Partick Winther captures victory at Polo Golf Junior Classic

Golf News for Monday, December 1, 2008 | Tournaments

Partick Winther captures victory at Polo Golf Junior Classic

REUNION, Fla. -- For the first time in the tournament's 31-year history, two international players took home junior golf's top prize at the Polo Golf Junior Classic. Partick Winther of Rungsted Kyst, Denmark, took care of business and handled Brinson Paolini of Virginia Beach, Va., 7 and 6, in the Boys Division, and Jung Min Lee of Seoul, South Korea, defeated Jenny Shin of Torrance, Calif., 4 and 3.

The Polo Golf Junior Classic, which has been conducted annually since 1978, marked the first tournament of the American Junior Golf Association's 2009 season. The 156-player invitation-only field was made up of boys and girls, ages 12-18, from 25 states and 12 foreign countries. Former champions include Stewart Cink (1989), Trevor Immelman (1995), Tiger Woods (1991), Paula Creamer (2002), Grace Park (1994, 1996) and Morgan Pressel (2004).

Winther birdied the first two holes to take a quick 2-up lead, but the turning point came on the par-4 sixth. After blocking his tee shot right and out of bounds, Winther got up-and-down from 40 yards to make bogey, which was enough to salvage a halve and maintain a 2-up cushion.

"After I hit it out of bounds, I thought I may as well hit driver again and try to kill it so I could get it as close to the green as possible," said Winther, who won the next four holes following the halve on No. 6.

This win, which he said was the biggest of his junior career, comes after making a transition to the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy in Howey in the Hills, Fla.

Winther becomes the fifth international boy to win the Polo Golf Junior Classic, joining the likes of Trevor Immelman of South Africa (1995), and last year's winner, Bjorn Akesson of Sweden.

On her first trip to the United States, Lee won four of the first six holes and cruised to the Girls Division championship, her sixth international victory. She is one of six players on the South Korean National Team and said this win is unlike any other in her career.

"I'm happy to have been here and won this great event," Lee said. "I got to try new shots and it was great to compare my game against my fellow juniors in the U.S."

The win makes Lee the third international girl to win the Polo Golf Junior Championship, and first since 1998 (Celeste Troche, Paraguay).

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.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 40 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include "Polo by Ralph Lauren", "Ralph Lauren Purple Label", "Ralph Lauren Collection", "Black Label", "Blue Label", "Lauren by Ralph Lauren", "Polo Jeans Co.", "RRL", "RLX", "Rugby", "Ralph Lauren Childrenswear", "American Living", "Chaps", and "Club Monaco" among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to http://investor.ralphlauren.com.

For more information about the Polo Golf Junior Classic, please contact Tournament Director Andrew Greenfield at (770) 601-8922, or visit ajga.org.

BOYS DIVISION

REUNION, Fla. -- Match play results from the Polo Golf Junior Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Ginn Reunion Resort's Independence (Watson) Course. Par: 36-36—72; Yardage: Boys: 7,166, Girls: 6,456; Rating/Slope: Boys: 74.7/140, Girls: 76.8/131

Round of 32 - Boys Division
Matthew Ceravolo, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (32) def. Emiliano Grillo, Resistencia, Argentina (1), 4 & 3
Jeffrey Kang, Fullerton, Calif. (17) def. Brandon Rodgers, Knoxville, Tenn. (16), 3 & 2
Niclas Carlsson, Enebyberg, Sweden (25) def. Tao Huang, Taipei, Taiwan (8), 20 holes
Talor Gooch, Midwest City, Okla. (24) def. Ernesto Marin, Miami, Fla. (9), 19 holes
Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas (4) def. Michael Hebert, Orlando, Fla. (29), 2 & 1
Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (20) def. Zachary Blair, Ogden, Utah (13), 19 holes
Cory Whitsett, Houston, Texas (5) def. T.J. Vogel, Cooper City, Fla. (28), 5 & 4
Juan Pablo Hernandez, Mexico City, Mexico (21) def. Cameron Wilson, Rowayton, Conn. (12), 2 & 1
Andrew Yun, Chandler, Ariz. (31) def. Evan Beck, Virginia Beach, Va. (2), 19 holes
Mario Clemens, Beverly Hills, Calif. (15) def. Tyler McCumber, Ponte Vedra, Fla. (18), 3 & 2
Julian Suri, St. Augustine, Fla. (26) def. Daniel Lee, Valencia, Calif. (7), 4 & 2
Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif. (10) def. Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo. (23), 3 & 2
Patrick Winther, Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (3) def. Austin Cook, Jonesboro, Ark. (30), 7 & 6
Seth Reeves, Duluth, Ga. (19) def. Phillip Choi, Orlando, Fla. (14), 4 & 3
Cheng-Tsung Pan, Upland, Calif. (6) def. Trey Kaahanui, Tempe, Ariz. (27), 4 & 3
James Back, Cerritos, Calif. (22) def. Austin Cody, North Charleston, S.C. (11), 5 & 4

