San Leandro, CA
May 13-14, 2017

Contestant Information Sheet

Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results

Yardages | Approximate Final Round Times

Standard Local Rules | Pace of Play Policy

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series VI Championship at Monarch Bay Golf Club in San Leandro

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (May 15, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series VI Championship at Monarch Bay Golf Club in San Leandro.

San Ramon resident Ashkaan Hakim shot even-par 144 and Concord resident Yealimi Noh shot 2-over 146 to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series VI Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Monarch Bay Golf Club.

Boys’ Championship winner Ashkaan Hakim, runner-up Nikolai Friedman and third place finisher Ethan Chung (left to right)

Also the winner of the Fall Series VIII Championship, Hakim  was superb on the back-nine, posting a 33 that included an eagle (par-5 13^th) and two birdies with zero bogeys. On the front-nine, he had a 36 with two birdies and three bogeys. In Saturday’s opening round, he posted a 75.

Friedman, who opened with a 76, posted a 72 in the finale to come in at 148. He’d also eagle the 13^th and had two birdies but also four bogeys.

Ethan Chung of Cupertino finished in third place at 149 after a final round74.

Orinda’s Brendon Choe was fourth at 154, while Rocklin’s Sam Sommerhauser placed fifth at 155.

Girls’ Championship winner Yealimi Noh, runner-up Sabrina Iqbal and third place finisher Maya Pugatch (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, Noh  picked up her fourth win of the season, also taking the title thanks to a hot second round.

Noh posted a final round 71 featuring three birdies and just two bogeys. The round helped Noh break away from defending Girls’ Player of the Year Sabrina Iqbal.

Iqbal, of San Jose, had an opening round of 74 but fell back to a 75 to come in at 149, three shots behind Noh.

Also playing well, Maya Pugatch of San Jose had the rebound of the weekend. A day after shooting 80, Pugatch fired a 70 that featured six birdies to claim third place at 150.

Angela Liu of San Jose was fourth at 155, while San Ramon’s Belinda Hu took fifth place at 156.

Boys’ First Flight champion Kyreece Romero, runner-up Jacob Ponce and third place finisher Alexander Guan (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Kyreece Romero of San Jose had back-to-back rounds of 77 to finish at 154, defeating runner-up Jacob Ponce of San Ramon by five shots.

Third place went to Alexander Guan of San Jose at 160, while Mountain View’s Luke Jun was fourth at 161. Cameron Keith of Alamo and Dublin’s Sameer Paila tied for fifth at 162.

Girls’ First Flight champion Madison Wu, runner-up Tiffany Kwok and third place finisher Kiara Romero (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Dublin’s Madison Wu shot a final round 74 to come in at 157, defeating runner-up Tiffany Kwok of Pleasanton by four shots.

Third place went o Kiara Romero of San Jose at 163, with Jaclyn LaHa  taking fourth place at 167.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series VII Championship, slated for May 27-28 at Rooster Run Golf Club in Petaluma.

Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Scoring

Player Information Sheet | Approximate Yardages

2017 Hard Card Please Read | Pace of Play Policy

Approximate 2nd Round Times

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series V Championship at Darkhorse Golf Club in Auburn

 PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (May 1, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series V Championship at Darkhorse Golf Club in Auburn.

San Jose resident Lucas Carper shot 5-under 139 and San Ramon resident Danielle Suh shot 4-over 148 to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series V Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Darkhorse Golf Club.

Boys’ Championship winner Lucas Carper, runner-up George McNeely and third place finisher Wanxi Sun (left to right)

Carper nabbed his second win of the season, shooting stellar rounds of 70 and 69 to defeat runner-up George McNeely of Carmel by eight shots.

Also the winner of the Holiday Series III Championship, Carper got going with six birdies to go against four bogeys in the first round. A day later, he’d add on five more birdies with just two bogeys. Carper would be the only player to finish at under-par for the weekend.

McNeely, who was in the running after a solid opening round of 72, fell back to a 75 for a total of 147. Through his two rounds, he’d post five birdies.

