RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Two first-time AJGA champions had to wait out Mother Nature, but ultimately were rewarded Thursday at WindStone Golf Club, as James Monnerville of Vero Beach, Fla., and Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale, Ga., took home the winners' trophies in the Boys and Girls Divisions, respectively. Monnerville finished the tournament with a three-round total of 7-under-par 203, while Stackhouse finished at 3-under-par 207.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic was a 54-hole stroke play event held at WindStone Golf Club in Ringgold, Ga. The tournament field consisted of 75 boys and 23 girls from 15 states and Venezuela, ages 12-18. The Boys Division played the par-70 WindStone Golf Club at 6,469 yards, and the Girls Division played the course at 5,797 yards.
Monnerville started the final round two shots back of second-round leader Sam Straka of Valdosta, Ga, and he was still two shots back after nine holes. This time, he trailed Kelby Burton of Evans, Ga., who played the front nine at 4-under-par 31. After the turn, Monnerville, 16, immediately started making up ground by making birdie on the 370-yard par-4 No. 10. He stayed hot by rolling in birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 and then surged to a three-stroke lead with his fifth birdie of the day on the 525-yard par-5 No. 17.
After his birdie on No. 17, Monnerville had to sit for over an hour on his three-shot lead when storms descended on Ringgold and play was suspended. Ultimately, the players were able to return to the course to finish the tournament, and Monnerville battled nerves and a bad approach shot to clinch his championship.
"I knew at the 18 tee I had a three-shot lead, and the approach shot was more nerves than anything else," Monnerville said, adding tapping in his last putt on the 18th green was "The best feeling of the day."
Tied for second at 4-under-par 206 were Payne Denman of Riverwatch, Tenn., and Straka, while Burton finished in fourth at 3-under-par 207. Zach Estep rounded out the boys' leaderboard in fifth at 1-under-par 209.
Stackhouse displayed a killer instinct Thursday, as her 4-under-par 66 clinched a wire-to-wire victory for the 15-year-old. She credited her putter for holding off Shannon Aubert of Orlando, Fla., as well as the rest of a talented field of girls.
"Well, I had three birdies in a row on the back nine, and after that it was pretty much like I was confident with my putter," Stackhouse said. "I would step up over it and be like, 'You know, you're gonna make this putt,' and I think that's important. You have to have that confidence putting, and with those three birdies in a row everything just kind of went uphill from there."
Aubert slotted in behind Stackhouse at 1-under-par 209, and Karen Chung of Livingston, N.J., finished in third at 2-over-par 212.
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 50 states and more than 30 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 200 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA tours and have compiled more than 350 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 Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic, please call AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200, or visit the AJGA Web site at ajga.org.
RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Final results from the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at
WindStone Golf Club. Par: Boys: 35-35—70; Girls: 35-35—70. Yardage: Boys: 6,469; Girls: 5,797. Rating/Slope: Boys: 71.4/128; Girls: 73.2/126.
BOYS DIVISION
James Monnerville, Vero Beach, Fla. 65-72-66—203
Payne Denman, Riverwatch, Tenn. 70-69-67—206
Sam Straka, Valdosta, Ga. 64-71-71—206
Kelby Burton, Evans, Ga. 66-72-69—207
Zach Estep, Lawrenceville, Ga. 71-67-71—209
Christopher Ingham, Miami, Fla. 73-72-65—210
Keith Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn. 71-68-71—210
Chandler Rusk, Edmond, Okla. 66-76-69—211
Blake Soni, Bradenton, Fla. 74-69-68—211
