Karl Vilips
(AJGA Photo)
CORAL GABLES, FL (December 27, 2016) -- Under
sunny South Florida skies on a relatively windless
day at Biltmore Golf Course, 23 players carded par
or better, the Junior Orange Bowl International Boys
Division led by Australia’s Karl
Vilips with a 6-under par 65.
France’s Agathe Laisne leads the Girls, her 4-
under 67 a stroke ahead of a second-place tie
between Somi Lee from South Korea and Canada’s
Monet Chun, Mexico’s Ana Laura Collado in close
pursuit on 69.
Of the two previous Boys champions in the field,
the 2014 winner, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, posted 67
for outright second place, outdueling defending
champion, Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan, who returned
a 1-under par 70.
“He makes it look easy,” one of Vilips playing
companions quipped, and the 15-year old who
originally hails from Perth, Australia but is now being
schooled in Wesley Chapel, Florida, confirmed it was,
in fact, a relatively stress free round — with a couple
of good breaks.
“I eagled the first hole, the par five, and on the
back-nine I holed a 60-degree wedge for another
(eagle) three at the 15th,” Vilips said. “So for the
most part there was no real pressure. But a couple
of strokes did get away. I was 60 yards from the
green with my drive at the 7th but over-flew the
green and made bogey. And on the 17th, I thought
there was some break on a very short putt that I
lipped out.”
Neimann, now 18 and considerably longer from
the tee than when he won the title two years ago,
considered the course played easy, less wind than
usual and mostly soft pin positions. “It was good to
get off to this sort of start,” he commented. “I
expect it will get tougher as the week goes on.”
Asked if he viewed this year as a challenge of
champions, the young Chilean said, “Mostly I want
this week to be fun. Of course, it would be more fun
to win again.”
Last year Agathe Laisne posted even-par four-
day total of 284 for a share of second place. This
time around, as a taller, more powerful striker, the
17-year old from Boulogne has eyes on the main
prize.
Starting from 10th tee, she birdied four of her
first six holes, a card with just one bogey all day. “I
putted in from off the green for an opening birdie
and holed a sand shot on my 4th hole,” she said,
“and my only bogey was at the 18th, my 9th, where
I drove into a fairway bunker.”
In his record-tying 5th consecutive JOBI
appearance, Providence, Rhode Island’s Will Dickson
scored an ever-par 71.
Editors Note: Story courtesy of Junior Orange
BowlView results for Junior Orange Bowl
ABOUT THE
Junior Orange Bowl
72-hole invitation-only event. Players must
not
have reached their 19th birthday by the
end of
the tournament and must not be
participating
on a College/University team. The field is
limited to a maximum of 72 Boys and 42
girls
representing US and Foreign
Countries.
There are
no
age categories and there is no cut during
the
Championship. Invitations are sent out in
mid-
September. The tournament's
alumni list includes
current professional players Tiger Woods,
Bubba Watson,
and Lexi Thompson.
The golf tournament
is
just one of 15 competitions among The Junior
Orange
Bowl Festival. This volunteer-led, not-for-profit
organization hosts athletic, academic, and cultural
competitions that draw over 7,500 youth from
Miami,
the State of Florida, across the United States, and
over
76 countries worldwide to compete. The annual
marquee event rounding out each festival season is
the
Junior Orange Bowl Parade, a community based
youth
parade that travels through the historic streets of
Coral
Gables featuring high school and college marching
bands, floats and various youth and community
groups
attracting over 35,000 families, friends, and
neighbors.
It dates back to 1948.
View Complete Tournament Information