DUBLIN, Ohio -- Sam Jandel of Dayton, Ohio claimed his first AJGA victory with an 11-under-par 67-66-72 – 205 total Thursday at the Nationwide Insurance Junior presented by the Memorial Tournament. Mitsuki Katahira of Wheaton, Ill., birdied the third hole of a three-player playoff to win the Girls Division with a 4-over-par 77-71-72 – 220 total.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Nationwide Insurance Junior presented by the Memorial Tournament was a 54-hole stroke-play event held at The Country Club at Muirfield Village. The 98-player field featured players from 19 states and Canada. The Boys Division played the event at 6,812 yards, while the Girls Division played at 6,084 yards.
Entering the final round with a five-shot lead, Jandel opened the day with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3. Jandel carded a bogey-free 34 on the front nine and maintained his five-shot lead as he made the turn. Jandel said he felt no pressure coming down the stretch.
“The birdie on No. 1 gave me confidence, just knowing that I had the mindset to play today,” Jandel said. “This has been a big summer and I needed to make some noise, so I’m happy to close it out and win.”
Alex Lyall of Novi, Mich., Ryan Mason of Bridgeport, W. Va., and Adam Sumrall of South Bend, Ind., tied for second at 7-under-par 209, while Aaron Siekmann of Dublin, Ohio and Ethan Tracy of Hilliard, Ohio tied for fifth at 6-under-par 210.
In the Girls Division, Katahira used an aggressive approach shot on No. 18 to seal her first playoff victory in three tries. After playing to the center of the green for a safe par on the second playoff hole, Katahira decided to attack the front-left hole location guarded by water.
“I didn’t aim straight for the pin the first time, but I needed to make birdie,” Katahira said of her decision the second time the playoff went to No. 18.
Louisa Shu of West Bloomfield, Mich., nearly drained a 40-foot birdie of her own on No. 18, but after her attempt slid by the hole, Katahira curled her eight-foot birdie putt inside the right edge for her third AJGA victory. Samantha Swinehart of Lancaster, Ohio also finished at 4-over-par 220 and tied for second with Shu.
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 about the Nationwide Insurance Junior presented by the Memorial Tournament, please contact National Headquarters 770-868-4200, or visit ajga.org.
DUBLIN, Ohio — Final results from the Nationwide Insurance Junior presented by the Memorial Tournament conducted by the American Junior
Golf Association at The Country Club at Muirfield Village. Par: Boys: 36-36—72; Girls: 36-36—72. Yardage: Boys: 6,812; Girls: 6,084.
Rating/Slope: Boys: 72.2/127; Girls: 74.9/132.
BOYS DIVISION
Sam Jandel, Dayton, Ohio 67-66-72—205
Alex Lyall, Novi, Mich. 70-71-68—209
Ryan Mason, Bridgeport, W.Va. 72-68-69—209
Adam Sumrall, South Bend, Ind. 71-67-71—209
Aaron Siekmann, Dublin, Ohio 76-67-67—210
Ethan Tracy, Hilliard, Ohio 71-68-71—210
Aaron Fitzpatrick, Orlando, Fla. 67-74-71—212
Tyler Ledet, Woodworth, La. 70-72-71—213
Philip Gieseker, Saline, Mich. 68-72-73—213
Chris Mory, Haslett, Mich. 74-72-68—214
Matt Fuller, Clarkston, Mich. 74-70-70—214
Johnny Burke, Bay Village, Ohio 73-70-71—214
Timothy Madigan, Rio Rancho, N.M. 74-69-71—214
Tanner Murphy, Columbus, Ohio 69-72-73—214
Brooks Price, Worthington, Ohio 74-71-70—215
Benjamin Cohen, Pittsburgh, Pa. 74-73-69—216
Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky. 75-72-69—216
Max Do, Lakewood, Calif. 77-73-67—217
Will Morris, Columbus, Ohio 73-73-71—217
Ryan Hines, Portsmouth, Ohio 76-70-71—217