Davis Womble, High Point, N.C. 73-67-71—211
Hogan Vaughn, Huntsville, Ala. 74-67-71—212
Davis Bunn, Knoxville, Tenn. 69-74-69—212
Peter Sterner, Bradenton, Fla. 75-67-71—213
Austin Barreras, Peachtree City, Ga. 69-72-72—213
Marshall Talkington, Jackson, Tenn. 70-73-71—214
Kevin Lee, Dacula, Ga. 70-70-74—214
Wilson Orr, Memphis, Tenn. 70-74-70—214
Ted Moon, Lilburn, Ga. 72-73-69—214
Eric Muslawski, Sarasota, Fla. 71-69-75—215
Kyle Wilshire, Georgetown, Ky. 78-68-69—215
Hayden Anderson, Knoxville, Tenn. 73-68-74—215
Patrik Sterner, Bradenton, Fla. 75-71-70—216
Robert De Biase, Howey in the Hills, Fla. 71-73-72—216
Beau Cutts, Henderson, N.C. 71-68-77—216
Chun Hung Chan, Bradenton, Fla. 73-72-72—217
Sepp Straka, Valdosta, Ga. 73-72-72—217
David Snyder, Somerset, Ky. 74-73-70—217
Thomas Bradshaw, Columbia, S.C. 79-65-74—218
Mookie DeMoss, Duluth, Ga. 73-73-72—218
Cody Shafer, Evans, Ga. 66-80-72—218
Lucas Armstrong, Church Hill, Tenn. 73-73-72—218
Austin Kramer, Knoxville, Tenn. 71-75-72—218
Hunter Kraus, Germantown, Tenn. 72-74-72—218
Richard Hubbard, Mt Pleasant, S.C. 73-76-70—219
William Sigg, Augusta, Ga. 73-72-74—219
Matthew Anderson, Tompkinsville, Ky. 72-74-73—219
Parker Page, Louisville, Ky. 75-75-69—219
Josh Lee, Orange Park, Fla. 71-76-72—219
Dylan Healey, Franklin, Tenn. 73-77-69—219
Dylan Freeman, Athens, Ga. 71-73-76—220
Korey Smith, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 77-72-71—220
Jordan Jennings, Jefferson City, Tenn. 68-70-82—220
Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville, Ga. 69-80-72—221
Bryan Fox, Roswell, Ga. 78-73-70—221
Jack Gibbs, Augusta,Ga. 76-73-72—221
Jade Scott, Daingerfield, Texas 77-68-76—221
Christopher Bushey, Smithsburg, Md. 72-79-71—222
Andrew Gain, Bradenton, Fla. 78-71-73—222
Alec Ceravolo, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 77-70-75—222
Nick Willenborg, Knoxville, Tenn. 74-73-76—223
Tyler LeRoy, Nashville, Tenn. 70-75-78—223
Peter Meeks, Louisville, Ky. 72-78-73—223
Brandon Park, Weston, Fla. 76-75-72—223
Jeffrey Cornelius, Ringgold, Ga. 76-72-75—223
Max Van Dresser, Alpharetta, Ga. 77-73-74—224
Ben Wolcott, Burns, Tenn. 77-70-77—224
Daniele Cabriles, Valencia, Venezuela 75-73-76—224
Jack Gillespie, Knoxville, Tenn. 75-74-76—225
Josh Alford, Marion, Ark. 79-73-73—225
Aaron Jeong, Alpharetta, Ga. 81-72-74—227
Patrick Grahek, Alpharetta, Ga. 77-73-77—227
Neal Quirk, Atlanta, Ga. 76-78-74—228
Kurtis Straw, Johnstown, Pa. 80-77-71—228
Brant DeLongy, Winter Park, Fla. 78-74-76—228
John Edge, Atlanta, Ga. 75-78-77—230
Bryan Lloyd, Fernandina Beach, Fla. 72-85-74—231
Caleb Morris, Metter, Ga. 85-73-73—231
Elliot Shin, Franklin, Tenn. 71-80-80—231
Tanner Werner, Jackson, Mo. 81-81-71—233
Micah Skidmore, Saginaw, Mich. 79-79-76—234
Dustin Wilder, Brentwood, Tenn. 77-77-80—234
Brooks Thomas, Chattanooga, Tenn. 75-79-81—235
Jack Yancey, Rome, Ga. 79-80-82—241
Kevin Gann, Ringgold, Ga. 85-83-80—248
Layton Truax, Savannah, Ga. 85-85-80—250
GIRLS DIVISION
Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale, Ga. 68-73-66—207
Shannon Aubert, Orlando , Fl 71-71-67—209
Karen Chung, Livingston, N.J. 73-69-70—212
Isabelle Lendl, Bradenton, Fla. 71-70-72—213
Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C. 72-75-69—216
Mary Alice Murphy, Lookout Mtn, Tenn. 76-71-70—217
Lauren Stratton, Spring Hill, Tenn. 72-71-74—217
Taylor Manning, Brentwood, Tenn. 77-73-70—220
Amelia Hill, Saint Simons Island, Ga. 74-77-71—222
Caitlin Watts, Lagrange, Ga. 74-74-74—222
Yugene Lee, Athens, Ga. 73-73-76—222
Janie Jackson, Huntsville, Ala. 75-72-76—223
Jessica Uem, Orlando, Fla. 75-79-72—226
Kelly Drack, Melbourne, Fla. 77-71-78—226
Collins Bradshaw, Columbia, S.C. 72-80-76—228
Robbi Howard, Bradenton, Fla. 85-76-71—232
Jordan Hollinshead, Old Hickory, Tenn. 78-77-77—232
Jordan Britt, Chattanooga, Tenn. 80-74-79—233
Allie Knight, Knoxville, Tenn. 79-83-76—238
Haley Cothran, Soddy Daisy, Tenn. 74-79-85—238
Sydney Conrad, Powder Springs , Ga. 84-84-80—248
Natalie Mitchell, Germantown, Tenn. 84-82-85—251
Alexa Payne, Dandridge, Tenn. 83-85-88—256
