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CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series VIII Championship at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (October 16, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series VIII Championship at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore.
Cupertino resident Sam Ethan Chung shot 3-under 141 and Concord resident Yealimi Noh shot 7-under 137 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series VIII Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Poppy Ridge GC.
Chung earned his second win of the 2017-2018 season and grabbed the lead in the Player of the Year points standings thanks to a clutch birdie on the 18th hole. The birdie gave Chung a final round score of 71, enabling him to hold off runner-up Sebastian Iqbal of San Jose.
Overall, Chung had eight birdies to go against just five bogeys. Iqbal also birdied the 18th for a 71 but was previously stung by a bogey on the 17th. The stroke would give Iqbal a two-day total of 142.
Four other players—Drew Kim of Pleasanton, Gregory Lee of San Jose, Los Altos Hills’ Tyson Dinsmore and Saratoga’s Caleb Shetler—were also right in the thick of things, finishing T-3 at 143. Kim would earn third place in a card-off.
Kim, like Iqbal, also had a chance to catch Chung but slipped with a bogey on the 17th.
In the Girls Championship, things weren’t so dramatic, as Noh raced to a nine-shot win thanks to two brilliant rounds. The Carondelet High junior, who now has two wins on the season, opened with a 68 that featured eight birdies and four bogeys.
A day later, Noh was still hot, posting six birdies to go against three bogeys.
Alameda’s Elizabeth Scholtes and Foster City’s Faith Low finished T-2 at 146 after rounds of 72 and 73, respectively. Scholtes earned second place in a card-off.
Fourth place went to Carissa Wu of Dublin at 148. Andrea Gomez of Santa Clara and Sabrina Iqbal of San Jose finished T-5 at 149.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, San Ramon’s Jacob Ponce had a final round 75 to come in at 149 and defeat runner-up Leonardo Veira of San Leandro by a stroke. Veira had a final round 71.
Jonathan Le of San Jose and Tylor Chou of Los Altos finished T-3 at 151. Le won third in a card-off. Matthew Lee of Danville was fifth at 152.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Tina Xu of Los Altos had a final round 78 to come in at 160 and defeat runner-up Hannah Sangha of San Mateo by one. Sangha had a final round 78.
Sophia Bardunias of San Ramon and Emily Luo of Danville finished T-3 at 166. Bardunias earned third in a card-off. Stella Lin of San Ramon was fifth at 167.
Ahmed Ali of Los Altos and Ethan Chen of Fremont both had the shots of the event, making hole in ones on the par-3 7th hole of the Zinfandel Course.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Holiday Series I at Del Monte GC in Monterey on Nov. 20-21.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Player Information Sheet| Rancho Murieta North yardages
Approximate Second Round Tee Times
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CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series VII Championship at Rancho Murieta Country Club in Rancho Murieta
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (October 9, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series VII Championship at Rancho Murieta Country Club in Rancho Murieta.
Rocklin resident Sam Sommerhauser shot 1-under 143 and San Mateo resident Kiran Sangha shot 2-over 146 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series VII Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Rancho Murieta CC.
Sommerhauser notched his first win of the 2017-2018 season thanks to solid play both days. In Saturday’s first round, Sommerhauser was the epitome of steady, carding a birdie and 17 pars for a 71. In Sunday’s finale, he’d post three birdies and three bogeys for a 72 to hold off co-runner-ups Justin Gums of Lodi and George McNeely of Carmel by a stroke.
Gums, who had a second round 73, earned second place after a card-off. He had a chance to catch Sommerhauser but played his back-nine at 2-over. McNeely, meanwhile, was stung by a pair of double-bogeys on the back-nine.
Fourth place went to Baron Szeto of Moraga at 148 after a 75. Darren Pang of San Ramon and Ryan Meyer of Oakdale finished T-5 at 152.
In the Girls Championship, Sangha also picked up her first victory of the season with two great back-to-back rounds. Overall, Sangha posted seven birdies to go against nine bogeys.
A late birdie on Sunday on the 17th hole gave her two straight rounds of 73, enabling her to defeat runner-up Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon by four shots. Ha, who opened with a 74, posted a second round 76.
