The IMG Junior Golf Tour was developed to fill a key niche in junior golf, the IMG Junior Golf Tour provides an elite setting for junior golfers to compete and gain exposure to college golf, professional golf, national junior rankings and athletic excellence.
Held in Florida every December, and open to boys and girls ages 11-18, the the IMG Academy Junior World Florida Challengeis a qualification and invitation only event featuring an international field of over 200 players.News
IMG Junior Golf Tour Championship at Black Diamond Ranch ends 2014-15 season with a bang
Players of the Year crowned at season capstone event
Bradenton, Fla. (May 20, 2015) – The IMG Junior Golf Tour wrapped up its fifth season with the year-end Tour Championship event held at Black Diamond Ranch Golf Club in Lecanto, Fla., May 16-17. This marked the second consecutive year that Black Diamond Ranch hosted the Tour Championship event on its famed Quarry Course, designed by legendary course architect Tom Fazio.
All 2014-15 IMG Junior Golf Tour members were eligible to participate in the event with most of the field comprised of top players across the entire season based on season points standings. The 36-hole championship attracted a competitive field of 72 players from 18 countries.
Saturday’s first round saw its share of low scores with Xuzhong “Kymer” Li, Zack Justice, and Marco Lahmar all carding (-1) 71’s in the Boys 15-18 Division. In the Girls 15-18 Division, Symba Xu shot the low round on Saturday across all divisions, coming with a 70 (-2). Caitlin Cotterill also fared well in the first round, shooting a 71 (-1) to keep within striking distance heading into Sunday’s final round. Pyae Phyo Thu and Kyohei Takahashi tied for the lead in the Boys 11-14 Division after round one, each shooting (+5) 77.
Sunday was moving day, especially in the Girls 15-18 Division, where the Player of the Year award was on the line. Chinatsu Kobayashi surged into contention with a final round 71 (-1) to go with her first round 76 (+4). It was not enough to claim first place as Symba Xu 2-over 146 to win the division by one-stroke. With her second place finish, Chinatsu Kobayahsi extended her lead in the season points standings just enough to earn the Girls 15-18 Division Player of the Year Award.
In the Boys 15-18 Division, the trio of Li, Justice, and Lahmar were paired together for the final round. After 18 holes, Kymer Li was crowned champion despite being assessed a one-stroke penalty on the final hole, finishing the 36-hole event with a line of 71-75-146. Consistent play from Diego Ovalle (73-74-147) and Kim Hyun Suk (74-74-148) earned them second and third place, respectively, in the division. Pyae Phyo Thu was able to separate himself from the pack in the Boys 11-14 Division, shooting a 4-over 148 on the weekend, six strokes ahead of second place finisher Jim Cai.
The 2014-15 Player of the Year Awards were given out at the awards ceremony. These awards were given to the one player in each division who had the most points across the entire tour season.
Congratulations to our Player of the Year Award Winners:
Boys 15-18 Division: Shuhei Takahashi
Girls 15-18 Division: Chinatsu Kobayashi
Boys 11-14 Division: Kyohei Takahashi
The capstone event at Black Diamond Ranch received elevated AJGA Performance Based Entry status and was also recognized by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek.
The IMG Junior Golf Tour thanks presenting sponsor Visit Citrus County for their role in the 2015 Tour Championship event.
