ASHLAND, Ky. -- Justin Thomas of Goshen, Ky., captured his second straight victory Friday at the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior after carding a 12-under-par 198. Kendall Martindale of Jefferson City, Tenn., came from three strokes back to win the Girls Division at 9-over-par 219.
Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior was a 54-hole stroke play event held at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland, Ky. The field featured 90 boys and 30 girls, ages 12-18, from 20 states, Canada and Taiwan. The par-70 course was played at 6,034 yards in the Boys Division and 5,627 yards in the Girls Division.
Thomas came into the tournament on a hot streak following last week's win at the FootJoy Invitational and has taken home back-to-back victories at this tournament. After winning last year, Thomas knew he could do it again and proved himself after firing a 6-under-par 29 on the back nine.
"The front nine was a bit of a struggle, and I couldn't break apart from everyone and capitalize like I wanted to," Thomas said. "On the back nine I felt comfortable and could see the putts going in."
Playing for his fourth consecutive year in the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior, this tournament means a lot to Thomas.
"I've had success here and I know so many people, it's like home for me," Thomas said. "I told my mom I wanted to get on the board twice because I saw it when I first came here and remember how cool I thought that was."
Finishing five strokes behind Thomas in second place was Jared Flanery of Sandy Hook, Ky., at 7-under-par 203. Andrew Cho of Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., came in at 3-under-par 207 to finish third. Tied for fourth was Wesley Gosselin of Knoxville, Tenn., and Parker Page of Louisville, Ky., at even-par 210.
In the Girls Division, Martindale started the tournament seven strokes behind first- and second-round leader Emma Talley. Refusing to give up, Martindale kept her game steady, chipping away at Talley's lead over the course of the last two rounds.
"I gained four strokes back on Emma yesterday so I knew it could be done again," Martindale said. "I got an eagle on No. 5 from 140 yards out. If you have a good hole on this course you put it in your pocket and save it for later. The front nine got me ahead of the other girls and I just kept it going on the back."
Allison Emrey of Charlotte, N.C., and Emma Talley of Princeton, Ky., rounded out the top three girls after tying for second at 11-over-par 221.
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 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 on the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.
ASHLAND, Ky. -- Final results from the Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Bellefonte
Country Club.
Par: Boys: 35-35—70; Girls: 35-35—70.
Yardage: Boys: 6,034; Girls: 5,627.
Rating/Slope: Boys: 68.8/125; Girls: 72.5/128.
BOYS DIVISION
Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky. 69-65-64—198
Jared Flanery, Sandy Hook, Ky. 68-69-66—203
Andrew Cho, Howey in The Hills, Fla. 68-69-70—207
Wesley Gosselin, Knoxville, Tenn. 73-71-66—210
Parker Page, Louisville, Ky. 71-73-66—210
Chase Marinell, Cape Coral, Fla. 71-73-67—211
David Snyder, Somerset, Ky. 73-68-70—211
Paul Sansom, Russellville, Ky. 72-72-67—211
Zachery Munroe, Charlotte, N.C. 70-69-72—211
Morgan Dobbins, Jackson, Ohio 70-69-72—211
Hager Collins, Lexington, Ky. 67-71-73—211
Dylan Shepard, Crestwood, Ky. 70-70-72—212
Jay Woodward, Bridgeport, W.Va. 73-67-73—213
Will Morris, Columbus, Ohio 74-70-70—214
Robert Bader III, Louisville, Ky. 71-73-71—215
Korey Ward, West Chester, Ohio 69-70-76—215
Tyler Smith, Brentwood, Tenn. 66-71-78—215
Daniel DeLuca, Lexington, Ky. 67-75-74—216
Nick Huggins, Marietta, Ohio 72-71-73—216
Jackson Moore, Isle of Palms, S.C. 71-74-71—216
Jordan Lowery, Gilbert, Ariz. 67-80-69—216
John Stallard, Abingdon, Va. 73-70-73—216
Ben-Marvin Egel, Kokomo, Ind. 71-74-71—216
Tyler Hardison, Louisville, Ky. 72-72-72—216
Beau Titsworth, Avon, Ohio 71-72-73—216
Will Bishop, Lexington, Ky. 71-73-73—217
Ben Fister, Lexington, Ky. 76-65-76—217