Third place went to Sienna Lyford of Roseville at 151 following a 76.
Andrea Gomez of Santa Clara was fourth at 153, while San Jose’s Isabelle Castro was fifth at 154.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Andre Chung of San Francisco had a final round 78 to come in at 155 and defeat runner-up Eric Ni of Dublin by three shots.
Nathan Park of Dublin and Leonardo Veira of San Leandro finished T-4 at 162 after rounds of 79 and 83, respectively. Veira earned third place in a card-off.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Chloe Weng of Los Altos had a final round 83 to come in at 164 and defeat co-runners-up Kaydee Tu of Orinda and Sophia Bardunias of San Ramon by a stroke. Tu earned second place in a card-off.
Bridget O’Keefe of Palo Alto and Benicia’s Angelica Antonio finished T-4 at 166.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series VIII Championship, to be held Oct.14-15 at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livemore.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Player Information Sheet | Greenhorn Yardages
Approximate Second Round Tee Times
JTNC Pace of Play Policy | Standard Local Rules
CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series VI Championship at Greenhorn Creek Golf Course in Angels Camp
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (October 3, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series VI Championship at Greenhorn Creek Golf Course in Angels Camp.
Cupertino resident Ethan Chung shot even-par 144 and San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal shot 8-over 152 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series VI Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Greenhorn Creek Golf Course.
Chung captured his first title of the 2017-2018 season thanks to solid rounds of even-par both days. Overall, Chung posted 10 birdies to hold off runner-up Carlos Arieta Winsett of Los Altos by four strokes. Chung had a wild first round, posting six birdies to go against four bogeys and a double-bogey.
On Sunday, Chung wrapped up his weekend with a birdie on the 18th. Arieta Winsett, who opened with a 72, fell back to a 76 on Sunday to come in at 148.
Nikolai Friedman of Mill Valley and Sebastian Iqbal of San Jose finished T-3 at 149 after rounds of 73 and 75, respectively. Iqbal was awarded third place following a card-off. Fifth place went to Danville’s Wanxi Sun at 151.
In the Girls Championship, Iqbal won her fourth event of the season.
The Pioneer High senior was clutch, carding a birdie on the 18th to hold off runner-up Sienna Lyford of Roseville by a shot. Iqbal, who notched her sixth win in 2017, had rounds of 75-77.
In Saturday’s opening round, Iqbal got going with three straight birdies during a stretch on the front-nine.
Lyford, who also opened with a 75, had an opportunity to catch Iqbal but slipped with a bogey on 18.
Vanessa Richani of Granite Bay was third at 159 after an 80. Mika Jin of Fremont was fourth at 160, while Kristine Tran of San Jose was fifth at 165.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Ryan Stewart of Petaluma shot a final round 79 to come in at 159 and defeat runner-up Eric Ni of Dublin by three shots.
Leonardo Veira of San Leandro was third at 163, while Vince Boyack of Sonora and Calvin Kong of Cupertino finished T-4 at 164.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Nicole Iniakov of Prunedale shot a final round 86 to come in at 168 and defeat runner-up Emily Hou of San Ramon by a shot.
Third place went to Mikaela Paracuelles of Folsom at 172. Stella Lin of San Ramon was fourth at 177, while Darla May Dela Torre was fifth at 178.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series VII Championship, to be held Oct.7-8 at Rancho Murieta Country Club in Rancho Murieta.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Player Information Sheet | Yardages
Approximate Second Round Times
JTNC Pace of Play Policy | Standard Local Rules
CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series V Championship at Ridge Creek Golf Course in Dinuba
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (September 18, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series V Championship at Ridge Creek Golf Course in Dinuba.
Kingsburg resident Brian Stark shot 6-under 138 and San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal shot 11-under 133 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series V Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Ridge Creek Golf Course.
Stark captured his first title of the 2017-2018 season by shooting solid scores of 3-under 69 both days. Overall, he’d post 12 birdies to go against just four bogeys and a double-bogey.
In Sunday’s finale, Stark caught fire, running off five straight birdies from holes Nos.11 through No.15.
