COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After carding 1-over-par 72s the first three rounds, Sihwan Kim of Buena Park, Calif., came out firing on the final day to finish with a 4-under-par 67 for a tournament total 1-under-par 283 and the win at the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Courtney Ellenbogen of Blacksburg, Va., shot 1-over-par 72 for the day to claim her second AJGA win and the title in the Girls Division with a tournament total even-par 284.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Rolex Tournament of Champions was a 72-hole stroke play event held at The Ohio State University Golf Club – Scarlet Course. The field was cut to 78 players after Wednesday’s second round. The par-71 course was played at 7,346 yards in the Boys Division and 6,188 yards in the Girls Division. This year marked the 30th edition of the AJGA’s flagship tournament. Past champions of this event included Esther Choe, Philip Francis, Charles Howell III, Jamie Lovemark, Phil Mickelson, Grace Park and Morgan Pressel.
Kim, who won the Mission Hills Desert Junior in June, said he came in somewhat confident but was concerned about a course he felt was very tough.
“The hole locations today were really hard, and we all had no choice but to play it safe and to the middle of the greens,” Kim said. “I never thought I could shoot this low. I thought 69 at best.”
Even though he carded 35 and 32 on the front and back nines, respectively, Kim said his day did not start out so well.
“After the first hole, with a three-putt for bogey, I didn’t think I was going to do well,” Kim said. “I managed to keep it going though and just kept hitting it well and looking for par.”
Bound for Stanford in the fall, Kim credited his success to hard work and time spent learning the game in previous AJGA events.
“The experience I have gained here could not have been better or meant more to me,” Kim said.
By winning the Rolex Tournament of Champions, Kim claimed his eighth AJGA title, tying him for second all time with Bob May (1982-1987), Tiger Woods (1991-1992) and Charles Howell III (1992-1996). Phil Mickelson holds the record with 12 career AJGA wins (1985-1989).
Behind Kim in second place was John Popeck of Washington, Pa., with a tournament total 2-over-par 286. Luke Guthrie of Quincy, Ill., carded a 3-over-par 74 in the final round to finish in third place with a four-day total 4-over-par 288. In a three-way tie for fourth place, all carding 5-over-par 289 tournament totals, were William Kropp of Edmond, Okla., Alex Shi Yup Kim of Fullerton, Calif., and Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, Fla.
In the Girls Division, Ellenbogen continued her solid play throughout the final round, finishing the day and the tournament five strokes ahead of her next competitor. Despite her lead, Ellenbogen came into the day knowing it would take more than luck to win.
“I knew the other girls were really good and that I would have to take the win and not just let it come to me,” she said. “I knew they weren’t just going to give it to me.”
After leading for the past two days, Ellenbogen said her putting continued to be a key aspect to her game and that she did notice a little pressure.
“It’s always hard to play with a lead but I felt my game was good enough and strong enough to compete,” Ellenbogen said. “I’ve been working hard all summer so it’s nice to see it all come together.”
Tied for second place behind Ellenbogen, with four-day totals of 5-over-par 289, were Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif., and Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla.
Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. Along with sponsoring the Rolex Tournament of Champions, Rolex is also the title partner of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the proprietors of the Rolex Junior All-America Teams.
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 25 foreign countries.
Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989.
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 on the Rolex Tournament of Champions, please contact National Headquarters at (877) 373-2542, or visit ajga.org.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Final results from the Rolex Tournament of Champions conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at The Ohio State University Golf Club - Scarlet Course. Par: Boys: 36-35—71; Girls: 36-35—71. Yardage: Boys: 7,346; Girls: 6,188. Rating/Slope: Boys: 75.6/141; Girls: 75.9/133.
