PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Quintana Roo, Mexico -- Jay Burlison of Salinas, Calif., carded a final-round 4-over-par 74 Friday to seal the win in the Boys Division of the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic with a tournament total 7-over-par 217. Amelia Lewis of Jacksonville, Fla., finished with a three-day total of 11-over-par 221 to win the Girls Division.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic, the only event on the AJGA schedule held in Mexico, was a 54-hole stroke play event held at El Camaleón Golf Club. The field consisted of 76 players, of which 27 were from Mexico. The rest came from eight U.S. states. El Camaleón Golf Club, home to the PGA TOUR's Mayakoba Golf Classic, was played as a 6,940 yard par-70 in the Boys Division and a 6,003 yard par-71 in the Girls Division.
Burlison, who led by one stroke after the second round, finished his round with two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to earn his first AJGA victory. The win for Burlison comes in his first AJGA Open event.
“I started out slow, I was a little nervous out there,” Burlison said. “But I was able to calm down after my birdie on No.6 and got another one on No. 11 and those helped me fight off the nerves. I played it safe on the rest of the holes and it’s exciting to get my first win.”
Seiji Liu of Bradenton, Fla., finished second with a 9-over-par 219. Marshall Talkington of Jackson, Tenn., finished in third place with a 10-over-par 220. Carlos Ortiz of Zapopan, Mexico, took fourth place with a three-day total 223. Gregory Rochna of Houston, Chris Contreras of San Antonio and Austin Roberts of Carmichael, Calif., all finished tied for fifth at 14-over-par 224.
Lewis’ win is also her first in an AJGA tournament after finishing in the top 10 eight times in her career. She struggled early, starting with a bogey and a double bogey on Nos. 1 and 2, but improved her game after that, staying consistent enough to end up on top.
“Every part of my game was just decent, nothing special today,” Lewis said. “I was able to hold it together and make some putts when I needed to and that’s what matters. [This win] is just a great way to end the summer and it feels amazing to finally win in the AJGA after being so close so many times.”
Katelyn Sepmoree of Tyler, Texas, took second with a three-day total of 12-over-par 222. Finishing in third place was Paola Valerio of Atizapan De Zaragoza, Mexico, with a 13-over-par 223.
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 Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic please contact AJGA National Headquarters at 770-868-4200 or visit the AJGA Web site at ajga.org.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, QUINTANA ROO, Mexico -- Final results from the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at El Camaleón Golf Club. Par: Boys: 35-35—70; Girls: 36-35—71. Yardage: Boys: 6,940; Girls: 6,003. Rating/Slope: Boys: 73.4/136; Girls: 74.1/130.
BOYS DIVISION
Jay Burlison, Salinas, Calif. 74-70-73—217
Seiji Liu, Bradenton, Fla. 72-73-74—219
Marshall Talkington, Jackson, Tenn. 75-71-74—220
Carlos Ortiz, Zapopan, Mexico 71-77-75—223
Gregory Rochna, Houston, Texas 76-76-72—224
Chris Contreras, San Antonio, Texas 74-74-76—224
Austin Roberts, Carmichael, Calif. 75-71-78—224