Finishing as runner-up at 141 after a final round of 71 was Maverick Pavletich of Bakersfield. Ethan Chung of Cupertino was third at 142 following a 74.
Fourth place went to Los Altos’ Carlos Arieta-Winsett at 145. Three players—Vivek Vasireddy of Fremont, Caleb Shetler of Saratoga and Wanxi Sun of Danville—finished T-5 at 146.
In the Girls Championship, Iqbal won her third event of the season in record fashion.
The Pioneer High senior’s winning total of 11-under 133 tied the JTNC record for lowest winning girls’ score. Casie Cathrea shot 11-under 133 in winning at Ridge Creek in 2012. Iqbal’s second round 64 was the second lowest 18-hole score in JTNC history. Cathrea had a 63 at Ridge Creek.
Iqbal would post two eagles and 10 birdies with only three bogeys. She is 21-under over her last four rounds at Ridge Creek.
Finishing as runner-up at 145 after a final round 73 was San Mateo’s Kiran Sangha. Third place went to Mika Jin of Fremont at 153.
Megan Chou of Los Altos and Audrey Heckel of San Jose finished T-4 at 161.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Yusuf Ahmed of Folsom took the title after coming in tied at 11-over 155 with Patrick Sperling of Fresno. Ahmed won in a playoff.
Third place went to Rishab Ragineni of Cupertino at 159. Carlos Feliciano of Concord and Andrew Burdick of Arroyo Grande finished T-4 at 164.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Emily Hou of San Ramon shot a final round 77 to come in at 148, defeating runner-up Hannah Sangha of San Mateo by 11 shots. Sangha had an 81.
Mattie Millwee of Clovis and Janea Caparros of Riverbank finished third and fourth, respectively, at 165 and 176.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series VI Championship, to be held Sept. 30-Oct.1 at Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Player Information Sheet | Approximate 2nd Round Times
Pace of Play Policy | Standard Local Rules
CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series IV Championship at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (September 11, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series IV Championship at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento.
Lodi resident Justin Gums shot 6-under 138 and Concord resident Yealimi Noh shot 4-under 140 and defeated Danielle Suh in a playoff to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series IV Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Haggin Oaks Golf Complex.
Gums notched his first win of the 2017-2018 season with an impressive final round 5-under 67. A day after opening with a 71, Gums carded six birdies to go against just one bogey.
His big push would come on the back-nine, where he posted a 32, including a clutch birdie on the 18th to hold off runner-up Scott Rescigno by a stroke. Rescigno. Who’d opened with a 68, made a birdie on the 15th to get to 5-under but had to settle for pars on his final three holes, coming in with a 71 and two-day total of 139.
Third place went to Orinda’s Chloe Brendon at 141 following a final round 72. Woojin Gallo of Walnut Creek and Ryan Meyer of Oakdale shared fourth place at 142 after rounds of 67 and 71, respectively.
In the Girls Championship, Noh got her first win of the season via a terrific final round 68. A day after opening with a 72, Noh opened with a brilliant front-nine 31 that featured five birdies.
It would all help, as also having a strong weekend was Suh. Suh, of San Ramon, put together rounds of 69-71 to also finish at 140. In the sudden-death playoff, Noh emerged the winner via a birdie on the first hole.
Elizabeth Scholtes of Alameda and Sabrina Iqbal of San Jose shared third place at 142 after final rounds of 68 and 69, respectively. Iqbal has already won twice this season. Scholtes earned third place in a card-off.
Sienna Lyford of Roseville was fifth at 144 after a 73.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Steven Chen of San Jose shot a final round 72 to come in at 146 and defeat runner-up Travis Clauson of Martinez by four shots. Martinez had a final round 79.
Three players—Vince Boyack of Sonora, Al Esquerra of Alameda and San Leandro’s Camden Daly—finished T-3 at 149. Boyack earned third place in a card-off.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Ellexis Mingming of Walnut Creek shot a final round 72 to come in at 149 and defeat runner-up Kathryn Robinson of American Canyon by four shots. Robinson had a final round 79.
Tuesday Epperson of Lincoln was third at 157, while Mikaela Paracuelles of Folsom was fourth at 158. Fifth place went to Stella Lin of San Ramon at 159.
