Schnitzer wins the Elbit Systems of America Junior Golf Classic

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Johnathan Schnitzer of Houston carded a tournament-total 2-under-par 214 to come from three-shots back and claim victory at the Elbit Systems of America Junior Golf Classic. Julie Yang of Phoenix posted a 2-over-par 218 to hold onto the lead and take the Girls Division title by three strokes.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Elbit Systems of America Junior Golf Classic was a 54-hole stroke play event held at the Southern Oaks Golf Club. The 120-player field featured players from 16 states. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 7,145 yards while the Girls Division played at 6,115 yards.

Schnitzer sat in a three way tie for ninth place after the second round. With several competitors circling the lead, Schnitzer had a strategy entering the final round.

“My dad and I decided before today it would take a 68 or 69 to win,” Schnitzer said. “I knew I would have to light it up on the back nine and I birdied Nos. 8 and 9.”

Firing a final-round 3-under-par 69, he carded four birdies on the day to pull ahead by one stroke and take the crown.

“All I have to say is finally,” Schnitzer said of his first AJGA victory. “I have finished top five about four or five times. I finally got the monkey off my back and got a win.”

Following close behind was second-round leader Ryan Dagerman of Dallas in second place at 1-under-par 215. Tied for third were Chase Anderson of San Antonio and Matthew Seligmann of Houston, each at even-par 216. Brad Mason of Dallas finished at 1-over-par 217 to round out the top five.

In the Girls Division, Yang, 12, sat atop the leaderboard throughout the tournament and carded a final-round 5-over-par 77 to take the title. In her second AJGA win of the month, Yang carried a four-stroke advantage into Thursday’s final-round and remained calm as other players made a final charge for the lead.

“I wasn’t that nervous,” Yang, the second-team Rolex Junior All-American, said. “Surprisingly, I didn’t think I would win. I guess I was lucky. I had a good first two rounds.”

Valentina Fontaine of Hilton Head Island, S.C., finished second at 5-over-par 221. Tied for third at 6-over-par 222 were Victoria Vela of Mansfield, Texas, and Kaira Martin of Paradise Valley, Ariz.

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 Elbit Systems of America Junior Golf Classic or any AJGA event, please contact National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200 or visit our Web site at ajga.org

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Final results from the Elbit Systems of America Junior Golf Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at

Southern Oaks Golf Club. Par: Boys: 36-36—72; Girls: 36-36—72. Yardage: Boys: 7,145; Girls: 6,115. Rating/Slope: Boys: 75.2/133; Girls: 77/141.

