Norman Xiong and Augustina Zeballos win titles at AJGA Thunderbird
by Allen Etzler, Golfweek
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (May 30, 2016) -- Norman Xiong shot a 3-under 69 to capture a victory at the AJGA Thunderbird International, and Augustina Zeballos posted a 71 to win the girls division.
Xiong (Canyon Lake, Calif.) won by a stroke as he edged Cooper Dossey and Noah Goodwin, who tied for second at 208.
Xiong stumbled early, making a bogey at the par-4 third for the first time all week. But he rebounded with two consecutive birdies and then posted two more at Nos. 7 and 11. Dossey posted a final-round 69 after a birdie at 17 got him within one shot of Xiong.
Goodwin was tied with Xiong, but a bogey at 18 cost him the chance to force a playoff. Wilson Furr, who led after 36 holes, shot a 3-over 75 in the final round and finished in fourth, two shots back of Xiong. Furr made six bogeys and three birdies in his round.
Hidetoshi Yoshihara took fifth, three shots back of Xiong.
Alyaa Abdulghany shot 69 in her final round. Abdulghany headed to the 16th hole three strokes off the lead. A birdie at 16 and 17 got her to within one stroke of Zeballos, but that’s as close as she would get, as a par at 18 sealed her fate.
A week after winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship with Hailee Cooper, Kaitlyn Pap took a T-3 with a three-round total of 216. Papp tied with Isabella Fierro, and Rachel Heck rebounded from a first-round 79 to grab a top 5 at 217.
ABOUT THE
Thunderbird International Junior
Conducted by the American Junior Golf
Association, the Thunderbird International
Junior is a 54-hole stroke play competition
played on the par-72, Raptor Course at
Grayhawk Golf Club. The event features 48
boys and 30 girls, ages 12-18, from 17 states
and 14 countries. The Boys Division is playing
the course at 7,112 yards while the Girls
Division is playing the course at 6,342 yards.
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