John Duke Hudson, Sonora, Texas 73-78-75—226
Parker Hensley, San Antonio, Texas 77-75-74—226
Juan Benitez, Puebla, Mexico 75-72-79—226
Juan Pablo Hernandez, Mexico City, Mexico 76-78-74—228
Bruno Azcue, Mexico City, Mexico 75-73-80—228
Edward DeVane III, San Antonio, Texas 79-71-79—229
Kraig Mcleod, Pebble Beach, Calif. 77-77-76—230
Gabriel Frank, El Paso, Texas 74-82-74—230
Roberto Ballesteros, Cordoba, Mexico 76-74-81—231
Paul Ganske, Lakeville, Minn. 78-79-74—231
Eduardo Castiello, Zapopan, Mexico 78-79-74—231
Hudson Hansard, Austin, Texas 80-76-76—232
Jay Pinkos, Clifton, Va. 76-84-73—233
Minsuk Kim, Los Angeles, Calif. 80-73-81—234
Henry Todd, Trophy Club, Texas 74-84-76—234
Ryan Conner, Fort Worth, Texas 75-82-78—235
Mac McClung, Fremont, Calif. 78-78-80—236
Alejandro Flores, San Antonio, Texas 80-79-78—237
Neil Dufford, Midland, Texas 82-74-81—237
Jake Miller, Hudson, Wis. 76-77-85—238
Blake Wilson, League City, Texas 79-77-82—238
Josh Lee, Orange Park, Fla. 79-78-81—238
Jose Arguelles, Oaxtepec, Mexico 88-71-80—239
Gustavo Gutierrez, San Antonio, Texas 80-82-78—240
Daniel Simonsen, Mequon, Wis. 80-82-78—240
Fernando Cuevas, Merida, Mexico 77-79-85—241
John Baur, Santa Barbara, Calif. 79-82-81—242
Luke Vivolo, Carmel, Calif. 81-79-82—242
Travis Ralph, Redington Beach, Fla. 81-81-81—243
Blake Olson, Pensacola, Fla. 78-82-84—244
Logan Boatner, Humble, Texas 82-82-81—245
Daniel De La Torre, San Pedro, Calif. 87-77-81—245
Jake McCall, Southlake, Texas 83-80-82—245
Jose Lopez, Boca del Rio, Mexico 88-84-75—247
Christopher Pinkos, Clifton, Va. 79-79-89—247
Jose Labastida, San Ysidro, Calif. 82-83-83—248
Fernando Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico 81-89-80—250
Michael Koetting, San Antonio, Texas 84-84-83—251
James Campbell, Valley Center, Calif. 81-87-83—251
Michael Crimmins, Mequon, Wis. 84-89-78—251
Alejandro Orozco, Cancun, Mexico 83-91-85—259
Angel Chahin, Orizaba, Mexico 86-85-90—261
Austin Boyd, Thousand Oaks, Calif. 85-85-92—262
Nicholas Tawse, The Woodlands, Texas 90-86-86—262
Emilio Chahin, Orizaba, Mexico 99-85-82—266
Miguel Fernandezcano, Guadalajara, Mexico 96-92-86—274
Felipe Anzarut, Cancun, Mexico 103-94-82—279
Mark Mackey, Los Angeles, Calif. 93-90-99—282
Luciano Garcia, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 76-90 JWD
Rafael Gomez, Lerma, Mexico 86-89 DQ - Rule 6-3a (NS)
GIRLS DIVISION
Amelia Lewis, Jacksonville, Fla. 71-73-77—221
Katelyn Sepmoree, Tyler, Texas 71-75-76—222
Paola Valerio, Atizapan De Zaragoza, Mexico 73-76-74—223
Giovana Maymon, Huixquilucan, Mexico 78-72-76—226
Portland Rosen, Sugar Land, Texas 73-75-78—226
Marika Liu, Bradenton, Fla. 74-77-78—229
Maria Jose Benavides, Mexico City, Mexico 84-73-79—236
Maria Maymon, Huixquilucan, Mexico 75-82-81—238
Gabriela Lopez, Mexico City, Mexico 80-80-81—241
Melisa Gonzalez, Saltillo, Mexico 80-82-83—245
Kaylyn Sung, Fremont, Calif. 82-80-83—245
Kristine Gutzman, San Antonio, Texas 81-81-83—245
Paola Kuri, Puebla, Mexico 82-86-78—246
Hannah Arnold, Lufkin, Texas 84-81-87—252
Natalia Azcue, Mexico City, , Mexico 86-88-81—255
MacKenzie Fanaro, Vero Beach, Fla. 95-85-84—264
Alejandra Velasco, Laredo, Texas 89-90-89—268
Nicole Autrique, Club de Golf la Hacienda, , Mexico 85-93-93—271
Carly Dear, Red Oak, Texas 80 JWD
** NS=No Show
** JWD=Justified WD