Danville’s Wanxi Sun had a final round 73 to finish in third place at 148. Saransh Saxena of Dublin was fourth at 149 following a 75, while Concord’s Jack Feliciano was fifth at 152 after a 73.

Girls’ Championship winner Danielle Suh, runner-up Maya Pugatch and third place finisher Angela Liu (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, Suh broke through for her first win of the season thanks to back-to-back solid rounds. On Saturday, Suh had a 73 that featured five birdies and six bogeys. A day later, she’d post a 75 with two birdies to defeat runner-up Maya Pugatch of San Jose by six shots.

Pugatch, the winner at the Spring Series IV Championship, had rounds of 78-76 to finish at 154.

Both Belinda Hu of San Ramon and Angela Liu of San Jose finished tied for third at 155 after final rounds of 77 and 75, respectively. Liu would be awarded third place following a card-off (lower score on the back-nine).

Megan Yang of San Jose came in fifth at 156 following a 76.

Boys’ First Flight winner Gregory Lee, runner-up Jared Yee and third place finisher John Tobias Walsh (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Gregory Lee of San Jose notched his second straight win, posting rounds of 79-70 for a score of 149 and a three shot victory over runner-up Jared Yee of Fremont. Yee, who opened with a 72, fell back to an 80.

John Tobias Walsh of Yerington was third at 158 after a 79, while Harrison Sunde of Redding was fourth at 161. San Jose’s Jonathan Le placed fifth at 163.

Girls’ First Flight winner Brooke Yi, runner-up Emily Hou and third place finisher Meghan Paracuelles (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Brooke Yi of Pleasanton had a final round 73 to finish at 159, defeating co-runner-ups Meghan Paracuelles and Emily Hou by a stroke. Helping Yi along was a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 14^th hole.

Paracuelles, of Folsom, and Hou, of San Ramon, went to a card-off to determine second place. Hou won the card-off.

Fourth place went to Kathryn Robinson of American Canyon at 164. Pleasanton’s Jasmin Krishna finished fifth at 165.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series VI Championship, slated for May 13-14 at Monarch Bay Golf Club in San Leandro.

Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Scoring

2017 Hard Card Please Read| JTNC Pace of Play Policy

Player Information Sheet | Approximate Yardages

Approximate 2nd Round Times

April 24, 2017

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series IV Championship at Franklin Canyon Golf Course in Hercules

 PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (April 24, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series IV Championship at Franklin Canyon Golf Course in Hercules.

Santa Cruz resident Alec Phillips shot 3-over 145 and San Jose resident Maya Pugatch shot 7-over 149 and defeated two players in a playoff to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series IV Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-71 Franklin Canyon Golf Course.

Boys’ Championship winner Alec Phillips, runner-up Connor Motherway and third place finisher Aaron Chen (left to right)

Phillips picked up his first win of the 2016-2017 JTNC season by coming through huge down the stretch. He’d birdie holes No.16, No.17 and No.18 in succession for a final round 1-over 72 to hold off runner-up Connor Motherway of Reno by a stroke.

In his first round, Phillips also strung together three birdies in a row from holes No.7 through No.9.

Motherway also birdied the 18^th, but an earlier double-bogey on the 11^th left him with a second round 75 and two-day total of 146.

Aaron Chen of Fremont was also in the thick of things, carding a 75 to finish third at 147. Chen birdied the 14^th and 15^th but fell back with a bogey on the par-3 17^th.

Matthew Sutherland of Carmichael and Jack Moeller of Lafayette finished tied for fourth at 148 after final rounds of 73 and 75, respectively.

Girls’ Championship winner Maya Pugatch, runner-up Mika Jin and third place finisher Annie Liu (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, there was also drama as Pugatch, Mika Jin of Fremont and Annie Liu of Pleasanton all finished tied for first after regulation with identical scores of 149. Pugatch went on to get the win, her first of the season, after making birdie on the second playoff hole.

