Navarrosa goes wire-to-wire to win #ShanshanInv
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Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, closed out a dominant wire-to-wire victory at the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational after posting an even-par 72 in the final round to finish at 4-under-par 212 for the tournament.
Hosted by LPGA Tour player Shanshan Feng, the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational features players from all over the world, including 11 from mainland China. Feng has been a longtime proponent of growing women's golf in her home country and partnering with Buick and the AJGA to host a tournament allows some of China's finest players the chance to play on an international stage.
Navarrosa entered the day with an eight-stroke lead and cruised to a 12-stroke victory behind her final-round even-par 72. She started the round strong with pars on her first two holes before making a birdie on the par-4 No. 3, though she would give it right back with a bogey on the next hole. That was her first time at the tournament making anything but a birdie on the par-3 No. 4. Navarrosa would go on to make a bogey on the par-4 No. 7 that she immediately followed with a birdie on the par-5 No. 8.
The University of Southern California verbal commit sealed the deal at the turn by making consecutive birdies on the par-3 No. 10 and the par-4 No. 11. Despite making consecutive bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17, Navarrosa finished with a par on her final hole to win her first AJGA Invitational title. The two-time Rolex Junior All-American entered the tournament ranked No. 50 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings with only one AJGA victory to her name.
Erica Shepherd of Greenwood, Indiana, vaulted up the leaderboard with a final-round 2-under-par 70 to finish in second place at 8-over-par 224. The Duke University signee fired four birdies on the back nine to post the lowest round of the day and the second-lowest round of the tournament. Shepherd, ranked No. 7 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, owns two AJGA victories in addition to the 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
Camille Boyd of Shanghai, China, finished in third after posting a final-round 5-over-par 77 to end the tournament at 9-over-par 225. Boyd is verbally committed to the University of Washington and won the 2018 AJGA Kansas Junior at Buffalo Dunes. Boyd is No. 64 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Alexa Pano of Lake Worth, Florida, and Bohyun Park of (South Korea) Farmers Branch, Texas, finished T4 at 10-over-par 226.
One of only six all-girls invitationals on the AJGA schedule, the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational is one of the few tournaments that features the opportunity for the Champion to earn an exemption into a professional event. The 2019 champion will earn an exemption into the Symetra Tour's 2019 IOA Championship being held in Beaumont, California.
About the AJGA
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 6,900 members from 50 states and 60 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.
TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for more than 25 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 900 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.
Follow along on social media using the hashtag #ShanshanInv.