Holiday Series III: Poppy Hills & Del Monte G.C.
Pebble Beach, CA
December 28-29, 2016
Yardages – Poppy Hills | Del Monte
CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Holiday Series III Championship at Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (December 30, 2016) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Thursday at the Holiday Series III Championship at Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.
San Jose resident Lucas Carper shot 2-over par 143 and Santa Clara resident Andrea Gomez shot 11-over 154 and defeated Mika Jin in a playoff to win their respective divisions at the Holiday Series III Championship held Wednesday and Thursday at par-72 Del Monte GC and par-71 Poppy Hills GC.
Boys’ Championship winner Lucas Carper, runner-up Griffin Long and third place finisher Thomas Hutchison (left to right)
Carper finally got his turn at the top after two runner-up finishes including one at the Holiday Series II Championship. He’d earn his first victory of the 2016-2017 season thanks to a solid final round 1-over 72 at Poppy Hills that featured a birdie and 13 consecutive pars.
A day earlier at Del Monte, Carper played his back-nine at even par after carding a birdie and bogey to go with seven pars. In both rounds combined, he played the front-nine at just 1-over par.
Those trying to catch Carper but coming up just a stroke shy of forcing a playoff were Davis’ Griffin Long, San Jose’s Thomas Hutchison and Brendan Hopkins of Danville. Both Long and Hopkins had final round scores of 75.
Hutchison, the reigning JTNC Player of the Year, slipped with three bogeys en route to a back-nine 38.
Ryan Grauman of Alamo had the biggest turnaround, carding a 69 at Poppy Hills a day after opening with an 80 at Del Monte. Sam Sommerhauser of Rocklin placed fifth at 148 after a 71.
Girls’ Championship third place finisher Faith Low, runner-up Mika Jin and winner Andrea Gomez (left to right)
In the Girls’ Championship, Gomez also notched her first win of the season after defeating Jin on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. In her first round at Poppy Hills, Gomez was steady, carding 13 pars.
She’d slip to a 78 at Del Monte, but came up big when it counted, posting an even-par 36 to stay in the playoff chase with Jin.
Jin, who hails from Fremont, had chances to win the title outright but bogeyed both the 16th and 17th holes in regulation.
Faith Low of Foster City and San Ramon’s Danielle Suh both came in tied for third at 156 after final rounds of 79 and 82, respectively. Low would be awarded third place in a card-off. Quynn Duong of San Jose was fifth at 158 following a 76.
Boys’ First Flight third place finisher Krishan Patel, runner-up Keyan Patel and winner Camden Daly (left to right)
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Camden Daly of San Leandro took top honors, finishing at 157 after a final round 76. Finishing tied for second place at 158 were Keyan Patel of Pismo Beach and Krishan Patel of San Jose after rounds of 81 and 75, respectively. Keyan Patel claimed second place in a card-off.
Fourth place went to Cupertino’s Connor Lien at 159, while Danville’s Justin Hopkins was fifth at 163. Jacob Aaron of Napa had the shot of the tournament, making an albatross two on the par-5 9th at Del Monte.
Girls’ First Flight winner Annika Cruz, runner-up Camilla Chung and third place finisher Makenna Cabardo (left to right)
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Annika Cruz of Milpitas defeated Camilla Chung on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to claim the title.
Both came in tied at 165 after regulation following an 85 from Cruz and an 83 by Chung.
Third place went to Makenna Cabardo of Scottsdale at 170, while Nathalie Benrey of Atherton and Viveka Kurup of Redwood Shores shared fourth place at 176.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Challenge Cup, slated for Jan. 3-4 at Poppy Hills GC.
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