BOYS DIVISION
Sihwan Kim, Buena Park, Calif. 72-72-72-67—283
John Popeck, Washington, Pa. 75-69-73-69—286
Luke Guthrie, Quincy, Ill. 71-71-71-74—287
William Kropp, Edmond, Okla. 73-70-76-69—288
Alex Shi Yup Kim, Fullerton, Calif. 70-73-74-71—288
Peter Uihlein, Bradenton, Fla. 71-70-74-73—288
Hunter Hamrick, Montgomery, Ala. 73-74-72-70—289
Mauricio Azcue, Mexico City, Mexico 71-73-75-71—290
Nick Delio, Valencia, Calif. 70-73-70-77—290
John Hahn, Kent, Ohio 72-76-72-71—291
Jonathan Randolph, Brandon, Miss. 70-73-73-75—291
Wesley Graham, Port Orange, Fla. 71-70-74-76—291
John Peterson, Fort Worth, Texas 71-74-77-71—293
Cory Whitsett, Houston, Texas 73-74-72-74—293
Patrick Reed, Baton Rouge, La. 75-71-69-78—293
Jace Long, Dixon, Mo. 78-73-70-73—294
Sean Brannan, Hollidaysburg, Pa. 75-74-74-72—295
Spencer Cole, Greer, S.C. 73-72-77-74—296
David Chung, Fayetteville, N.C. 75-71-75-75—296
Tommy Chung Hao Mou, Taipei, Taiwan 75-71-75-76—297
Jeffrey Kang, Fullerton, Calif. 77-71-72-77—297
Ravi Patel, Naperville, Ill. 76-72-70-79—297
Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. 72-79-73-73—297
Hunter Slatton, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 71-77-74-77—299
Gregor Main, Danville, Calif. 74-74-76-75—299
Daniel Meggs, Charlotte, N.C. 76-75-72-76—299
Mark Johnson, Tulsa, Okla. 74-73-75-78—300
Parker Houston, Greensboro, N.C. 72-75-79-74—300
Bo Hoag, Columbus, Ohio 74-74-76-76—300
Jordan Lewis, Marion, Ill. 73-74-77-76—300
Mu Hu, Shen Zhen, China 77-72-75-76—300
Jonathan Fly, Memphis, Tenn. 74-76-74-76—300
Michael Jae Woo Im, Fullerton, Calif. 76-73-75-76—300
David Dannelly, Easley, S.C. 73-77-77-74—301
Hyun Seok Lim, Fullerton, Calif. 73-74-75-80—302
Robbie Ziegler, Canby, Ore. 75-73-77-77—302
Joseph Barr, Versailles, Ky. 73-71-82-77—303
Cody Gribble, Dallas, Texas 77-74-74-78—303
Bruce Woodall, Yanceyville, N.C. 76-73-76-78—303
Michael Cress, Dublin, Ohio 77-74-76-79—306
Amory Davis, Chadds Ford, Pa. 81-70-77-78—306
Andrew Yun, Tacoma, Wash. 73-74-79-80—306
Peter O'Neill, Carmel, Ind. 73-77-79-83—312
Christopher DeForest, Cottekill, N.Y. 76-73-81-84—314
MISSED THE CUT
Ryan Haselden, Houston, Texas 80-78 Active
Tanner Murphy, Columbus, Ohio 81-80 Active (AX)
Drew Ernst, Seneca, S.C. 83-80 Active
Alexander Sitompul, Bradenton, Fla. 78-74 Active
Brandon Ellis, Westerville, Ohio 83-76 Active
Clark Palmer, Augusta, Ga. 75-78 Active
Roberto Rodriguez, Jiutepec, Mexico 81-80 Active
Kelly Kraft, Denton, Texas 79-77 Active
Sang Yi, Carrollton, Texas 75-77 Active
Philip Chian, Covina, Calif. 80-73 Active
Sean Ouhyun Yoon, Corona, Calif. 79-81 Active
Morgan Hoffmann, Saddlebrook, N.J. 81-73 Active
Andrew Colvin, Longwood, Fla. 79-79 Active
Jake An, Centreville, Va. 78-80 Active
Jed Dirksen, Hampton, Iowa 79-75 Active
Patrick Barrett, Pinehurst, N.C. 84-83 Active
Sam Chien, San Diego, Calif. 78-77 Active
Jacob Burger, Orangeburg, S.C. 79-73 Active
Scott Langley, St. Louis, Mo. 76-76 Active
Joseph Suarez, Richmond, Va. 89-79 Active
Connor Driscoll, Encinitas, Calif. 80-75 Active
Kyle Kopsick, Lake Bluff, Ill. 79-75 Active
Stephen Carney, Tulsa, Okla. 79-78 Active
Ethan Tracy, Hilliard, Ohio 77-76 Active
Byeong-hun An, Bradenton, Fla. 78-82 Active
Bobby Wyatt, Mobile, Ala. 76-80 Active
David Sanders, Mt. Laurel, N.J. 76-79 Active
Jordan Reinertson, Gibbon, Neb. 82-79 Active
