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
Perez punches ticket to LPGA's Symetra Tour pro event with North Hampton performance
IMG Junior Golf Tour competitor from Bolivia earns LPGA's Symetra Tour exemption to play in Sara Bay Classic, April 20-22.
The IMG Junior Golf Tour got underway again this past weekend outside of Jacksonville at The Golf Club of North Hampton. Natalia Pérez secured her first-ever IMG Junior Golf Tour victory in the Girls 15-18 division to earn the LPGA’s Symetra Tour exemption into the upcoming Sara Bay Classic professional tournament April 20-22, 2012, in Sarasota, Fla. Pérez shot 76-73=149 (+5) to secure the win.
The Tour’s eleventh event this season saw fierce competition between Perez and China’s Yvonne Zheng, who finished the weekend tied for second in the Girls 15-18 division with a 79-79=158 (+14). Zheng entered the weekend as the points leader in the Symetra Tour exemption race, but was bested by nine strokes by a dominant Pérez. Tying with Zheng for second place were Ailin Li of Windemere, Fla. (+14) and Italy’s Sofia Molinaro (+14).
The Boys 15-18 division was very tightly contested, but ended with Tzu-Wei Lin crowned as champion after shooting 73-72=145 (+1). The Tour victory was the second of Lin’s career. Sarun Arjparu (+2) finished in second place, following a win at Victoria Hills earlier this season. The current points leader in the Boys 15-18 division for Player of the Year, Mario Beltran (+3), and Kansas commit Prem Samritipricha (+3) finished tied for third.
History was made on Saturday in the Boys 15-18 division by Spencer Schultz (+16) when he sunk the first-ever hole-in-one (hole three) to make it into the IMG Junior Golf Tour record books.
The Boys 11-14 division was won by Guillermo Cortina who shot 78-74=152 (+2). This was Cortina’s first Tour victory this season after recording five previous top-three finishes.