Aidan Javed, Liberty Township, Ohio 74-70-73—217
Michael Gligic, Burlington, Ontario 72-72-73—217
Brian Murphy, Wilton, Conn. 75-75-68—218
Paul Hammerschmidt, Westerville, Ohio 72-75-71—218
David Harper, Jr., Louisville, Ky. 75-75-69—219
Colin Allen, Upper Arlington, Ohio 75-73-71—219
Evan Wood, Dublin, Ohio 75-73-71—219
Matt Buse, Loveland, Ohio 72-73-74—219
Brandon Rukin, Pepper Pike, Ohio 73-72-74—219
David Erdy, Boonville, Ind. 76-67-76—219
Brandon Ellis, Westerville, Ohio 76-68-75—219
Kyle Kmiecik, Avon, Ohio 78-72-70—220
Jamison Sindelar, Horseheads, N.Y. 73-74-73—220
Craig Osterbrock, Wilmington, Ohio 71-76-73—220
Colin Chapman, Franklin, N.C. 72-74-74—220
Morgan Dobbins, Jackson, Ohio 74-71-75—220
Seth Blann, Bowling Green, Ky. 75-76-70—221
Robert Robertson, Philadelphia, Pa. 76-74-71—221
Adam Dolezal, Lake Forest, Ill. 77-70-74—221
Michael Kinkopf, Hilliard, Ohio 74-73-74—221
David Haley Jr, Hilliard, Ohio 75-74-73—222
Cory Crump, Peachtree City, Ga. 78-71-73—222
Wes Denny, Cincinnati, Ohio 75-72-75—222
Bradley Lucas, Worthington, Ohio 72-76-75—223
Michael Cress, Dublin, Ohio 72-73-78—223
Erik Hoops, Perrysburg, Ohio 71-80-73—224
Scott Blosser, Upper Arlington, Ohio 79-74-72—225
Jay Woodward, Hilton Head Island , S.C. 76-75-74—225
Zachary Yochum, Wheeling, W.Va. 76-73-76—225
Ricky Jaskolski, North Royalton, Ohio 77-72-76—225
Mark Lantz, Indianapolis, Ind. 76-71-78—225
Jordan Higgins, Vandalia, Ohio 77-75-74—226
Alex Redfield, Powell, Ohio 76-78-73—227
James Vandewalle, Columbus, Ohio 79-76-72—227
Kurt Harris, Dublin, Ohio 83-75-70—228
Chad Merzbacher, Dublin, Ohio 75-78-75—228
Ian Weinberg, Moreland Hills, Ohio 76-75-77—228
Sean Keating, Cincinnati, Ohio 76-71-81—228
Rick Boerner, Hilliard, Ohio 78-75-76—229
David Graham, Cincinnati, Ohio 79-73-78—230
Aaron Barna, Hurricane, W.Va. 76-74-80—230
Kyle Bates, Avon Lake, Ohio 75-83-73—231
Aaron Ebert, Huron, Ohio 75-78-78—231
Kurtis Kincade , Toledo , Ohio 73-79-79—231
Seth Reeves, Duluth, Ga. 74-77-81—232
Steve Bednar, Munroe Falls, Ohio 83-78-72—233
James Dawson, Bardstown, Ky. 79-82-73—234
Sean Michael Lombardo, Dublin, Ohio 79-80-77—236
Jordan Rumora, Houston, Texas 81-78-78—237
Christopher Hahn, Bellbrook, Ohio 82-75-81—238
Matt Milholland, Marysville, Ohio 79-80-85—244
Peter Dornisch, Delaware, Ohio 81-78-87—246
Stephen Seeler, Victor, N.Y. 97-83-76—256
Gary Bissell, East Lansing, Mich. DQ (Rule 6-6d)
GIRLS DIVISION
* Mitsuki Katahira, Wheaton, Ill. 77-71-72—220
Louisa Shu, West Bloomfield, Mich. 74-76-70—220
Samantha Swinehart, Lancaster, Ohio 78-71-71—220
Hunter Ross, Manakin-Sabot, Va. 73-72-79—224
Rachel Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa. 76-75-74—225
Joy Kim, Pinole, Calif. 76-76-73—225
Alexandra Lederhausen, Hinsdale, Ill. 78-76-72—226
Shannon Warner, Livonia, Mich. 77-74-77—228
Stephanie Wagstaff, Asheville, N.C. 74-75-79—228
Aimee Neff, Carmel, Ind. 80-75-74—229
Suzie Lee, E. Northport, N.Y. 74-77-78—229
Rebecca Lederhausen, Hinsdale, Ill. 78-77-78—233
Natalia Ghilzon, Windsor, Ontario 81-76-78—235
Alex Bell, Richmond, Ind. 83-70-85—238
Taylor Manning, Brentwood , Tenn. 74-81-84—239
Sara Jackson, Sound Beach, N.Y. 88-78-74—240
Rachel Nelson, West Chester, Ohio 85-74-83—242
Kerri Dice, Chapel Hill, N.C. 78-80-86—244
Jackie DeMarco, Lasalle, Ontario 83-85-79—247
Maria Demarco, Troy, Mich. 83-86-90—259
Meridith McGraw, Vienna, W.Va. 92-83-89—264
Alexis Therman, Saline, Mich. 93-94 JWD
Natalie Wisniewski, Williamsville, N.Y. 82-83 JWD
Vanessa Koechli, Brighton, Mich. 81-82 JWD
* Won Sudden-Death Playoff
** JWD=Justified WD