Michael Decker, Pebble Beach, Calif. 75-72-71—218
Austin Barreras, Peachtree City, Ga. 73-73-72—218
John Callahan, Hinsdale, Ill. 75-72-71—218
Jason Zhou, Skillman, N.J. 73-73-72—218
Josh Alford, Marion, Ark. 66-78-74—218
Royce Kim, Yorktown, Va. 71-72-76—219
Mason Haynes, Elizabethtown, Ky. 70-72-77—219
Brian Anania, Hurricane, W.Va. 80-70-70—220
Garrett Hinton, Elizabethtown, Ky. 72-76-72—220
Zach Yinger, Sidney, Ohio 73-73-76—222
Alex Di Palma, Waite Hill, Ohio 71-79-72—222
Devin O'Grady, Lancaster, Pa. 74-77-72—223
Stuart Witt, Richmond, Ky. 79-71-73—223
Louis Gleixner, Greenwood, Indiana 72-75-76—223
Sam Booth, Hurricane, W.Va. 74-74-76—224
Benjamin Simpson, Lexington, Ky. 75-70-79—224
Scott Kim, Richland, Wash. 79-74-71—224
Jake Heinen, Hunting Valley, Ohio 77-77-70—224
Edward DeVane III, San Antonio, Texas 75-75-75—225
Akash Mirchandani, Prospect, Ky. 72-74-79—225
Brandon Collier, Nicholasville, Ky. 74-79-72—225
Thomas Carrico, Lebanon, Ky. 76-73-76—225
Robert Meador III, Miami Lakes, Fla. 75-75-76—226
Tyler Shellnut, Franklin, Tenn. 75-78-73—226
Brendan Byrne, Strongsville, Ohio 79-73-75—227
Matt Renner, Hilliard, Ohio 79-75-73—227
Kyle Grigsby, Morristown, Tenn. 76-74-77—227
Mark Kim, Rome, Ga. 75-78-74—227
Micah Skidmore, Saginaw, Mich. 74-72-81—227
Jason Hobbs, Columbus, Ga. 79-75-75—229
Cameron Beal, Bowling Green, Ky. 76-75-78—229
Parker Freiburg, Quincy, Ill. 78-78-73—229
Thomas Dunne, Dublin, Ohio 74-78-77—229
Dan Joseph, Jefferson Hills, Pa. 79-73-77—229
Michael Ashcraft, Allentown, Pa. 76-77-76—229
Sage Engel, New Albany, Ohio 79-72-79—230
Joo-Young Lee, Hilliard, Ohio 79-75-76—230
Todd McDaniel, Manchester, Ky. 76-75-79—230
Travis Thompson, Benton, Ky. 72-81-77—230
Robb Clark, Louisville, Ky. 81-76-75—232
Tyler Yaple, Dublin, Ohio 82-78-72—232
Stephen Theisen, Des Peres, Mo. 78-81-74—233
Mark Mackey, Los Angeles, Calif. 80-76-77—233
Taylor Combs, Lexington, Ky. 72-82-79—233
Nick Blackburn, Westlake, Ohio 80-74-79—233
Corey Richmond, West Union, Ohio 81-77-75—233
Nicholas Tenhundfeld, Cincinnati, Ohio 75-79-80—234
Tanner Pontius, Powell, Ohio 76-78-82—236
Aaron Barna, Hurricane, W.Va. 80-77-79—236
Kenny Chong, Bradenton, Fla. 77-85-74—236
Grant McKenzie, Russell, Ky. 79-78-80—237
Declan Vea, Evansville, Ind. 85-75-79—239
Carl Schlotman IV, Cincinnati, Ohio 78-77-84—239
Elliot Horst, Rockford, Ill. 80-83-77—240
Jack Lynch, Lexington, Ky. 83-82-78—243
Jeffrey Meade, Ashland, Ky. 85-80-80—245
Joseph Richard, Owensboro, Ky. 88-75-83—246
Jordan Allen, Frisco, Texas 83-85-82—250
Andrew Holtzapfel, Ironton, Ohio 85-88-80—253
Joshua Robinette, Ashland, Ky. 81-85-87—253
Thomas Dransfeld, Huntington, W.Va. 82-86-86—254
Matthew Muller, Cincinnati, Ohio 95-96-87—278
William Costello, Wilmette, Ill. 98-90-96—284
GIRLS DIVISION
Kendall Martindale, Jefferson City, Tenn. 75-71-73—219
Allison Emrey, Charlotte, N.C. 74-72-75—221
Emma Talley, Princeton, Ky. 68-75-78—221
Mayko Chwen Wang, Taipei, Taiwan 76-74-74—224
Emily Haas, Nicholasville, Ky. 73-76-76—225
Taylor Manning, Brentwood, Tenn. 73-75-77—225
Stani Schiavone, Bangor, Pa. 76-79-71—226
Katia Joo, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. 76-74-77—227
Hally Leadbetter, Orlando, Fla. 78-73-77—228
Sophie Hayashi, Carmel, Ind. 79-77-75—231
Brooke Bellomy, Ona, W.Va. 76-79-78—233
Allison Harper, Columbus, Ohio 84-78-72—234
Kendall Allen, Pittsburgh, Pa. 77-81-77—235
Katie Petrino, Fayetteville, Ark. 80-76-79—235
Zhiqi (Jessica) Zhang, Mason, OH 79-78-83—240
Hannah Pierce, King George, Va. 76-78-87—241
Megan Wilshire, Georgetown, Ky. 82-77-83—242
Gabrielle Weiss, Macungie, Pa. 81-77-86—244
Alexandra Anderson, Charlotte, N.C. 84-81-81—246
Kaitlyn Price, Jacksonville, Fla. 81-78-87—246
Kylie Foushee, Glasgow, Ky. 86-83-82—251
Mallory Etcheberry, Wesley Chapel, Fla. 82-85-88—255
Kelly Hill, Burke, Va. 83-87-85—255
Katy Humphrey, Paintsville, Ky. 88-83-86—257
Jacqueline DeBoer, ByronCenter, Mich. 86-86-86—258
Kelsey Burrell, Franklin, Ky. 83-84-92—259
Sabrina Ferreri, Franklin, Ky. 84-89-86—259
Brooke Albers, Fort Loramie, Ohio 83-92-92—267
Laura Mary DeMarco, Lasalle, Ontario 104-91-83—278
Ashleigh Howerton, Madisonville, Ky. 96-85-105—286
