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
IMG Junior Golf Tour makes first-ever stop at IMG Academy Golf Club
Tony Jiang hangs on to win Boys 15-18 division; Rinko Mitsunaga wins Girls 15-18 division; Jason Jin takes Boys 11-14 division; Maggie Liu excels in Girls 11-14 division
BRADENTON, Fla. (January 28, 2014) - The IMG Junior Golf Tour got back underway at IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., Jan. 25-26. It marked the Tour’s first-ever stop at the IMG Academy Golf Club and attracted the largest-ever field in Tour history with 106 players from 10 states and 15 countries. In the Boys 15-18 division, Tony Jiang of Bradenton, Fla. got off to a fast start, carding a low-round of 68 on the first day. The strong start provided just enough cushion for Jiang to score an even-par 144, edging out Bradenton’s Kavan Eubank (+1) by a single stroke.
The competition in the Girls 15-18 division was equally intense, with 12-year old Latanna Stone of Ruskin, Fla. and Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell, Ga. taking it to the wire. Mitsunaga entered the final round in second place with a score of 74. However, Stone closed the gap with a seven stroke improvement from the day prior. Unfortunately, the strong finish would not be enough, as Mitsunaga tied Stone for the low round on Sunday (71) to notch a four stroke victory at one-over 145. The win marked Mitsunaga’s first win on the Tour.
Other winners included China’s Jason Jin, who carded a three-over 147 to take his second Tour victory of the year in the Boys 11-14 division after winning at PGA Golf Club in November. In the Girls 11-14 division, Maggie Liu of Lake Mary, Fla. took top honors in her first Tour appearance with solid rounds of 77-74 for a three stroke win.
Notably, over the past two weeks, five hole-in-ones have been carded, with two more recorded at the IMG Academy Golf Club. Through the weekend, Australia’s Courtney Cotterill (Girls 15-18 division) and Kazakhstan’s Didar Bashikov (Boys 15-18 division) each aced a hole during Sunday’s final round. The week before at Laurel Oaks, Italy’s Alberto Bianco and Brazil’s Alberado Ruiz each sank one during the practice rounds, and 13-year old Jason Jin tallied one during the tournament rounds.
The event at IMG Academy Golf Club was recognized by the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Rankings, and AJGA Performance Based Entry was awarded to the top-five boys in the 15-18 division, and the Girls 15-18 champion. The IMG Junior Golf Tour returns to action this weekend at Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 1-2, followed by The Club at Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Ga., Feb. 15-16.
For full results, visit the IMG Junior Golf Tour leaderboard by clicking HERE. Also story and results at Sarasota Herald Tribune.