Helping Pugatch get into the playoff was a back-nine 2-under 34 that included four birdies. Jin had a final round 73 and Liu shot a final round 74. Both Jin and Liu were clutch in getting into the playoff, carding birdies on the closing 18^th.

Livermore’s Alexandria Christeson was fourth at 153 after a 78. Madelyn Gamble of Pleasant Hill and San Jose’s Katherine Zhu tied for fifth place at 154 after final rounds of 75 and 82, respectively.

Boys’ First Flight winner Gregory Lee, runner-up Cameron Keith and third place finisher Bob Zhu (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Gregory Lee of San Jose shot a final round 72 to come in at 146 and win by five over runner-up Cameron Keith of Alamo. Keith closed with a 76.

Third place went to Bob Zhu of Palo Alto at 153, while Aditya Tedimeti was fourth at 156. Mitchell Hoey of Alamo took fifth at 157.

Girls’ First Flight winner Varnika Archanta, runner-up Madison Wu and third place finisher Brooke Yi (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Vamika Achanta of San Jose won her second straight title, shooting a final round 79 to come in at 158, defeating runner-up Madison Wu of Dublin by three strokes.

Two players—Brooke Yi of Pleasanton and Selena Tang of Fremont—finished T-3 at 162. Yi would be awarded third place following a card-off.

Emily Hou of San Ramon and Pleasanton’s Jaclyn Ha finished T-5 at 164.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series V Championship, slated for April 29-30 at Darkhorse Golf Club in Auburn.

Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results

Player Information Sheet | Approximate Yardages

2017 Hard Card Please Read | JTNC Pace of Play Policy

Approximate Round Two Times

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series III Championship at Paso Robles Golf Club in Paso Robles

 PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (April 10, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series III Championship at Paso Robles Golf Club in Paso Robles

Manteca resident Ty Griggs shot even par 142 and Los Gatos resident Nicole Foster shot 7-over 149 to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series III Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-71 Paso Robles Golf Club.

Boys’ Championship runner-up Jackson Lake, winner Ty Griggs and third place finisher Chase Sienkiewicz (left to right)

Griggs got his second win of the season in dramatic fashion, making a birdie in a sudden-death playoff to defeat runner-up Jackson Lake.  Also the winner of the Fall Series IX Championship, Griggs had a huge comeback to win the title.

A day after opening with a 75, Griggs caught fire, posting an eagle (par-5 12^th) to go along with four birdies—three of which came down the stretch on holes No.15 through No.17. He’d add a par on the 18^th to finish regulation tied with Lake.

Lake was steady on both days, carding back-to-back rounds of 71. In both rounds, he’d split his scoring, carding four birdies to go against four bogeys.

Nearly joining the playoff was Carmichael’s Chase Sienkiewicz, who came in at 143 following a 71. Sienkiewicz also birdied No.15 and No.16 but stumbled with a bogey on the 17^th.  A par on 18 left him a shot back.

Fourth place went to Corte Madera’s Ian Gilligan at 144, while Owen Avrit of Arroyo Grande and Danville’s Jared Khoo shared fifth place at 145.

Girls’ Championship winner Nicole Foster, runner-up Antonia Malate and third place finisher Katelyn Vo (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, Foster nabbed her first victory of the season courtesy of a stellar second round.

A day after opening with a 78, Foster too got going, shooting a 71 that featured three birdies and three bogeys to defeat runner-up Antonia Malate of Seaside by two shots.

Malate, who was the first round leader after a 74, fell back to a 77 to come in at 151.

Three players—Danielle Suh of San Ramon, Angela Liu of San Jose and Katelyn Vo of San Jose—all finished tied for third at 154. Vo would be awarded third place following a card-off.

Boys’ First Flight winner Connor Lien, runner-up Krishan Patel and third place finisher Bob Zhu (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Connor Lien of Cupertino got the win, shooting a final round 76 to finish at 150 and defeat runner-up Krishan Patel of San Jose by three strokes.