Mika Paliga and Courtney Cervellin had the shots of the tournament, each making a hole-in-one.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series V Championship, to be held Sept. 16-17 at Ridge Creek Golf Club in Dinuba.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Yardages | Approximate Final Round Times
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CIG-Sponsored Junior Golf Tour of Northern California Crowns Winners at Fall Series III Championship at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (September 5, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series III Championship at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey.
Menlo Park resident Carlos Will Meinhardt shot 2-under 140 and Fremont resident Mika Jin shot 4-over 146 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series III Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-71 Laguna Seca Golf Ranch.
Meinhardt grabbed his first win of the new season with solid play both days, carding a 69 and 71, respectively. Overall, he’d post eight birdies to go against six bogeys. Two of his biggest birdies came on the 13th and 15th holes, leading him to edge runner-up Wanxi Sun by a stroke.
Sun, of Danville, had opened with a solid 68 featuring five birdies. On Sunday, he’d get tripped up late by a bogey on the 17th, leading to a 73 and two-day total of 144.
Jonathan Dicks of Menlo Park was third at 144 after a 70, while Sebastian Iqbal of San Jose was fourth at 146 after a 73.
Four players—Saratoga’s Victor Shin, Maverick Pavletich of Bakersfield, Carlos Arieta Winsett of Los Altos and Ethan Chung of Cupertino—tied for fifth at 147.
In the Girls’ Championship, Jin shot a final round 74 to win by a stroke over runner-up Grace Chen of Sunnyvale. Coming off a first round 72, Jin, who notched her first win of the season, was fueled by key back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th holes.
Chen, who’d opened with a 71, slipped back to a 76 on Sunday. She’d be stung by bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes, leaving her with a two-day total of 147.
Three players—Borina Sutikto of Fremont, San Jose’s Kaleiya Romero and San Mateo’s Kiran Sangha—all finished tied for third at 149. Sangha, who shot a final round 71, earned third place following a card-off.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Matthew Ro of San Jose won his second straight title, shooting a final round 72 to come in at 151 and defeat runner-up Joshua Yeater of Marina by a stroke. Ro was powered in part by a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th in the final round. Yeater had a final round 75.
Third place went to Marina’s Curtis Dasilva at 155, while Advaith Pathi of San Jose was fourth at 157. Fifth place went to Jonathan Le of San Jose at 161.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Sophie Thai of Los Altos also won her second event in a row, posting a final round 79 to finish at 162, good enough for a one-shot win over runner-up Emily Hou of San Ramon.
Third place went to Kiara Romero of San Jose at 165. Palo Alto’s Lauren Sung was fourth at 170, while Kati Wilkes of Danville was fifth at 171.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series IV Championship, to be held Sept. 9-10 at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento.
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 Fall Series II Championship at San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 28, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series II Championship at San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister.
Los Altos resident Carlos Arieta Winsett shot 6-under 138 and defeated Ty Griggs in a playoff and San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal shot 1-over 145 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series II Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 San Juan Oaks Golf Club.
Winsett notched his first win of the new season with solid play both days, carding a 70 and 68, respectively. Overall, he’d card nine birdies to go against just one bogey. Along with coming up big in the playoff, he’d close with five straight pars to stay tied for first place.
Griggs, of Manteca, put himself in position with a sizzling first round 66 that featured seven birdies and just one bogey. On the front-nine, Griggs posted a 32.
Jason Chen of San Jose was third at 143 following a final round 70. Sebastian Iqbal of San Jose and Mill Valley’s Nikolai Friedman tied for fifth at 144 following rounds of 71 and 73, respectively.
In the Girls’ Championship, Iqbal, the reigning four-time Girls’ Player of the Year, nabbed her second straight win to start the new season. The Pioneer High senior had a final round 74 to hold off Danielle Suh of San Ramon by a shot.
The win marked Iqbal’s 27th career Northern California major, increasing her record.
Suh had a chance to force a playoff with Iqbal but closed with a bogey on the 18th for a 73 and two-day total of 146.
