bradenton, Fla. 69-78-67214
Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale, Ga. 71-73-70214
Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C. 74-70-72216
Christina Miller, Bradenton, Fla. 77-72-72221
Yugene Lee, Athens, Ga. 77-71-73221
Kaira Martin, Paradise Valley, Ariz. 73-74-74221
Samantha Swinehart, Lancaster, Ohio 73-72-77222
Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J. 74-75-74223
Lauren Stratton, Spring Hill, Tenn. 77-78-69224
Jordan Britt, Chattanooga, Tenn. 73-76-76225
Daniela Lendl, Bradenton, Fla. 74-72-79225
Alyssa Randolph, Knoxville, Tenn. 76-80-72228
Katie Burnett, Brunswick, Ga. 70-77-81228
Molly Winnett, Gardendale, Ala. 77-79-73229
Tess Fordham, Metter, Ga. 74-81-75230
Leigh Henderson, Knoxville, Tenn. 75-78-77230
Stephanie Wagstaff, Asheville, N.C. 73-78-80231
Taylor Manning, Brentwood , Tenn. 74-78-80232
Darlea Carr, Pinehurst, N.C. 79-75-80234
Shelby Gilbert, Hixson, Tenn. 74-80-80234
Mary Alice Murphy, Lookout Mtn, Tenn. 84-75-77236
Carolyn Barbee, Cartersville, Ga. 80-82-79241
Amelia Hill, SaintSimonsIsland, Ga. 78-84-81243
Abby Johnson, Braselton, Ga. 84-82-87253
Caroline Prebul, Signal Mountain, Tenn. 84-84-86254
** JWD=Justified WD
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