Patel had a final round 79. Bob Zhu of Palo Alto was third at 155, while Keyan Patel of Pismo Beach was fourth at 156. Fifth place went to Adam Duncan of Bakersfield at 157.

Girls’ First Flight winner Varnika Achanta and runner-up Brooke Yi (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Varnika Achanta of San Jose shot a final round 77 to come in at 153, cruising to a nine shot victory over runner-up Brooke Yi of Pleasanton.

Two players—Samira Pal of Cupertino and Katie Fong of Dublin—finished tied for third at 166. Pal was awarded third place following a card-off. Fifth place went to Gabbie Puspoki of Pleasanton at 168.

The JTNC would like to express its thanks to the Paso Robles GC staff for its extreme hospitality and services.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series IV Championship, slated for April 22-23 at Franklin Canyon Golf Course in Hercules.

Contestant Information Sheet

Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results

2017 Hard Card Please Read | JTNC Pace of Play Policy

Coyote Creek Yardages  | Approximate 2nd Round Times

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series II Championship at Coyote Creek Golf Course in San Jose

 PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (March 27, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series II Championship at Coyote Creek Golf Course in San Jose.

Mountain View resident Moibhi Tyndall shot 3-under par 141 and San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal shot 1-under 143 to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series II Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Coyote Creek Golf Course.

Boys’ Championship winner Moibhi Tyndall, runner-up Daniel Kim and third place finisher Max Ting (left to right)

Tyndall grabbed his first victory of the 2016-2017 season by being the only player to break par both days. In the first round, Tyndall posted a solid 2-under 70 that included a front-nine 34 with three birdies and a closing eagle on the par-5 5^th.

A day later, Tyndall was still in a groove, carding four birdies to go against three bogeys. It’d be good enough to hold off runner-up Daniel Kim of San Jose by a stroke.

On Saturday, Kim set the pace with a stellar 68 that included seven birdies. With a birdie on the 11^th on Sunday, he’d stay in the hunt. But a pair of costly bogeys on No.12 and No.14 left him one back.

Max Ting of Atherton finished in third place at 144 after back-to-back rounds of 72, while San Jose’s Sebastian Iqbal claimed fourth place at 145 after a 72. Fifth place went to Danville’s Jared Khoo at 146.

Girls’ Championship winner Sabrina Iqbal, runner-up Andrea Gomez and third place finisher Kaleiya Romero (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, Iqbal got her first JTNC win of 2017 with yet another stellar performance. Coming off her second straight win at the San Francisco City Women’s Championship, Iqbal posted rounds of 74-69 to come in at 143 and win by seven shots.

It was the 25^th JTNC win for Iqbal, extending her record for most career Northern California junior “major” victories. In shooting 69, the Pioneer High junior posted five birdies to go against just two bogeys.

Placing second was Santa Clara’s Andrea Gomez at 150 after a 71, while Kaleiya Romero of San Jose was third at 152 following a 77.

Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon and Maya Pugtach of San Jose shared fourth place at 153.

Boys’ First Flight champ Jacob Ponce, runner-up Krishan Patel and third place finisher William Yao (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Jacob Ponce of San Ramon shot a final round 78 to come in at 151 and edge co-runner-ups William Yao of Santa Clara and Krishan Patel of San Jose by a stroke. Yao had a final round 75, while Patel, who was awarded second place after card-off (better back-nine score), had a 78.

Jacques Le of San Jose was fourth at 156, while Marina’s Curtis Dasilva and Palo Alto’s Aditya Tadimeti shared fifth place at 160.

Girls’ First Flight champ Clare Brady, runner-up Kiara Romero and third place finisher Vikki Xu (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Clare Brady of Campbell shot a final round 77 to come in at 157 and defeat co-runner-ups Kiara Romero of San Jose and Vikki Xu of Los Altos by seven shots. Romero was awarded second place following a card-off.

Sophie Thai of Los Altos and Redwood Shores resident Viveka Kurup finished T-4 at 164.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series III Championship, slated for April 8-9 at Paso Robles Golf Club in Paso Robles.

