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 regular season comes to close at Orlandos Marriott Grande Pines
South Korea's Hoyeong Kim wins Boys 15-18 Division; Camila Serrano overtakes points lead in Girls 15-18 Division; and Qi Ming Wong wins Boys 11-14 Division
The IMG Junior Golf Tour teed off for its final regular season event of the 2012-13 season at Marriott’s Grande Pines Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., May 4-5. The event featured a field of 80 players from 12 states and 15 countries. In the Boys 15-18 Division, South Korea’s Hoyeong Kim posted the best score on Sunday with a 74 (+2) amid tough, windy conditions. Kim finished with a one-over 145 to claim his second career Tour victory, with his previous win coming in the 11-14 Division during the Tour’s inaugural season (2010-11).
“I really was just focused on enjoying the tournament, and I had been playing well so just wanted to go out there and have fun,” said Kim on his performance. “I was hitting great iron shots all weekend and just gave myself a couple of birdie chances.”
In the Girls Division, Colombia’s Camila Serrano notched her second win of the season with scores of 73-77 on the weekend. Not only was it Serrano’s first win since Reunion Resort in February, but it allowed Serrano to overtake Yvonne Zheng in the Girls Division points standings. Now, Serrano will look to secure Player of the Year honors with a strong finish at the Tour Championship this month.
“I had been playing well over the past month, so I had confidence going into the weekend and I didn’t think much about the score – I just wanted to enjoy the course,” said Serrano on the win. “I had to adjust a bit with the wind on Sunday.”
Rounding out the competition in the Boys 11-14 Division, Singapore’s Qi Ming Wong won for the second time this season with scores of 79-77. With the victory, Wong was able to move within 60 points of Brandon Wang in the Boys 11-14 standings, and he will attempt to close the gap and claim Player of the Year honors at the Tour Championship.
Notably, Tim Turnham of Auburn, Ala., playing the Boys 15-18 Division, scored a hole-in-one on the 180-yard, par-three 17th hole during the first round of play.
Hoyeong Kim and Camila Serrano received four stars for Performance Based Entry, while the top-five boys in the 15-18 Division each earned one star. The event was ranked by the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Rankings and the Junior Golf Scoreboard. Next up for the IMG Junior Golf Tour is the Tour Championship, featuring 90 of the season’s top players, held at Orlando’s Celebration Golf Club, May 17-19.
For full results, visit the IMG Junior Golf Tour leaderboard by clicking HERE.