Round of 16 - Boys Division
Jeffrey Kang, Fullerton, Calif. (17) def. Matthew Ceravolo, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (32)*
Niclas Carlsson, Enebyberg, Sweden (25) def. Talor Gooch, Midwest City, Okla. (24), 2 & 1
Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (20) def. Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas (4), 1-up
Juan Pablo Hernandez, Mexico City, Mexico (21) def. Cory Whitsett, Houston, Texas (5), 3 & 1
Andrew Yun, Chandler, Ariz. (31) def. Mario Clemens, Beverly Hills, Calif. (15), 2 & 1
Julian Suri, St. Augustine, Fla. (26) def. Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif. (10), 20 holes
Patrick Winther, Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (3) def. Seth Reeves, Duluth, Ga. (19), 4 & 2
James Back, Cerritos, Calif. (22) def. Cheng-Tsung Pan, Upland, Calif. (6), 1-up

*Match conceded due to injury

Quarterfinal Matches - Boys Division
Niclas Carlsson, Enebyberg, Sweden (25) def. Jeffrey Kang, Fullerton, Calif. (17), 4 and 3
Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (20) def. Juan Pablo Hernandez, Mexico City, Mexico (21), 1-up
Julian Suri, St. Augustine, Fla. (26) def. Andrew Yun, Chandler, Ariz. (31), 6 and 5
Patrick Winther, Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (3) def. James Back, Cerritos, Calif. (22), 1-up

Semifinal Matches - Boys Division
Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (20) def. Niclas Carlsson, Enebyberg, Sweden (25), 1-up
Patrick Winther, Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (3) def. Julian Suri, St. Augustine, Fla. (26),1-up

Championship Match - Boys Division
Patrick Winther, Rungsted Kyst, Denmark (3) def. Brinson Paolini, Virginia Beach, Va. (20), 7 and 6

GIRLS DIVISION

Round of 32 - Girls Division
Jane Rah, Torrance, Calif. (1) def. Victoria Sungmin Park, Irvine, Calif. (32), 1-up
Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. (17) def. Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C. (16), 2 & 1
Laetitia Beck, Caesarea, Israel (25) def. Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif. (8), 2 & 1
Madison Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. (24) def. Kyle Roig, Pembroke Pines, Fla. (9), 1-up
Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif. (4) def. Courtney Gunter, Matthews, N.C. (29), 2 & 1
Lauren Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz. (20) def. Kristina Wong, Bradenton, Fla. (13), 3 & 2
Jung Min Lee, Seoul, South Korea (5) def. Ginger Howard, Bradenton, Fla. (28), 4 & 3
Louise Larsson, Forshaga, Sweden (21) def. Casey Ann Kennedy, Venice, Fla. (12), 2 & 1
Jennifer Johnson, La Quinta, Calif. (2) def. Lindsey Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz. (31), 2-up
Kyndall Ardoin, Gibsland, La. (18) def. Kyung Kim, Chandler, Ariz. (15), 1-up
Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla. (7) def. Stacey Kim, Columbus, Ga. (26), 5 & 4
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. (10) def. Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif. (23), 3 & 2
Stephanie Kim, Orlando, Fla. (3) def. Maria Piccio, Bradenton, Fla. (30), 1-up
Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash. (14) def. Amelia Lewis, Jacksonville, Fla. (19), 7 & 5
Victoria Kiser, Orlando, Fla. (6) def. Alexandra Stewart, Peoria, Ariz. (27), 1-up
Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. (22) def. Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J. (11), 3 & 2

Round of 16 - Girls Division
Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. (17) def. Jane Rah, Torrance, Calif. (1), 4 & 3
Madison Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. (24) def. Laetitia Beck, Caesarea, Israel (25), 2 & 1
Lauren Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz. (20) def. Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif. (4), 2 & 1
Jung Min Lee, Seoul, South Korea (5) def. Louise Larsson, Forshaga, Sweden (21), 6 & 4
Kyndall Ardoin, Gibsland, La. (18) def. Jennifer Johnson, La Quinta, Calif. (2), 2 & 1
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. (10) def. Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla. (7), 1-up
Stephanie Kim, Orlando, Fla. (3) def. Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash. (14), 4 & 3
Victoria Kiser, Orlando, Fla. (6) def. Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. (22), 3 & 2

Quarterfinal Matches - Girls Division
Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. (17) def. Madison Pressel, Boca Raton, Fla. (24), 2 and 1
Jung Min Lee, Seoul, South Korea (5) def. Lauren Weaver, Scottsdale, Ariz. (20), 5 and 3
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. (10) def. Kyndall Ardoin, Gibsland, La. (18), 1-up
Stephanie Kim, Orlando, Fla. (3) def. Victoria Kiser, Orlando, Fla. (6), 1-up

Semifinal Matches - Girls Division
Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. (10) def. Stephanie Kim, Orlando, Fla. (3), 4 and 3
Jung Min Lee, Seoul, South Korea (5) def. Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. (17), 3 and 2

Championship Match - Girls Division
Jung Min Lee, Seoul, South Korea (5) def. Jenny Shin, Torrance, Calif. (10), 4 and 3