WESTFIELD CENTER, Ohio -- The 2006 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team has been finalized following the conclusion of the final qualifying event, the 31st Westfield Junior PGA Championship at Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio. The final two spots for the team were granted to the winners and runner-up’s in the boys’ and girls’ divisions: Joe Monty of Chantilly, Va., Tony Mapu Finau of Salt Lake City, Utah, Brittany Altomare of Shrewsbury, Mass., and Kristen Schelling of Mesa, Ariz. The Junior Ryder Cup will be contested against Europe and Great Britain, Sept. 18-19, at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.
“I am more than excited to be playing on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team,” said Schelling, who will be competing for the first time in the duel. “I can’t even put it into words. I set out today to qualify for this opportunity and I am very proud of myself. I look forward to representing the United States.”
Jack Connelly, the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team Captain, announced his two captains’ picks in Esther Choe, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Bud Cauley, 16, of Jacksonville, Fla. Choe is the No. 3 golfer in the country and recently won 2006 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship. Cauley is ranked No. 13 in the country and was a member of the 2006 U.S. Canon Cup Team.
“It is a great honor to represent the country and The PGA of America as the Captain next month,” said Connelly, the 32nd PGA of America President. “I am confident that we have the best junior golfers from the United States on this extremely talented team since we revamped the PGA Points Structure to include the AJGA and USGA junior events into the team qualifications this year. The players know each other and we are going to go over to Wales and have fun with the goal of bringing home the cup.”
Leading the boys will be Philip Francis, 17, of Scottsdale, who is the No. 1 golfer in the country. Francis has had an extremely successful golf season this year with victories at the U.S. Junior Amateur, Rolex Tournament of Champions and the Thunderbird International Junior. He qualified to compete in the 2006 U.S. Amateur and has committed to play for UCLA in the fall of 2007.
Joining Francis will be Drew Kittleson, 17, also of Scottsdale, who is the No. 4 golfer in the country. Kittleson shot a final round 66 at the Rolex Tournament of Champions and qualified for the 2006 U.S. Amateur.
Completing the boys team members will be Andrew Yun of Tacoma, Wash., who was a member of the 2006 U.S. Canon Cup Team is ranked No. 15 in the country.
Highlighting the girls will be Isabelle Lendl of Bradenton, Fla., the No. 6 golfer in the country who recently won the Scott Robertson Memorial, MCI and Thunderbird International Junior.
Joining Lendl will be Vicky Hurst, 16, of Melbourne, Fla., and Cassandra Blaney, 16, of Rochester, N.Y. Hurst finished in second place at both the 2006 Betsy Rawls Girls Championship and the U.S. Girls Championship in Charlotte. Blaney is a 2-time PGA Junior Series Player of the Year and won four events on the 2006 Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series Tour.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing the game and the business of golf.
Contact: Heidi Wegmueller
August 13, 2006
561/352-3868
hwegmuel@pgahq.com
