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 Southeast Kickoff opens season at The Vinoy Club
Blake Dyer captures title in Boys 15-18 division; Nagisa Miura notches first career Tour victory in Girls 15-18 division; Qi Ming Wong wins Boys 11-14s; Gabrielle Tomeo claims Girls 11-14 title
BRADENTON, Fla. (September 24, 2013) - The IMG Junior Golf Tour teed off for its fourth season with the Southeast Kickoff at The Vinoy Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., Sept. 21-22. It was the first-ever stop at The Vinoy for the Tour and produced some of the lowest rounds in Tour history in the highly competitive Boys 15-18 division. The top-three competitors finished at a combined 22-under par over two days. Leading the pack was 16-year old Blake Dyer of St. Petersburg, Fla., whose eight-under 134 paced the field and secured a one-stroke win. His stellar performance was enough to fend off Spencer Schultz of Bradenton, Fla., who finished second at the AJGA Preseason Junior at Vinoy in February, and Bolivia’s Jose Luis Montano. Schultz and Montano tied for second, each finishing at seven-under-134.
“I was frustrated on 18 when I put one in the water, but I moved on and ended up making a 15-footer to win,” said Dyer of the win. “I had some good confidence coming in and made some clutch putts.”
In her fifth career appearance on the IMG Junior Golf Tour, Nagisa Miura of Tokyo, Japan recorded her first career win, with solid rounds of 73-72 (+3). She finished four strokes ahead of second-place finisher Michelle Yan of Hong Kong (+7).
“The course was great; not a long course, but a lot of the holes are tight so you have to play a controlled game,” explained Miura after the victory. “The last three holes were very tough, and I was nervous coming down the stretch but just played my own game.”
Other winners included 14-year old Qi Ming Wong of Singapore, who captured the title in the Boys 11-14 division with a 16-over 158. The win marked Wong’s third career Tour win, and seventh top-three finish since September 2012. In the Girls 11-14 division, 13-year old Gabrielle Tomeo of Bradenton, Fla. made her second appearance on Tour, and took the title by three strokes with a 17-over 159.
The Southeast Kickoff was the first of 18 events in 2013-14, set to be held in four states (Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). AJGA Performance Based Entry was awarded to the top-five boys, and top-three girls in the 15-18 divisions. The IMG Junior Golf Tour returns to action as it heads north for the 2013 Northeast Kickoff at High Bridge Hills Golf Club in High Bridge, N.J., Sept. 28-29.
For full results, visit the IMG Junior Golf Tour leaderboard by clicking HERE.
