Georgia Junior winner Justin Kim
(Georgia Golf Association Photo)
ATHENS, GA (June 22, 2016) -- Justin Kim of Rome
survived a tough final round to win the Georgia Junior
Championship at 2-over-par 212 (68-70-74) by one
stroke over Alex Ross of Atlanta at 3-over-par 213 (73-
68-72). This year's competition celebrated its 50th
anniversary at Athens Country Club, site of the
inaugural event in 1966, June 20-22.
Kim, who began the final round with the lead,
struggled on Wednesday as he made four bogeys and
14 pars. The lead briefly escaped Kim as Ross took over
the top spot of the leaderboard during the day. The two
players were tied coming down the stretch and the 445-
yard par 4 18th hole proved to be the deciding factor.
Ross made double-bogey and Kim made bogey, giving
him the title.
Jordan Baker of Cumming finished third at 4-over-
par 214 (73-71-70). Two players tied for fourth at 6-
over-par 216, including Will Kahlstorf of Watkinsville
(76-69-71) and Logan Perkins of Locust Grove (74-69-
73). Ryan Hines of Woodstock (77-70-70) and Grant
Sutliff of Suwanee (70-70-77) tied for sixth at 7-over-
par 217. Wilson Andress of Macon (75-70-73) and David
Brainard of Dunwoody (71-74-73) both finished at 8-
over-par 218 and tied for eighth. Rounding out the top
10 on the final leaderboard was Nolan Miller of Midland
at 9-over-par 219 (72-72-75).
With the victory, Kim, a junior golfer at Rome High
School, earned an exemption into the Centennial
Georgia Amateur Championship, which will be held at
Capital City Club in Atlanta, July 11-17. During the
awards ceremony, Kim was presented the trophy by
David Joesbury of Thomson, who won the inaugural
Georgia Junior Championship in 1966 at Athens Country
Club.
The top eight finishers at the Georgia Junior
Championship earn a spot on Team Georgia for the
Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Team. This
year's inter-state competition will be held at Idle Hour
Club in Macon, July 22-23. Those individuals are Kim,
Ross, Baker, Kahlstorf, Perkins, Hines, Sutliff and
Brainard. Hines and Sutliff represented the Peach State
last year.
At the conclusion of regulation, Andress and
Brainard were tied, so a playoff was needed to
determine the final spot on the team and first alternate.
Neither player wanted to surrender as they played eight
extra holes before the final spot was settled.
After 36 holes of play, 72 players at 15-over-par
155 and better made the cut and will tee it up in the
final round of action.
GIRL'S JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
GREENSBORO, GA (June 22, 2016) -- The Georgia
Girls' Championship came down to an exciting finish
with Lauren Lightfritz of Suwanee prevailing on the final
hole to defend her title. The outcome was in constant
flux throughout the day with five different players
holding or sharing the lead during play.
Early on, Lizzie Reedy of Marietta held the lead until
an errant tee shot found the water at the difficult par 3
eighth hole. At the moment Reedy would pass the lead
to Abigail Bolt of Canton, who captured the lead after
firing a 1-under-par 36 on the front nine. Reedy clawed
back up the leaderboard with three birdies and a 33 on
the back nine, finishing the day with a 1-over-par 73.
In the end, Reedy would fall one stroke short of
Lightfritz who matched Reedy's back nine 33 with one of
her own. Her three-day total of 217 secured back-to-
back victories for Lightfritz. She joins other great
champions like Jean Reynolds and Georgia Golf Hall of
Famer Nanci Bowen as a multiple time champion of the
event.
The top four finishers in this year's championship
will go on to represent Georgia in the Georgia-South
Carolina Junior Girls' Challenge Match to be held in
August at The Landings Club in Savannah. Lightfritz will
be joined by Lizzie Reedy of Marietta, Elisa Yang of
Norcross and Louise Yu of Duluth on this year's team.
View results for Georgia Junior
ABOUT THE
Georgia Junior
Open to male amateur golfers between the ages of
14 and 18; a competitor must be at least 14 years
old as of the first day of the competition and not be
19 as of the last day of the competition.
Field:
144 players with the lowest USGA Handicap
Indexes
Format:
54 holes of stroke play; field cut to the low 70 and
ties after 36 holes; players must walk and carry their
own clubs.
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