Aug 26, 2021
AJGA Golf Tournament
Zhang & Zhang win Junior Championship Titles at Sugarloaf
CARRABASSETT VALLEY, ME – Boyi (Barry) Zhang of Lake Mary, FL and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, BC both earned their first championship titles in the AJGA Coca Cola Junior tournament this week at Sugarloaf. Barry carded an impressive five birdies in the second round to score a three-under-par 69, while Vanessa logged the lowest final score of the entire field with a three-round 221.
Andre Zhu, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, finished second with a three-day combined score of 222, while former champion Calen Sanderson, of Newton, PA, came in third place at 224. On the women’s side, Kexin Guan of Irvine, CA, and Jacinda Lee of Camas, WA, rounded out the top three with final scores of 223 and 226, respectively.
Maine golfer, Elliot Spaulding of Freeport carded seven birdies over three rounds to crack the top ten, finishing ninth overall.
Among the other players from Maine in this week’s tournament, Parker Hilchey of Saint George tied for thirty fourth place with a three-day score of 248, while Ruth Weeks of Cumberland finished twenty third with a 298.
In addition to near-record high temperatures this week, the notoriously challenging Sugarloaf Golf Club proved a difficult test for the elite group of junior golfers. Difficult pin placements forced players to be deadly accurate with approach shots, while dense woods lining fairways required precision off the tee. Only four players – Barry Zhang, Tyler Kowack, Billy Abdow, and Vanessa Zhang – scored rounds sub-par, 69, 71, 68, and 71, respectively.
“Each year I am blown away by the amount of talent, commitment, and passion these young golfers have for the sport,” Sugarloaf Head Golf Professional Zach Zondlo said, “It’s a tremendous honor to host an event of this caliber at Sugarloaf, and I’m confident that we’ll be seeing some of these young faces on the PGA tour someday.”
The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. Many of the top golfers on the PGA and LPGA are former AJGA members, including Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Davis Love III, and many others.
For complete results, please visit ajga.org
For additional information on the Sugarloaf Golf Club, please visit sugarloaf.com.