Rosson Anderson, Birmingham, Ala. 77-75 Active
Brian Scherer, Midland, Texas 76-82 Active
Josh Dupont, Poway, Calif. 80-73 Active
Kazuki Yasuda, Tsuchiura-City, Japan 77-77 Active
Matthew Thompson, Battle Creek, Mich. 78-78 Active
Geoffrey Shaw, Edmond, Okla. 74-80 Active
GIRLS DIVISION
Courtney Ellenbogen, Blacksburg, Va. 72-69-71-72—284
Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif. 68-74-73-74—289
Vicky Hurst, Melbourne, Fla. 73-71-71-74—289
Jane Rah, Torrance, Calif. 72-74-72-73—291
Natalie Sheary, West Hartford, Conn. 75-69-76-73—293
Lizette Salas, Azusa, Calif. 76-69-74-75—294
Kimberly Kim, Pahoa, Hawaii 74-77-74-70—295
Cydney Clanton, Concord, N.C. 75-70-79-72—296
Lee Lopez, Whittier, Calif. 73-74-75-74—296
Joanne Lee, San Carlos, Calif. 75-71-75-75—296
Michelle Shin, Cape Coral, Fla. 73-79-73-73—298
Taylore Karle, Scottsdale, Ariz. 73-73-78-74—298
Megan Grehan, Mamaroneck, N.Y. 74-71-75-78—298
Brianna Do, Lakewood, Calif. 75-77-74-73—299
Lisa McCloskey, Montgomery, Texas 76-76-74-75—301
Jennifer Johnson, La Quinta, Calif. 76-73-73-79—301
Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif. 77-73-79-73—302
Hannah Yun, Bradenton, Fla. 73-76-79-74—302
Evan Jensen, Belleair, Fla. 75-73-78-76—302
Ayaka Kaneko, Honolulu, Hawaii 74-77-76-75—302
Danielle Frasier, Encinitas, Calif. 72-77-73-81—303
Allie White, Lancaster, Ohio 78-74-76-75—303
Diane Kwon, Fremont, Calif. 76-76-78-75—305
Katie Sylvan, San Diego, Calif. 78-76-75-77—306
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. 76-77-75-78—306
Marina Alex, Wayne, N.J. 75-74-76-82—307
Stacey Kim, Columbus, Ga. 74-79-76-78—307
Becca Huffer, Denver, Colo. 73-78-77-79—307
Won Joo Choi, Temecula, Calif. 78-75-75-79—307
Brittany Altomare, Shrewsbury, Mass. 77-75-75-81—308
Doris Chen, Bradenton, Fla. 78-74-77-80—309
Sally Watson, Edinburgh, Scotland 76-75-77-81—309
Sydney Burlison, Salinas, Calif. 80-72-80-79—311
Katie Detlefsen, Eagan, Minn. 81-73-84-79—317
MISSED THE CUT
Rachel Morris, Carlsbad, Calif. 78-77 Active
Kelsey Lindenschmidt, West Chester, Ohio 81-83 Active
Kayley Kempton, Littleton, Colo. 79-78 Active
Angela Villela, Sylmar, Calif. 83-74 Active
Andrea Watts, Bradenton, Fla. 85-74 Active
Kylie Fuller, Temecula, Calif. 83-80 Active
Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. 84-80 Active
Sarah Brown, Stewartsville, N.J. 87-79 Active
Victoria Sungmin Park, Irvine, Calif. 79-82 Active
Nicole Vandermade, Brantford, Ontario 79-83 Active
Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C. 80-79 Active
Evelina Santillan, Aguascalientes, Mexico 77-79 Active
Erika Kuwahara, Komae City, Japan 80-77 Active
Andrea Messer, Largo, Fla. 79-79 Active
Nara Kim, Diamond Bar, Calif. 87-81 Active
Aimee Neff, Carmel, Ind. 80-81 Active
Marika Lendl, Bradenton, Fla. 84-80 Active
Lindy Duncan, Daytona Beach, Fla. 81-76 Active
Alexandra Bodemann, Palm City, Fla. 77-80 Active
Kristen Schelling, Mesa, Ariz. 80-78 Active
Courtney Harter, Clearwater, Fla. 83-77 Active
Whitney Wenglasz, Oldsmar, Fla. 85-78 Active
Kristina Wong, Bradenton, Fla. 81-76 Active
Isabelle Lendl, Bradenton, Fla. 81-79 Active
Christine Song, Fullerton, Calif. 80-77 Active
Kimberly Donovan, Hopkinton, Mass. 82-80 Active
Brooke Pancake, Chattanooga, Tenn. 85-76 Active
Lila Barton, Dallas, Texas 76-81 Active
