SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. -- Ty Spinella of Aledo, Texas, won the Boys Division of the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior at Indian Hills Country Club Thursday with a 1-under-par 209 three-day total. Chelsey Cothran of Springdale, Ark., earned her first American Junior Golf Association win with a 17-over-par 227.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior was a 54-hole stroke play event being held at Indian Hills Country Club. The tournament field consisted of 75 boys and 24 girls from 20 states. The Boys Division played the course at 6,518 yards, while the Girls Division played at 5,971 yards.
Spinella began the day two strokes back from the lead, but found himself atop the leaderboard after firing a 3-under-par 32 on the front-nine, carding birdies on Nos. 4, 6 and 7. Spinella would add two more birdies on the 192-yard, par-3 13th hole and again on No. 16 to wrap-up the victory. Several of his family members were on hand to watch Spinella, who all wore purple shirts, to match Spinella. The victory means a lot not only to Spinella himself, but to his family. Spinella lost his cousin and golfing buddy, Aimee, over the winter in an automobile accident and uses her memory as his motivation each time he plays. Spinella has learned just how lucky he is to be able to just go out and play golf.
“It just gives me a better perspective on life,” Spinella said. “Last summer I put so much pressure on myself to play good golf. Now I know it’s just a game and a privilege. I just go out and have fun, and it’s paying off.”
Kevin Kring of Springfield, Mo., and Gary Quinn of Anthem, Ariz., finished tied for second after posting 2-over-par 212s for the tournament. Andrew Sajevic of Fremont, Neb., and Austin Graham of San Clemente, Calif., tied for fourth with 4-over-par 214s.
In the Girls Division, Cothran said she started pretty solid on the front-nine, carding six pars. Cothran would also add a birdie on No. 13. Cothran struggled slightly through the middle of the back nine, but was able to bring it together for pars on Nos. 17 and 18 to secure the victory.
“I was putting pretty well and making the birdie on No. 13 really helped,” Cothran said. I hit the ball really well up until No. 14, and then I struggled on Nos. 14-16, but that was ok. I’m excited to win my first event and I’m very excited to know I’m fully exempt for other AJGA tournaments.”
Kristina Nhim of Buena Park, Calif., finished two strokes back of Cothran to take home second. Lindsey Solberg of Verona, Wis., finished third, carding a three-day total of 20-over-par 230.
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 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 Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit ajga.org.
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SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — Final results from the Lockton/Capitol Federal Kansas City Junior conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Indian Hills Country Club. Par: Boys: 35-35—70; Girls: 35-35—70. Yardage: Boys: 6,518; Girls: 5,971. Rating/Slope: Boys: 72.8/131; Girls: 74.7/130.
BOYS DIVISION
Ty Spinella, Aledo, Texas 71-70-68—209
Kevin Kring, Springfield, Mo. 71-71-70—212
Gary Quinn, Anthem, Ariz. 71-70-71—212
Andrew Sajevic, Fremont, Neb. 73-71-70—214
Austin Graham, San Clemente, Calif. 72-67-75—214
Tyler Rice, Duncan, Okla. 72-70-73—215
Chris Brant, Edwardsville, Ill. 73-72-71—216
Clark Collier, Edmond, Okla. 75-70-71—216
Jace Long, Dixon, Mo. 73-77-69—219
Zahkai Brown, Arvada, Colo. 74-74-71—219
Tyler Kato, Seattle, Wash. 75-75-71—221
Kevin Penner, Sammamish, Wash. 78-72-71—221
Noah Smithson, Andover, Kan. 73-74-74—221
Scott Willman, Prairie Village, Kan. 74-72-75—221
Zach Sanders, Shawnee Mission, Kan. 72-75-74—221
