Golf News for Tuesday, April 14, 2009 | Tournaments

Thompson siblings win the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions

BRYAN, Texas -- Curtis and Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., shared Easter Weekend together and made history as the first siblings to win the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions, in the same year. In the Girls Division, Alexis shot a new course record at the Traditions Club at Texas A&M with a round of 6-under-par 66, and won with a tournament total of 4-under-par 212.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions was a 54-hole stroke play event held at the Traditions Club at Texas A&M. The tournament field consisted of 132 boys and girls, ages 12-18, from 22 states and four foreign countries (Mexico, Canada, Thailand and Colombia). The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 7,072 yards and was cut to the low 42 and ties after 36 holes. The Girls Division played at 6,159 yards and was cut to the low 18 and ties.

In the Boys Division, the leaders were back and forth all day as Brenden Redfern of Austin, Texas, and Curtis weren't willing to give either one an edge. Curtis, 16, said that he has been working on his preshot routine. Today, when the pressure was starting to rise, he was grateful that he had devoted so much time to practicing and conditioning. He finished the tournament with a three-round total of 3-under-par 213.

"I just wanted to play a straightforward round and I knew I had to try not to make too many mistakes," Curtis said. "I hit 17 greens in regulation and two putted almost every hole."

According to Curtis, the family does not get to travel that much together.

"Having both of us win on Easter Weekend and having our family here is a great feeling," Curtis said. "With this being my first AJGA victory and with Alexis and I winning the Verizon Junior Heritage earlier this year, I couldn't be happier with where my game is headed."

Redfern shot 217 and finished in second, four strokes back. Curtis Reed of Castroville, Texas, finished third at 218, and Chris Worrell of Enid, Okla., took fourth with a 219 tournament total. Tied for fifth were Johnathan Schnitzer of Houston, and Jordan Spieth of Dallas, at 6-over-par 222.

In the Girls Division, Alexis, 14, had to battle the Texas winds and an hour rain delay before she began her round this morning, but she was able to stay focused. She carded the lowest round of her young career. Thompson only missed two greens all day and birdied six holes. This is Alexis' third victory with the AJGA, and is currently ranked second in the Polo Golf Rankings.

"I don't know why I shot the way I did today, I was just feeling it," said Alexis, who is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American. "I was hitting my irons great and making my putts today."

Alexis joins an illustrious list of tournament winners as she is the fourth back-to-back winner in the tournament's 24-year history.

"It was very important to come back and defend my title," Thompson said. "I am glad my brother and I were able to both be champions in such a great tournament."

Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., finished second for the second year in a row with a tournament with a three-day total of 219. Alexandra Stewart of Peoria, Ariz., finished third at 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 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 50 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. 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 on the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions, please contact National Headquarters at (877) 373-2542, or visit the AJGA Web site, ajga.org.

BRYAN, Texas -- Final results from the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Traditions Club at Texas A&M.
Par: Boys: 36-36—72; Girls: 36-36—72.
Yardage: Boys: 7,072; Girls: 6,159.
Rating/Slope: Boys: 74.2/138; Girls: 77.4/150.

BOYS DIVISION
Curtis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla. 72-71-70—213
Brenden Redfern, Austin, Texas 73-71-73—217
Curtis Reed, Castroville, Texas 72-74-72—218
Chris Worrell, Enid, Okla. 74-72-73—219
Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas 74-73-75—222
Johnathan Schnitzer, Houston, Texas 74-74-74—222
Johannes Veerman, Sugar Land, Texas 74-76-73—223
Christopher Ingham, Miami, Fla. 74-76-73—223
Kramer Hickok, Plano, Texas 76-75-73—224
Jack Schultz, Whitefish Bay, Wis. 76-75-73—224
Matthew Ceravolo, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 72-77-75—224
Michael Kim, Del Mar, Calif. 75-75-75—225
Andrew Carreon, San Antonio, Texas 78-74-74—226
Eli Juren, Austin, Texas 77-76-73—226
Seiji Liu, Beverly Hills, Calif. 70-80-76—226
Alex Carpenter, Little Rock, Ark. 75-72-79—226
Carl Jonson, Bainbridge Island, Wash. 69-80-77—226
Richard Werenski, South Hadley, Mass. 78-75-74—227
Brandon Rodgers, Knoxville, Tenn. 78-73-76—227
Andrew Lister, Haymarket, Va. 76-74-77—227
Ryan Kelley, The Woodlands, Texas 80-77-72—229
Mitchell Griffin, Driftwood, Texas 82-74-73—229
Adam Carpenter, Little Rock, Ark. 76-76-77—229
Brandon Dalinka, Newtown, Pa. 79-71-79—229
Michael Decker, Pebble Beach, Calif. 76-76-78—230
Stephen Powers, Naperville, Ill. 80-70-80—230
Jordan Lee, Tarzana, Calif. 75-82-75—232
Will Pearson, Memphis, Tenn. 77-79-76—232
Austin Barreras, Peachtree City, Ga. 79-75-78—232
Daniel Stringfellow, Roselle, Ill. 79-76-78—233
Hayden Stephens, Georgetown, Texas 79-78-77—234
Santiago Gavino, San Luis Potosi, --, Mexico 79-78-77—234
Chris Capo, Woodland Hills, Calif. 79-77-78—234
Kyle Lewis, Shawnee, Okla. 75-79-80—234
David Lee, Houston, Texas 81-74-79—234
Tyler Ledet, Woodworth, La. 78-78-79—235
Kevin Jorden, Juno Beach, Fla. 82-74-79—235
Zachary Collings, Fort Worth, Texas 78-78-79—235
Luke Carpenter, Little Rock, Ark. 78-79-79—236
Matthew Helms, Edmond, Okla. 76-79-82—237
Jesse Droemer, Houston, Texas 78-78-82—238
John Torell, Bronxville, N.Y. 83-73-84—240
James Sullivan, Houston, Texas 79-78-84—241
Vincent Anagnos, Round Rock, Texas 75-81-87—243

GIRLS DIVISION
Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla. 72-74-66—212
Erynne Lee, Silverdale, Wash. 75-73-71—219
Alexandra Stewart, Peoria, Ariz. 74-74-75—223
Jennifer Yang, Coquitlam, British Columbia 74-76-74—224
Emma Lavy, Fayetteville, Ark. 77-78-70—225
Marika Liu, Beverly Hills, Calif. 73-74-78—225
Tiffany Lim, San Jose, Calif. 73-79-74—226
Seo Hee Moon, Mukilteo, Wash. 77-74-75—226
Emily Tubert, Burbank, Calif. 75-78-75—228
Portland Rosen, Sugar Land, Texas 80-72-78—230
Kelly Shon, Port Washington, N.Y. 78-75-77—230
Lauren Salazar, Santa Clara, Calif. 81-74-77—232
Luz Alejandra Cangrejo, Bogota, --, Colombia 80-77-75—232
Kyle Roig, Pembroke Pines, Fla. 79-75-78—232
Casey Grice, College Station, Texas 81-78-75—234
Bonnie Hu, Fremont, Calif. 83-75-78—236
Alexandra Groetsema, Palo Alto, Calif. 80-79-79—238
Sarah Beth Davis, Victoria, Texas 77-81-81—239



 
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