Stockton, CA
March 18-19, 2017

Contestant Information Sheet

Pairings  |  Results

Yardages: Elkhorn GC  |  Stockton GCC

Approximate Second Rount Tee Times: Boys Championship & Girls First | Girls Championship & Boys First

Pace of Play Policy  |  Standard Local Rules

CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Spring Series I Championship at Stockton Golf and Country Club and Elkhorn Golf Club in Stockton

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (March 20, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2016-2017 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Spring Series I Championship at Stockton Golf and Country Club and Elkhorn Golf Club in Stockton.

Chico resident Noah Norton shot 2-under par 140 and San Ramon resident Belinda Hu shot 3-over 145 to win their respective divisions at the Spring Series I Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-71 Stockton G&CC and par-71 Elkhorn GC.

Boys’ Championship winner Noah Norton, runner-up Alex Zhu and third place finisher Grant Fairbairn (left to right)

Norton notched his first victory of the 2016-2017 season thanks to a solid first round 2-under 69 at Elkhorn GC that featured five birdies to go against a bogey and double-bogey. He’d make his big move on the back-nine, going 4-under through his first six holes.

A day later at Stockton G&CC, Norton was simply steady, posting 14 pars to go with two birdies and two bogeys.

Alex Zhu of San Ramon gave it his best in a comeback attempt. A day after opening with a 75, Zhu caught fire at Stockton G&CC, carding a 67 with six birdies. But it wasn’t enough to catch Norton.

Grant Fairbairn of Orinda placed third at 143 after rounds of 71-72.

Brendon Choe of Orinda and Lodi resident Justin Gums both grabbed a share of fourth place at 144 after final rounds of 71 and 70, respectively.

Girls’ Championship winner Belinda Hu, runner-up Yealimi Noh and third place finisher Steffi Lin (left to right)

In the Girls’ Championship, Hu also got her first victory of the 2016-2017 season, holding on to defeat runner-up Yealimi Noh by a shot.

Hu took the first round lead, posting a 72 at Stockton G&CC that included three birdies and four bogeys. A day later at Elkhorn GC (a par 73 for the Girls), Hu got off to a shaky start with a front-nine 38 but righted the ship with an even-par 35 on the back.

Noh, who came into the event in second place in the Player of the Year standings, opened with a 74. She’d make a valiant second round push with a 1-under 72, but was stung by a bogey on the par-4 17^th and could only make par on 18.

Three players—San Ramon’s Steffi Lin, Bibilani Liu of Cupertino and Fremont’s Mika Jim—all finished tied for third at 153.

Boys’ First Flight winner Gregory Lee, runner-up Cameron Keith and third place finisher Leonardo Vieira (left to right)

In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Gregory Lee of San Jose shot a final round 75 to come in at 153 and defeat runner-up Cameron Keith of Alamo by two shots. Keith had a final round 78.

Two players—Leonardo Vieira of Castro Valley and Jonathan Le of San Jose—finished tied for third at 157 after final rounds of 78 and 81, respectively. Luke Dugger of Davis and Matthew Ro of San Jose shared fifth place at 158.

Girls’ First Flight winner Jaclyn LaHa, runner-up Selena Tang and third place finisher Skyler May (left to right)

In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Jaclyn LaHa of Pleasanton shot a final round 78 to finish at 161 and defeat runner-up Selena Tang of Fremont by eight shots. Tang had a final round 87.

Skyler May of Stockton and Pleasanton’s Jasmin Krishna finished T-3 at 170, while Tiffany Kwok and Gabbie Puspoki of Pleasanton and Tuesday Epperson of Lincoln finished T-5 at 171.

Next up on the JTNC calendar is the Spring Series II Championship, slated for March 25-26 at Coyote Creek Golf Club in San Jose.

Pebble Beach, CA
January 3-4, 2017

**Live Scoring**

Singles Match Play Pairings

Four-Ball & Foursome Pairings

Yardages

January 4, 2017

It was the North’s turn to relish a win.