Ben Juffer, West Des Moines, Iowa 73-69-79—221
Ryan Berra, Chesterfield, Mo. 75-72-75—222
Michael McGee, Kansas City, Mo. 79-73-71—223
Harrison Higgs, Overland Park, Kan. 74-76-73—223
Dane Worley, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 74-75-74—223
Ryan Blair, Center Valley, Pa. 76-72-75—223
Dillon Rust, Edmond, Okla. 76-77-71—224
Andrew Chael, Lenexa, Kan. 74-79-72—225
Siwol Chang, Nesconset, N.Y. 75-75-75—225
Brian Steele, Springfield, Mo. 74-76-75—225
Patrick McCormick, Weston, Fla. 78-71-76—225
Nate McCoy, West Des Moines, Iowa 74-76-75—225
Brian Dorfman, Greenwood Village, Colo. 72-73-80—225
Brian Robinson, Pleasanton, Calif. 77-76-73—226
Gordon Chang, Manhattan, Kan. 78-75-73—226
Chun-Ji Kim, Chandler, Ariz. 74-77-75—226
Nicholas Sheppard, Springfield, Mo. 72-74-80—226
Jared King, Lawson, Mo. 75-82-70—227
A.J. Gebert, Wichita, Kan. 78-74-75—227
Michael Hooper, Edmond, Okla. 74-77-76—227
Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo. 77-73-77—227
Patrick Deichert, Dallas, Texas 71-72-84—227
Jeff Quinn, Anthem, Ariz. 77-75-76—228
Tommy Kennedy, Mission Hills, Kan. 75-76-77—228
David Hutchinson, Beaver, Pa. 74-76-78—228
Nathan Fredrick, Springfield, Mo. 78-77-74—229
Derek Baade, St. Joseph, Mo. 76-76-77—229
Mitch Carlson, Overland Park, Kan. 76-75-78—229
Alex Carney, Wichita, Kan. 79-78-73—230
William Cunningham, Corinth, Texas 77-78-75—230
Benjamin Moser, Topeka, Kan. 78-76-76—230
Korbin Kuehn, Overland Park, Kan. 73-77-80—230
Joe Doramus, Little Rock, Ark. 75-75-80—230
Jerrod Roberts, Tulsa, Okla. 82-74-75—231
Matthew Ledom, Leawood, Kan. 78-77-76—231
Tyler Brown, Lee's Summit, Mo. 78-77-76—231
Taylor Hart, San Clemente, Calif. 74-83-75—232
Kevin Gillick, Lincoln, Neb. 82-74-76—232
Alex Hofmann, Overland Park, Kan. 79-76-77—232
John McGoogan , Atlanta, Ga. 80-75-77—232
John Sievers, Lee's Summit, Mo. 76-85-72—233
Chase Lucas, Mission Hills, Kan. 77-80-76—233
Kyle Andrews, Tallahassee, Fla. 79-79-75—233
Martin Salgado, San Luis, Ariz. 76-79-78—233
Travis England, Moline, Ill. 83-78-75—236
Andrew Foulston, Wichita, Kan. 73-84-79—236
Ross Snodgrass, Wichita, Kan. 80-82-75—237
Joshua Roller, Springfield, Mo. 81-75-81—237
Brandon Falley, Topeka, Kan. 82-74-81—237
Nick Langley, St. Louis, Mo. 78-79-81—238
Colton Knedler, Honolulu, Hawaii 76-83-80—239
Thomas Wuennenberg, St. Louis, Mo. 84-77-79—240
Jake Myron, Kansas City, Mo. 78-80-82—240
Joseph Reynolds, Houston, Texas 77-80-83—240
Alex Simson, Columbus, Ohio 78-83-80—241
Ryan Ellis, Ballwin, Mo. 81-80-80—241
Charlie Mundy, Mission Hills, Kan. 81-82-79—242
Derek Myers, Edmond, Okla. 79-82-85—246
Ryan Marks, Warrensburg, Mo. 83-80-87—250
Steven Pfeiffer, Aberdeen, S.D. 81 JWD
GIRLS DIVISION
Chelsey Cothran, Springdale, Ark. 77-74-76—227
Kristina Nhim, Buena Park, Calif. 80-77-72—229
Lindsey Solberg, Verona, Wis. 79-75-76—230
Anne Ormson, Granger, Ind. 72-78-81—231
Crystal Reeves, Broken Arrow, Okla. 81-81-70—232
Victoria Fallgren, Lakewood, Calif. 75-78-80—233
Emma Lavy, Fayetteville, Ark. 75-74-85—234
Heather Smith, Fort Worth, Texas 83-78-74—235
Julia Thead, Poway, Calif. 77-79-79—235
Lynda Kwon, North Wales, Pa. 82-78-76—236
Rachel Halloran, Leawood, Kan. 81-74-82—237
Emily Potts, Springfield, Mo. 83-79-76—238
Katy Nugent, Wichita, Kan. 76-85-81—242
Jacqueline Bardgett, Chesterfield, Mo. 83-79-85—247
Jordyn Hage, Winter Park, Fla. 84-82-83—249
Alisha Matthews, St. Louis, Mo. 88-80-81—249
Erin Sharpee, Green Bay, Wis. 85-88-77—250
Mary Bird, Kansas City, Mo. 80-80-90—250
Audrey Yowell, McPherson, Kan. 84-86-82—252
Adin Stromgren, Topeka, Kan. 82-84-88—254
Gianna Misenhelter, Overland Park, Kan. 86-86-88—260
Mary Larsh, Edmond, Okla. 87-86-90—263
Sam Nielsen, Superior, Neb. 94-79-91—264
Meagan Bewley, Davenport, Iowa 90-88-89—267
** JWD=Justified WD
