LAKE OSWEGO, ORE (Monday, June 29, 2009) - Stroke play qualifying at the 79th Oregon Junior Amateur Championship began today at Oswego Lake Country Club in Lake Oswego, Ore. with players vying to play in the championship flight in their respective divisions. Overall, more the 210 junior golfers will compete for titles in their respective divisions.
Tye Gabriel of Portland, Ore. continued his strong summer play by taking medalist honors in the Junior Division (16-17) with the only under par round of the day, 1-under par 70, beating Landon Moore of Redmond, Ore. by three strokes. Gabriel, who will head to New Jersey next month to compete at the U.S. Junior Amateur, finished strong with a 1-under par 35 on the back nine.
In the Girls Division (15-17), defending Girls Champion, Seisha-Lei
Telles (right) of Tualatin, Ore. also made a comeback on her back nine, making a
birdie at the par-5 15th to post a 4-over par, 76. The Girls Division
promises to hold a tight race with last year's Intermediate Girls
Champion also of Tualatin, Morgan Thompson, Salem's' Ashlee Pickerell,
Portland's'
Tess Jennings, and West Linn's' Sharon Shin, the Girls 6A High School
Individual Champion rounding out the top five. Amy Beth Simanton of Lake Oswego, Ore. who just 2 days ago claimed the title at the 100th Women's Oregon Amateur in a 36-hole final, finished tied for 6th with an 8-over par, 80. In last year's Junior Amateur, Simanton took the runner-up trophy as she also did in the state high school championships the past two years. The top 16 girls will begin competition in the Championship flight tomorrow.
In the Boys Division (14-15), Sulman Raza
(left) of Eugene, Ore. leads
Zachary Foushee by three strokes, firing a 1-over par 72. The top 16
Boys will begin competition in the Championship flight tomorrow. Finally, In the Intermediate Boys Division (12-14), Hayden Coppedge of West Linn, ore. earned medalist honors with a 7-over par 78, edging Dylan Wu of Medford, Ore., last year's Pee Wee Boys Champion, by 2-strokes.
As a result of today's qualifying results, each division will be divided into flights and players seeded for match play competition that begins on Tuesday. Any player loosing their first round match will advance to a consolation or drop flight. "The purpose of Oregon Junior Golf is to provide the players an opportunity to prepare for national and collegiate play," said Charlotte Plank, Director of Junior Golf. "All competitors have the chance to compete in a minimum of two rounds of match play experience so that they can develop their game," Plank commented.
Both Pee Wee Divisions and the Intermediate Girls Division play their stroke play round tomorrow, qualifying for match play on Wednesday.
Established in 1927 by the Oregon Golf Association, the Oregon Junior Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious event amateur sporting competitions in the state. . The Oregon Junior Amateur is held only at the finest golf courses and historically showcases some of the most talented junior golfers in the Northwest.
The public is welcome to attend and watch the finest junior golfers in the region. Please visit www.oregonjram.org for complete results and information.