BOYS DIVISION

Johnathan Schnitzer, Houston, Texas 72-73-69—214

Ryan Dagerman, Dallas, Texas 72-69-74—215

Chase Anderson, San Antonio, Texas 75-71-70—216

Matthew Seligmann, Houston, Texas 74-68-74—216

Brad Mason, Dallas, Texas 74-72-71—217

Austin Beck, Coppell, Texas 69-74-75—218

Chandler Rusk, Edmond, Okla. 74-72-72—218

Chris Han, Carrollton, Texas 71-74-73—218

Tyler Ledet, Woodworth, La. 68-75-76—219

Benjamin Thorseth, Richmond, Texas 73-73-73—219

Ryan Blair, Center Valley, Pa. 76-72-72—220

Patrick Burke, Houston, Texas 73-74-74—221

Zachary Collings, Fort Worth, Texas 76-75-70—221

Tyler Dunlap, Westlake, Texas 77-72-72—221

Jerry Ruiz, Hilton Head, S.C. 76-74-72—222

Curtis Donahoe, League City, Texas 75-74-73—222

Richard Kalteyer, Dallas, Texas 75-71-76—222

Thomas Birdsey, The Woodlands, Texas 73-69-80—222

Vincent Anagnos, Round Rock, Texas 72-71-79—222

Joe Lynch, ShawneeMission, Kan. 80-69-74—223

Blake Waller, West Des Moines, Iowa 73-74-76—223

Andrew Presley, Fort Worth, Texas 70-73-80—223

Greg O'Connor, Edmond, Okla. 73-70-80—223

Trey Neck, Baton Rouge, La. 73-79-72—224

Yi-Hsiu Luo, Winchendon, Mass. 74-75-75—224

Gregg Davis, Parker, Colo. 75-73-76—224

Jeff Hageman, Grapevine, Texas 75-75-74—224

Landon Morgan, Edmond, Okla. 80-73-72—225

William Dusenbury, League City, Texas 76-70-79—225

Alec Bruney, Nederland, Texas 72-76-78—226

Nathan Anderson, Burleson, Texas 75-75-76—226

Ryan Kelley, The Woodlands, Texas 76-75-75—226

Curtis Reed, Castroville, Texas 74-77-75—226

Colt Melton, Amarillo, Texas 77-75-75—227

John Cassidy, Tulsa, Okla. 78-75-74—227

Sam Clark, Allen, Texas 74-78-75—227

Austin Weaver, Flower Mound, Texas 73-72-82—227

Brandon Cauldwell, Ozark, Mo. 72-79-76—227

Michael Williams, Purcell, Okla. 77-74-77—228

Wesley Gates, Novi, Mich. 77-77-75—229

Ryan Howard, The Woodlands, Texas 75-76-78—229

Chase Adams, Dallas, Texas 75-73-81—229

Brian Smith, Corpus Christi, Texas 76-81-73—230

James Sullivan, Katy, Texas 77-77-76—230

David Klaudt, Dallas, Texas 78-79-73—230

Corbin Light, Plano, Texas 74-81-75—230

Austin West, Burleson, Texas 77-77-77—231

Christopher Melvin, Medfield, Mass. 76-79-76—231

John Antle, Graham, Texas 76-77-78—231

Josh Reinertson, Gibbon, Neb. 74-79-78—231

Zack Smith, Carthage, Texas 76-75-81—232

Ricky Lee, Tucson, Ariz. 80-74-78—232

Brandon Pederson, Austin, Texas 79-75-78—232

Taylor Mihok, Aledo, Texas 78-75-79—232

A.J. Gebert, Wichita, Kan. 75-80-77—232

Jeremy Kutscherousky, Dallas, Texas 80-76-77—233

Ryan Conner, Fort Worth, Texas 78-76-79—233

Glenn Payne, Ardmore, Okla. 84-76-74—234

Brandon Liu, St. Albans, Mo. 80-80-74—234

Austin Struble, Aledo, Texas 74-80-80—234

McKenzie Mueller, Dallas, Texas 78-74-83—235

Austin Phillips, Fort Worth, Texas 82-78-75—235

Colin Buckley, Ennis, Texas 75-79-81—235

Brian Swanson, Katy, Texas 80-75-80—235

Chandler Smith-Stetson, Albuquerque, N.M. 81-79-75—235

Austen Hyde, Missouri City, Texas 82-74-79—235

Daniel McMurry, Ardmore, Okla. 83-76-77—236

Cole Pickavance, Danville, Calif. 78-77-82—237

David McMurry, Ardmore, Okla. 81-75-81—237

J.B Suk, Norman, Okla. 80-76-81—237

Riley Goff, Irving, Texas 79-85-74—238

Scooter Ransbottom, Midlothian, Texas 79-82-77—238

Nick Allen, Littleton, Colo. 83-81-75—239

Kaden Bressman, Fort Mohave, Ariz. 83-78-80—241

Ted Monhollon, Tulsa, Okla. 80-82-79—241

Andrew Roberts, Carmichael, Calif. 79-77-86—242

John Newberry, Jr., Austin, Texas 86-77-80—243

Perrin Grace, Ann Arbor, Mich. 88-77-78—243

Justin Wileman, Southlake, Texas 82-84-77—243

Blake Vinson, Fort Worth, Texas 78-83-82—243

Colby Webb, Burleson, Texas 84-80-81—245

Matt Keller, Rogers, Ark. 79-84-82—245

Jordan Reinertson, Gibbon, Neb. 86-77-85—248

Kyle Bodin, Austin, Texas 81-81-86—248

Kyle Huett, Bulverde, Texas 83-83-84—250

Brendon Mullen, Austin, Texas 89-82-81—252

Jeff Quinn, Anthem, Ariz. 90-77-86—253

Robert Davis, San Antonio, Texas 89-86-91—266

Joey Thomas, Kerrville, Texas 88-89-89—266

Kyle Billingsley, Little Rock, Ark. 83-105 JWD

GIRLS DIVISION

Julie Yang, Phoenix, Ariz. 69-72-77—218

Valentina Fontaine, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 75-75-71—221

Victoria Vela, Mansfield, Texas 72-79-71—222

Kaira Martin, Paradise Valley, Ariz. 72-73-77—222

Natalie Reeves, Euless, Texas 73-77-73—223

Devon Brown, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 74-76-74—224

Chelsea Mocio, Fort Worth, Texas 75-78-73—226

Kelsey Kirkpatrick, Golden, Texas 75-76-75—226

Kristina Nhim, Buena Park, Calif. 73-76-77—226

Gabriella Then, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. 77-76-74—227

Amy Ruengmateekhun, Garland, Texas 78-75-74—227

Lauren Salazar, Santa Clara, Calif. 74-78-77—229

Melanie White, Colleyville, Texas 71-84-77—232

Brooke Bailey, Abilene, Texas 77-82-74—233

Sorelle Sedej, Poway, Calif. 77-74-83—234

Hannah Arnold, Lufkin, Texas 74-77-84—235

Patricia Lee, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 80-79-77—236

Shelby Hardy, San Saba, Texas 86-78-72—236

Whitney McAteer, Tulsa, Okla. 82-76-79—237

Kelsey Welber, Plano, Texas 73-81-83—237

Erin Perry, Seabrook, Texas 82-77-79—238

Gina Bortoletto, The Woodlands, Texas 77-78-84—239

Tezira Abe', Angleton, Texas 80-80-80—240

Katy Cardno, Sugar Land, Texas 79-82-81—242

Susannah Grunden, Krum, Texas 79-84-85—248

Jenny Kang, Houston, Texas 83-81-84—248

Lakareber Abe', Angleton, Texas 87-85-79—251

AlexandrianaPark, Southlake, Texas 83-89-94—266

Stephanie Scholer, Dallas, Texas 89-86-92—267

Erin DeLorenzo, Dallas, Texas 99-91-86—276

** JWD=Justified WD

American Junior Golf Association, 1980 Sports Club Dr, Braselton, GA 30517-6000 United States