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IMG Junior Golf Tour gets underway with Kickoff at Sara Bay, Sept. 22-23
La Jolla, Calif. resident comes from behind to claim Boys' 15-18 title; 13-year-old Michelle Yan claims Girls 15-18 title
The first event of the 2012-13 IMG Junior Golf Tour concluded on Sunday at Sara Bay Country Club, in Sarasota, Fla. Will Strauss of La Jolla, Calif. won the Boys 15-18 Division with an impressive 72-69=141 (-3). Strauss came from behind with a late surge on Sunday to overtake Japan’s Kaito Onishi, who led most of the weekend and finished one stroke behind with a 72-70=142 (-2).
“I got off to a slow start with a senseless bogey on the first hole, then played steady golf through the next 13 holes,” remarked Will Strauss after the win. “[Kaito Onishi] pushed me a bit. He was unbelievable.”
Thirteen-year-old Michelle Yan played up in the Girls 15-18 and recorded a 75-74=149 (+5) to claim the title. She beat several top competitors who were major players on the IMG Junior Golf Tour last season, including Yvonne Zheng (74-77=151 (+7)) and Jordan Lippetz (71-80=151 (+7)), who tied for second place. Yan and her sister Vanessa hail from Hong Kong, and have put together an impressive early playing career. The sisters competed in the prestigious Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in 2011 as 11-year-olds.
The winner of the Boys 11-14 Division was Teddy Tetak, who shot 82-71=153 (+9). Tetak had a dominant performance, finishing with a nine stroke differential over second place.
The Girls 11-14 Division was taken by Kanyanat Saithip, who shot 76-81=157 (+13).
The Kickoff at Sara Bay was held at the historic Sara Bay Country Club, which features greens designed by Donald Ross that provided a tough test for the players. The event is recognized by the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Golf Rankings. Champions of the Boys and Girls 15-18 Divisions earned four stars and the top five Boys earned one star toward American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Performance Based Entry.
For full results, visit the IMG Junior Golf Tour leaderboard by clicking HERE.