AJGA SHELL WORLD GOLF VILLAGE
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Slammer & Squire at World Golf Village
St. Augustine, Florida
July 8-11, 2002
RUNION SURVIVES TWO-HOLE
PLAYOFF TO TAKE TITLE IN ST. AUGUSTINE
Wade captures third AJGA victory this season
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Garrett Runion fired 3-under-par
69 Thursday, surviving a sudden-death playoff to capture his
first American Junior Golf Association title at the AJGA Shell
World Golf Village Junior Championship. In the Girls Division,
Whitney Wade of Glasgow, Ky., notched her third AJGA victory
this season, shooting a final-round 77 to finish at 6-over-par
222 for the tournament.
The Shell World Golf Village Junior Championship, held at
the par-72 Slammer & Squire at World Golf Village, was
conducted by the American Junior Golf Association and featured
84 players with boys and girls representing 15 states. Fifty
participants hailed from the state of Florida.
After 54 holes, Runion, a native of Windermere, Fla., was
in a four-way tie for first place at 215 with three others:
Beau Glover of Sherwood, Ark., Steven Crolic of Jacksonville,
Fla., and Tommy Suri of Miami, Fla. Runion and Glover pared
the first playoff hole, No. 18, to keep the tie alive. On
No. 1, Runion hit his second shot to within 15 feet of the
hole, while Glover found himself in the bunker to the right
of the green. Runion pared the hole to claim the championship.
"I think the nerves definitely kicked in out there,"
said Runion, who posted rounds of 72-74-69. "I was actually
pretty calm. I played the play-off holes better than regulation.
I was surprised par made it. I thought for sure I'd have to
make a birdie to stay in."
The turning point in Runion's round came on the par 4, 426-yard
fifth, where Runion holed-out his second shot from 184 yards
for eagle. The 18-year-old finished the front nine at 34 and
carded three birdies on the back nine, including back-to-back
birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, to post the low round for the day.
"That eagle got me on a roll," said Runion, who
entered the final round tied for ninth place. "I just
played solid golf today. I didn't have to scramble as much."
Glover, Crolic and Suri all finished in a tie for second with
a tournament total of 215. Glover fired rounds of 71-75-69,
while Crolic posted 71-73-71. The leader coming into the final
round, Suri carded rounds of 69-71-75. Rounding out the top
five at 216 was Moises Cobo of Bradenton, Fla., and Cornelius
Carroll of St. Simons, Ga.
In the Girls Division, Wade and runner-up Nicole Hage were
tied for first place going into the final hole. Wade had struggled
on No. 18, carding double bogey and bogey during the first
two rounds. On Thursday, however, Wade hit her second shot
to within 30 feet of the hole and two-putted for par. Hage,
on the other hand, missed a 7-foot par putt, which put her
a shot behind Wade in second place.
"I was a little scared going into that hole," said
Wade, who fired 74-71-77-222. "I haven't had a good hole
there this week, and I knew I couldn't do that again this
time."
Although Wade had difficulties putting, the 16-year-old finished
the final round with birdies on Nos. 3 and 8. Wade said the
key throughout the tournament was working the greens.
"I putted well the last two days, but today I probably
had five or six three-putts," said Wade, who has verbally
committed to play golf at the University of Georgia. "Some
of these greens are tough if you get yourself in trouble."
Two Polo Golf Junior All-Americans, Hage and Lisa Tyler, tied
for the runner-up position at 223. A native of Coral Springs,
Fla., Hage finished with 74-75-74-223. Tyler, from Lighthouse
Point, Fla., carded the low round of the day in the Girls
Division, a 1-under-par 71, recording rounds of 76-76-71.
On a special note, Claire Flexer of Brunswick, Ga., had her
first hole-in-one Thursday. The 17-year-old aced the par-3,
143-yard seventh hole with a 9-wood. This was the second hole-in-one
of the tournament.
For more information on the AJGA Shell World Golf Village
Junior Championship, contact AJGA national headquarters at
(770) 868-4200.
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