International Match-Play Event Scheduled for Sunday on Pinehurst No. 2
PINEHURST, N.C. (Aug. 4, 2007) – After bogeying the 17th hole to fall three shots behind, Stephen Abrams somehow found himself in a sudden- death playoff Saturday afternoon and then just as miraculously found a way to win his third straight U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.
The 8-year-old from nearby Wilson, N.C., made a three-foot birdie putt on the second hole of sudden death at the Mid Pines Golf Club to close out David Gao of Edgewater, N.J., and stay undefeated in his age group in the world’s largest golf tournament for boys and girls 12 and under.
Goa, who started the day two shots in front of Abrams, finished regulation play bogey-bogey after Abrams rolled in a10-foot birdie putt on 18 that squared the score. Both players parred the first hole of sudden death before heading back to play the 18th a third time. After leaving his approach in the bunker, Gao made a five-footer for par and watched as Abrams coolly rolled in his birdie.
Abrams wasn’t the only player to complete a three-peat on Saturday. Marijosse Navarro of Atizapán de Zaragoza,Mexico, turned in the day’s best round – an 8-under-par 28 that included 8 birdies – to come from four shots back to win girls 10 by three shots. Navarro won girls 9 a year ago by 10 shots and girls 8 in 2005 by 3 shots.
Amelia Clare Legaspi (32-31-34 – 97) of the Philippines, who came in second a year ago, edged Claire Hodges of Wildwood, Mo., and Brooke Dillon of Prairieville, La., by one shot to win girls 8-and-under. Allisen Corpuz of Waipahu, HI, added a 35 on Saturday to a pair of 31s to win girls 9 by three shots over Lilia Vu of Fountain Valley, Calif., and Mariel Galdiano of Kopolei, HI.
Cindy Feng (70-66-70 – 206) of Orlando won girls 11 by three shots over Shannon Aubert of South Africa.
Julie Yang (69-71-71 – 211)of Phoenix, Ariz., a second-place finisher year ago, won girls 12 by 6 shots over McKenzie Talbert of North Augusta, S.C.
Gavin Noble (35-36-37 – 108) of Cartersville, Ga., held off a closing 32 from Alex-juho Hong (39-40-32 – 111) ofLos Angeles to win boys 6- and-under.
Galven Green (35-34-34 – 103) of Malaysia edged Raleigh’s Ryan Gerard (35-34-36 – 105) by two shots in boys 7.
Terrence Zhang (68-68-70 – 206) of Orlando held off David Snyder of Austin, who closed with a six-under 66, to win boys 9.
Donny Hopoi (68-72-71 – 211) of Aiea, HI, won boys 10 by three shots over Zecheng Dou of China. Pinehurst’s Joshua Martin (71-74-70 – 215) came up short in his bid to win a fourth consecutive World Championship, finishing third.
After losing in a sudden-death playoff in 2006, Ben Doyle (72-69-64 – 205) of San Diego won boys 11 by one shot over Frank Szucs of Brookside, N.J.
Francesco Ruffino (70-76-69 – 215) of Bloomfield Village, Mich., bounced back from a disappointing round on Friday to win boys 12 by two shots over Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
A total of 1,175 players from 45 U.S. states and 32 countries competed in the eighth annual U.S. Kids Golf World Championship on eight different courses. The courses were shortened to gender- and age-appropriate lengths between 1,300 and 6,000 yards. Rounds were 9 or 18 holes per day, depending on age group.
About U.S. Kids Golf
U.S. Kids Golf is based in Atlanta, Ga., and manufactures equipment, apparel, balls and accessories specially for kids. In addition to more than 4,000 golf shops and retail locations in the U.S., the company’s products also are available in Europe, Canada, the Middle and Far East, South America, Mexico and Australia. Through the Personal Teeâ?¢ Golf Learning Program and its Local Tours, Regional Championships and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, U.S. Kids Golf also provides opportunities for instruction and competition.
For more information, call 1-888-3 US KIDS or visit the company’s web site at www.uskidsgolf.com.
Contact:
Bill Bryant (678) 366-3232
bbryant@bryantmarcomm.com
On site in Pinehurst Aug. 1-5
John Bryan (404) 664-1632