A year after the PGA Southern California Junior Tour won the inaugural Challenge Cup, the Junior Tour of Northern California North squad got a taste of victory, defeating their counteraprts from the Southland, 15-9, following the conclusion of Wednesday’s Singles matches at par-71 Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.

Having entered the finale holding a comfy 8-4 lead, the North squad maintained its four point cushion early on when three-time JTNC Girls’ Player of the Year Sabrina Iqbal and fellow sensation Yealimi Noh picked up wins of 5 and 4 and 7 and 6, respectively to offset a pair of South victories by Rose Zhang (6 and 4) and Amari Avery (1-up).

The following four Singles matches, which saw the Boys’ teeing off, also were split, with defending JTNC Boys’ Player of the Year Thomas Hutchison (4 and 3) and Jeremy Villafuerte (7 and 5) grabbing big wins. On the South side, Roy Choi won his match 3 and 2, while Ray Navis snared a 4 and 2 victory.

The North side put things away with wins in three of the final four matches: Brian Stark (1-up), Ryan Burnett (3 and 2) and Justin Gums (1-up).

While it was another day of fun for all, the North was also out to even the score.

“We wanted to win it this time,” said North team member Ashkaan Hakim, who split his Foursomes and Fourball matches on Tuesday. “We have fun but we also want to win. In the end, we’re all competitors.”

North team captain Aaron Hartesveldt said the event went well and is only growing in popularity. Wednesday’s action somehow managed to mostly stay dry. During both days of the Cup, there were also a number of college coaches, including some from UCLA, University of Oregon, Cal, Stanford and New Mexico State, watching the action with eyes on potential future talent.

“It was another great event, and we were able to avoid the weather. The North played really solid throughoput and played even better when it really counted,” Hartesveldt said. “We’re already looking forward to meeting our friends from the South team again in the next Cup.”

January 3, 2017

The cold and blustery weather at Poppy Hills Golf Course on Tuesday didn’t seem to bother any of the players. That can happen when they’re teeing it up in what has become the annual Challenge Cup.

A year after the South won the inaugural event, eight boys and four girls representing the Junior Tour of Northern California looked to even the score against their counterparts from the PGA Southern California Junior Tour.

In what could be called an All-Star clash of some of the best junior golfers in the Golden State, the North has the early advantage this time around, as the JTNC squad took an 8-4 lead following opening (9-hole) Foursomes and Fourball play. After the early morning Fourball matches, things were all knotted up at 3 points apiece. In the latter Foursomes matches, however, the North was dominant, winning five of the six matches. Among those getting big wins for the North were the tandem of Yealimi Noh/Sabrina Iqbal (4 and 3) and the team of Thomas Hutchison/Ryan Burnett (2-up).

As the players will tell you, the Challenge Cup has quickly become one of their most anticipated events, no matter if the temperatures feel like they’re in Minnesota. Why? For one, it’s a rare chance for the juniors to compete as a team. It’s also a rare opportunity for them to compete in match play.

“It’s my favorite event of the year. You get both team play and match play, and we don’t get to do that very often,” Burnett said. “I like match play more than stroke play. It’s more fun and interesting. In 9-hole match play, things are really up for grabs. Anything can happen. It makes it more fun.”

The changes from normal junior tournament play also has brought out some important spectators. A slew of college coaches, including some from UCLA, University of Oregon, Cal, Stanford and New Mexico State, watched the action with eyes toward the future.

“It’s unique because at this event we get to seem them in a team competition,” said UCLA assistant men’s coach Andrew Larkin.

“We look for tournaments with multiple players in this kind of environment, where they’re playing as a team,” said University of Oregon men’s head coach Casey Martin, who knows a thing about talent, having competed on the PGA Tour. “A lot of coaches from a lot schools made it here for a reason.”

Play in the second Challenge Cup continues Wednesday morning at Poppy Hills with Singles matches.

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