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
Two first-time winners at IMG Junior Golf Tour's Rio Pinar tournament
LPGA Symetra Tour race intensifies with one qualifying event remaining
The IMG Junior Golf Tour made its way to Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando this past weekend, where two first-time Tour winners captured the Boys and Girls titles. Rio Pinar is home to the University of Central Florida’s men’s and women’s teams, as well as Rollins College’s women’s team. The course has previously played host to the PGA TOUR’s Florida Citrus Classic (now the Arnold Palmer Invitational).
The tenth event of the Tour season provided the perfect setting for intense competition, with winds gusting to 35 mph on the final day. Akron, Ohio’s Jessie Stephens claimed the Boys 15-18 title, and his first IMG Junior Golf Tour victory, with a 76-74=150(+6). Tied for second were: Ted Collins of Ireland (+7); Ryan Stovash of Orlando (+7); and James Yoon of Paraguay (+7). Stephens is bound for Villanova in the fall, while Yoon, the 17th-ranked junior in the nation according to Golfweek, is committed to Cal.
In the Girls 15-18 division, Windermere’s Ailin Li claimed her first Tour victory, while Orlando’s Mary Fran Hillow and Bolivia’s Natalia Perez finished second and third, respectively. Hillow has committed to playing golf at South Carolina in the fall.
With her third-place finish, Perez moves to within five points of Yvonne Zheng in the LPGA Symetra Tour exemption race – with only one qualifying event remaining. The top finisher in the points race will earn the opportunity to compete in the Symetra Tour’s Sara Bay Classic, to be held April 20-22, 2012 at the Sara Bay Country Club in Sarasota, Fla. For more information about the Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA, please visit: www.lpgafuturestour.com.
In the Boys 11-14 division, England’s Brett Beazant collected his third IMG Junior Golf Tour victory of the season, scoring a 82-77=159(+15). Vanessa Yan of China took home the Girls 11-14 title, with a 75-78=153(+9).
The IMG Junior Golf Tour resumes action at The Golf Club at North Hampton in Fernandina Beach, Fla., March 17-18, 2012. For more information, visit: www.imgjuniorgolftour.com or contact Tournament Director Andrew Parr: andrew.parr@imgworld.com.