Roseville’s Sienna Lyford, the runner-up at the Fall Series I Championship, and Fremont’s Mika Jin both finished T-3 at 150 following rounds of 73 and 77, respectively. Lyford earned third place following a card-off.
Borina Sutikto of Fremont and Kiana Briggs of Novato finished T-5 at 152 after rounds of 72 and 75, respectively.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Matthew Ro of San Jose shot a final round 78 and defeated Curtis DaSilva of Marina in a playoff to win the title. DaSilva also had a final round 78.
In another tie, Eric Ni of Dublin and Ralph Kho of Belmont finished third at 155. Kho earned third place in a card-off. Calton Kong of Cupertino was fifth at 157.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Sophie Thai of Los Altos had a final round 75 to come in at 154 and win by four shots. At the Fall Series I, Thai had lost in a playoff.
Kristina Oh of San Jose and Annabelle Chen of Fremont finished tied for second at 158. Oh earned second place in a card-off. Emily Luo of Danville was fourth at 163, while Samira Pal of Cupertino was fifth at 164.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series III Championship, to be held Sept. 2-3 at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey.
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 Fall Series I Championship at Cypress Lake Golf Course in Vacaville
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 21, 2017) – Sponsored by Capital Insurance Group, the 2017-2018 Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC) crowned champions Sunday at the Fall Series I Championship at Cypress Lakes Golf Course in Vacaville.
Saratoga resident Caleb Shetler shot 1-over 145 and San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal shot 7-over 151 to win their respective divisions at the Fall Series I Championship held Saturday and Sunday at par-72 Cypress Lakes GC.
Shetler notched the inaugural win of the new 2017-2018 season thanks in part to a solid opening round 71 that included four birdies. Shetler had closed the 2016-2017 season with a victory at the Summer Series V Championship.
In Sunday’s finale, Shetler went 2-over on the back-nine but he’d close with four straight clutch pars, giving him a one-shot edge over co-runners-up Sebastian Iqbal of San Jose and Ethan Chung of Cupertino.
Iqbal, who earned second place in a card-off, made a huge late charge, carding a 69 on Sunday. His round would feature five birdies to go against just two bogeys. Chun, who’d opened with a 71, had a chance to tie Shetler but bogeyed the 17th.
Fourth place went to Orinda’s Brendon Choe at 147 following a 70. Nathan Wang of Fremont finished fifth at 148 after a 74.
In the Girls’ Championship, Iqbal, the reigning four-time Girls’ Player of the Year, picked up right where she left off. The Pioneer High senior had a final round 74 that included four straight clutch pars on holes No.15 through No.18 to hold off Sienna Lyford by a shot.
The win was Iqbal’s 26th career Northern California major, increasing her record. Lyford, of Roseville, had a chance to force extra holes but bogeyed the 18th. She’d finish at 152, posting back-to-back rounds of 76.
Third place went to Kiran Sangha of San Mateo at 153 following a 75. Stockton’s Anitra Khoth was fourth at 156, while Roseville’s Neeve Chen took fifth place at 157.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Duncan Labeeuw-Anderson of Mill Valley shot a final round 75 to come in at 148 and win by six over runner-up Jonathan Le of San Jose. Le shot a final round 77.
Third place went to Jacques Le at 155, while Advaith Pathi of San Jose was fourth at 156. Dublin’s Sameeer Paila was fifth at 159.
In the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Sophie Thai of Los Altos and Sydney Sung of Palo Alto finished tied for first at 158 after final rounds of 78 and 81, respectively. Sung would win in a sudden-death playoff.
Alexis Esquerra of Alameda was third at 161, with San Jose’s Kristina Oh taking fourth at 164.
Next up on the JTNC calendar is the 2017-2018 Fall Series II Championship, to be held August 26-27 at San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister.
Pairings | Alphabetical Pairings | Results
Yardages | Approximate Final Round Times
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August 1, 2017
San Jose resident Jason Chen got his first win of the 2016-2017 season, and may have served notice heading into the 2017-2018 season.
Chen, a 16-year-old junior at Cupertino High, eagled the par-5 18th at Poppy Hills Golf Course to shoot his second straight 2-under 69, giving him a two-day total of 138 and a one-stroke win over runner-up Ryan Burnett. Needing to fend off Burnett’s charge, Chen responded by knocking a hybrid from 250 yards out to within 6 feet of the flagstick. He’d then cooly drain the putt.
