SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With Olympic
gold medalist Kerri Strug looking
on, undefeated Georgia vaulted to the
mountain top of PGA Jr. League as national champions with a
dramatic 6 ½ to 5 ½ victory over New Jersey at picturesque Grayhawk
Golf Club in Scottsdale,
Arizona.
The 6th PGA Jr. League Championship presented by
National Car Rental showcased some amazing golf, as Georgia (Duluth)
took an early 3 ½ to ½ lead through the first three holes and then
held on tight, as New Jersey (Hillsborough) rallied back into serious
contention.
This is the second title for a Georgia-based team (Atlanta in 2013).
With the final group watching from the tee on the ninth and
final hole played (par 5, 465-yard Hole No. 18), the Georgia team of William
Love, 14; Harris Barth, 13; and Strug's nephew Lucas
Jinglov, 13, earned a conceded birdie to seal a half-point, and
clinch the match. Moments later, their Georgia teammates rushed the green, realizing they
had secured a hard-fought national title.
"It was really fun," said Jinglov. "The way we've been treated
and everything that's been done for us... It's been a great
experience overall."
The Georgia team was on the green in
two, before Barth and Love both missed their eagle putt, leaving a
short putt for the Championship. Showing tremendous sportsmanship,
the New Jersey team of Katie Li, 12;
Megan Meng, 11; and Adrian Jordan, 11, conceded the match.
"It means a lot to the team," said Team Georgia Captain
Patrick McCrary, a PGA Professional
at TPC Sugarloaf near Atlanta.
"They worked hard to get here, and it's been a long road. We
couldn't be more happy for these kids."
The co-ed New Jersey trio simply played lights out golf to get
New Jersey back into the match, with three straight birdies on the
third, fourth and fifth holes played (Nos. 12, 13, 14). They
equaled Georgia shot-for-shot from
there on out.
Li made an electric 60-foot putt on No. 13 to match birdies with
Georgia on the hole and put the entire
tournament on its ear.
New Jersey got its first spark from the duo of Garrett Engle, 14, and Logan Paczewski, 13, who struck three birdies in
a row to close out their match and capture a critical turnaround
point.
"Signature for Team New Jersey—we dug a deep hole, scrapped out
and fell short," said New Jersey Captain Anthony Latham, PGA. "They played hard, and I
couldn't ask for anything more. They never quit."
The group behind them put on yet another show. New Jersey's
Joshua Ryan, who earlier in the week
won the PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car
Rental long-drive championship with a massive drive of 312 yards,
made dramatic shot after dramatic shot.
On the sixth hole played (par 4, 378-yard Hole No. 15), Ryan and
Georgia's Ethan
Gao showed why they were playing on the anchor leg, as they
matched birdies, with mouth-dropping shots to the green – Ryan's
from approximately 180-yards out to within three-feet; and Gao's
from under the green and over the bunker from 70-yards away to 12
feet from glory.
The dual birdies prevented Georgia
from clinching early and extended the match to the final hole.
In the third place match, Team Ohio (Columbia Station) defeated
Team Texas (Houston) 7 ½-4 ½. Team
California (San Jose) took fifth place over Team
Arkansas (Little Rock) 7-5.
Team Illinois won the seventh place match over Team New Hampshire
7-5.
The 80 boys and girls competing comprise eight Regional Champion
teams from a record 42,000 kids who played in PGA Jr. League during
2017.
"There are so many sports that are more individually-focused,
and it's nice when there's a team component particularly when
you're young," said Strug from the gallery. "I think it's good to
have that ownership but understand the team component, too."
The two teams in the Championship match appeared to be on a
collision course to the finals all weekend of pool play, as both
Georgia and New Jersey went undefeated,
3-0, in the Wanamaker and Ryder Divisions, respectively—and in
impressive fashion. Georgia tallied a
total of 29.5 of a possible 36 points in round-robin division play,
while New Jersey amassed a stout 25.5 points
Golf Channel To Air Championship Telecast Dec. 5
For the second consecutive year, PGA of America, Grayhawk Golf
Club and National Car Rental have partnered with Golf Channel to
air a two-hour, primetime special highlighting the 2017 PGA Jr.
League Championship presented by National Car Rental. The special
will air Dec. 5 (Tuesday) at
8 p.m. ET/5
p.m. PT, with a rebroadcast at 12:30
a.m. ET/9:30 p.m. PT. An
encore airing will also air on Dec.
15 at Noon ET/9 a.m. PT.
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SOURCE PGA of America