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 RINGS IN NEW YEAR WITH JUNIOR HONDA CLASSIC
Rinko Mitsunaga hangs in for Girls 16-18 division; Andrew Kozan dominates Boys 16-18 division; Canon Claycomb wins Boys 14-15; Natasha Andrea Oon victorious in Girls 15-16 division
Bradenton, Fla. (January 6, 2015) – The IMG Junior Golf Tour rang in 2015 with a bang at the Junior Honda Classic, held Jan. 3-4 at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The event took place on the famed Fazio and Champion courses and attracted a field of 96 players from 15 countries. In the Girls 16-18 division, Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell, Ga., carded the most dramatic finish of the event when she bested local product Mary Janiga of Wellington, Fla. in a one-hole sudden death playoff to take the title. Mitsunaga had momentum coming into the event after winning the Girls 15-18 division title at the inaugural IMG Academy Junior World Match Play Championships in Longboat Key, Fla. in December. Mitsunaga, a University of Georgia signee, and Janiga went into the playoff tied at 7-over 151.
Meanwhile in the Boys 16-18 division, Andrew Kozan of West Palm Beach, Fla., continued his success after a dominant fall season that ended with him being named the South Florida Sun-Sentinel All-Palm Beach County Player of the Year. Kozan dominated the Boys 16-18 division, pacing the field by 8 strokes with a total 2-under 141. Following the big win, Kozan verbally committed to the Auburn University men’s golf program, choosing the Tigers over the likes of Florida and Clemson.
Other winners included Canon Claycomb of Bowling Green, Ky., who took the top spot in the Boys 14-15 division with a score of 5-over 149, three strokes ahead of runner-up Lynes Behling of Germany. In the Girls 14-15 division, Malaysia’s Natasha Andrea Oon cruised past the competition by a comfortable 5 stroke advantage on the strength of an 8-over 152 total.
Each of the division winners earned exemptions into the 2015 IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, Calif., and the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The event was recognized by Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Rankings and top finishers earned AJGA Performance Based Entry Status.
For full results from the Junior Honda Classic, visit the IMG Junior Golf Tour website by clicking HERE.
