JUNIOR TOUR UPDATE
Team California Wins PGA
2016 National Champion Team California Roster:
•Captain: Jeff DeBenedetti, PGA •Coach: Becky Chin, LPGA •Ian Gilligan, 13 – Corte Madera •Darren Pang, 13 – San Ramon •Drew Kim, 13 – Pleasanton •Anay Roge, 14 – San Ramon •Aidan Tran, 12 – Fresno •Ethan Jaehn, 12 – Fremont •Jacob Ponce, 12 – San Ramon •Austin Tran, 14 – Fresno •Alice Liu, 12 – Pleasanton
•Madison Wu, 13 – Dublin
Junior League National Title
The California team gathers for a photo with the trophy after the 2016 PGA Jr T
. League
Golf Championship presented by National Rental Car held at Grayhawk Golf Club on November 20, 2016 in Scottsdale, AZ.
eam California, a group of junior All-Stars from Las Positas Golf Course in Livermore, captured the 2016 PGA Junior League Golf National Championship last November, defeating Team Georgia, 8-4 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona. Consisting of many regular competitors from the Junior Tour of Northern California,
Team California built a 5-point lead through the first three holes and clinched the title when Alice Liu sank a 3-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole. “When I was setting up to the ball, I just wanted to make it,” Liu said. “When everyone
started jumping and cheering, that’s when I realized it was the winning putt.” This was the second PGA Junior League National Championship title for Las Positas
GC, having also captured it in 2012. “These kids fight,” said Team California Captain Jeff DeBenedetti, PGA Director of
Golf at Las Positas GC. “They grind. They go after it.” Teams in the league included 80 top junior players from across America, each winning
their Regional competition to advance to the PGA Junior League Golf National Champi- onship presented by National Car Rental. A record 36,000 boys and girls participated in PGA Junior League Golf in 2016.
The North Wins Second Annual Challenge Cup
A
n all-star clash of some of the best junior golfers in the Golden State was held at Poppy Hills GC in January at the second annual Challenge Cup, which pits eight boys and four girls from the JTNC against their counterparts from the PGA Southern California Junior Tour in a Ryder Cup-like format. On the scoreboard, the JTNC North notched a 15-9 win but there was much more than just the victory.
Quickly becoming a favorite event for the juniors, the Cup is a rare chance for them to compete in not only a team format, but also match play. “We don’t get to do that very often,” North team member Ryan Burnett said. “I like match play more than stroke play. Anything can happen. It makes it more fun.” The unique format also attracts some interested spectators. Among those watching the action closely was a crew of collegiate coaches from schools throughout the west such as UCLA, Cal, Stanford and New Mexico State. “We don’t get to see them playing often as a team,” said University of Oregon
men’s head coach Casey Martin, who knows a thing about talent from competing on the PGA Tour. “A lot of coaches travel here for a reason.” With the series even at one win apiece, next year’s Cup will carry that much more importance amid all the fun.
“The event just keeps growing in popularity,” said North team captain Aaron Hartesveldt. “We’re already looking forward to meeting our friends from the South team again.”
60 WINTER 2017 |
WWW.NCGA.ORG
TRACI EDWARDS/PGA OF AMERICA
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