“It feels really good. I just hit my irons really good,” Chen said afterwards.
Burnett, the event’s defending champion, had a 68 to finish at 139. A birdie on the 17th had given him a one-shot lead over Chen. Then Chen’s eagle on the 18th happened.
“I gave it my all. And he eagled 18 to win it,” Burnett said.
Ryan Grauman of Alamo and Ashkaan Hakim of San Ramon finished T-3 at 144 after rounds of 70 and 71, respectively.
With his finish, Hakim wrapped up 2016-2017 Boys’ Player of the Year honors.
Concord resident Yealimi Noh made it a wire-to-wire win, shooting a final round 1-under 70 to win the title by six shots over runner-up Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon.
For Noh, the only player to break par, it marked her fifth win of the 2016-2017 season, the third best win total for a season all-time. It also was the Carondelet High junior’s 16th career Northern California junior ‘major’ title, leaving her just two behind Casie Cathrea for second place.
“I just really love the course,” said Noh of Poppy Hills. “I hit a lot of greens in regulation. It was fun.”
Ha had a final round 73 to come in at 148. Megan Yang of San Jose was third at 151 following a 75. Antonia Malate of Seaside was fourth at 152 after a 72.
While she would slip to a tie for seventh, San Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal won a record fourth straight JTNC Girls’ Player of the Year title. Iqbal is also the first female in JTNC history to win Player of the Year honors four times.
Matthew Lee of Danville shot a final round 75 to come in at 149 and defeat runner-up Nico Maes of San Jose by a stroke. Lee would be helped by three crucial birdies in the final round.
Maes, who shot a final round 79, had a chance to catch Lee but finished with bogeys on both No.17 and No.18. Steven Chen of San Jose was third at 152.
Sydney Sung of Palo Alto shot a final round 77 and defeated Tiffany Kwok of Pleasanton in extra holes to claim the title.
Both Sung and Kwok, who had a final round 78, finished at 20-over 162. Sophia Bardunias of San Ramon and Aliyah Madriaga of San Jose finished T-3 at 165 following final rounds of 86 and 84, respectively. Bardunias would be awarded third place after a card-off.
July 31, 2017
San Jose’s Jason Chen and Concord’s Yealimi Noh are the players to chase after Monday’s opening round of the 2017 Capital Insurance Group-sponsored Junior Tour of Northern California Tour Championship.
Playing at par-71 Poppy Hills Golf Course, Chen grabbed a two-shot lead in the Boys’ Championship with a solid 2-under 69 that included four birdies and two bogeys.
In at 71 and tied for second are Lafayette’s Ryan Burnett and Jaimin Bhagat of Los Altos. Alone in fourth place at 72 is Walnut Creek’s Max Holm.
While players are trying to win the Tour Championship title, there is also the issue of who will be crowned the 2016-2017 JTNC Boys’ Player of the Year. Coming into the championship (a 500 point event), leading in the standings was San Ramon’s Ashkaan Hakim at 1,809 points. Five players in the championship field, including defending Boys’ Player of the Year Thomas Hutchison of San Jose, have a chance to catch Hakim depending on how things finish in Tuesday’s final round.
Hakim was in no danger of collapsing. He finished opening day in a tie for fifth with five others at 73.
While Noh has no shot of catching three-time defending Girls’ Player of the Year Sabrina Iqbal in the Girls’ standings, a victory would be her fifth of the 2015-2016 season and 16th NorCal “major”.
Still a junior in high school, Noh posted a 72 to take a one-shot lead over Selena Tang of Fremont.
Iqbal, along with Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon is tied for third at 75, just three behind the leader.
In the Boys’ First Flight Championship, Nico Maes of San Jose took the lead with a first round 71, Matthew Lee of Danville is in second at 74.
Over in the Girls’ First Flight Championship, Sophia Bardunias of San Ramon grabbed a two-shot lead after an opening 79.
Carissa Wu of Dublin had the shot of the day, acing the par-3 6th hole.