2013 Junior competition schedule

January

• Jan. 1-3: Innisbrook Christmas Invitational, Palm Harbor, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 3-5: FCT San Diego Junior, Jamul, Calif. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 11-13: AJGA Winn Junior Cup Challenge, Henderson, Nev.

• Jan. 12-13: FCGT/Golfweek West Series Season Opener, Beaumont, Calif. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 12-13: FCWT at Reunion Resort, Reunion, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 12-13: FCWT at Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 12-13: IJGT Winter Invitational at Moss Creek, Hilton Head Island, S.C. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-20: FCWT at Bayonet and Black Horse, Seaside, Calif. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-20: Florida Junior Tour at Brooksville CC, Brooksville, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-20: HJGT Orlando Junior Challenge, Orlando, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-20: IJGT Florida Swing at Harmony Golf Preserve, Harmony, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-21: AJGA Annika Invitational, Reunion, Fla. (Scores: Girls)

• Jan. 19-21: AJGA Junior All-Star at Mission Inn, Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-21: AJGA Puerto Rico Junior Open, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Scores: Boys)

• Jan. 19-21: IMG Junior Golf Tour at Laurel Oak CC, Sarasota, Fla. (Scores: Boys | Girls)

• Jan. 19-21: Carolinas/Georgia Junior, North Augusta, S.C ...

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Its been a busy couple of weeks for me here in Florida! I played in the Dixie Amateur in Coral Springs, Fla., and finished up with the Harder Hall in Sebring, FL. I have three more tournaments in Florida, but I just wanted to share a little about my time here so far!

Starting out at the Dixie Amateur was a great experience. There were a lot of great college players as well as junior golfers who played in the event. I had the opportunity to play with some really nice girls who gave me some good advice about playing college golf (for a team and as an individual) and also how much fun theyʼve had playing in a team atmosphere. I shot 74-73-73-74 294 (+6) for a 24th place finish. I definitely didnʼt play my best, but I took away some positives and also it helped me realize what I need to work on. The last day I hit 16 greens, but had 36 putts and shot 74 so my putting was not the strongest part of my game that week.

After the Dixie, my mom, Taylor and I drove to the Harder Hall in Sebring Fla. The tournament ...

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Brad Dalke remembers looking at the temperature right before the final day of play at the Winn Junior Cup Sunday at Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.

"Twenty-five degrees," Dalke said. “We were all bundled up. It was rough out there.”

But despite the frigid conditions, Dalke and the West team rolled to a 22-9 victory over the East. It was the second straight title for the West, as well as for Dalke and teammate Alison Lee.

Lee won both of her singles matches on Sunday, beating Nicole Morales, 7 and 5, and Casey Danielson, 5 and 4, while Dalke chipped in for a victory over former U.S. Junior Amateur champ Jim Liu.

“It feels good,” said Dalke, who, along with Lee, also played in this event last year. “They have some great players, but we did, too. They actually played pretty well, but we were able to barely outplay them in most of the matches. There were just some great matches out there. It was really fun.”

The West, captained by LPGA player Natalie Gulbis, took a 10-5 lead after Saturday’s first day of competition, rallying back from an early 5-0 deficit to Butch Harmon’s ...

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With the departure of Thai super sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn to the professional ranks, girls’ junior golf is looking for two heirs apparent atop leaderboards. Nicole Morales and Shannon Aubert are good bets.

Morales, of South Salem, N.Y., is No. 1 in Golfweek Junior Rankings for the Class of 2014, No. 7 overall. Her momentum into the 2012 season started in November 2011, when she won the Polo Junior Golf Classic after being 3 down through four holes. Since then, she has had four AJGA top-10 finishes, including a victory at the Genesis Junior Open and a runner-up finish at the TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook.

The Alabama-commit gave it her all at the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior when she played No. 1-ranked amateur Lydia Ko in the Round of 16. Morales took the match to the 17th hole. For the first time, she was named a Rolex Junior All-American.

Shannon Aubert of Reunion, Fla., has made some noise at the junior level. Aubert, No. 2 in the Golfweek Junior Rankings for the Class of 2014, has three top-5 AJGA finishes. In five years on the AJGA, she has seven runner-up finishes and no invitational titles. The ...

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Casie Cathrea won the 2013 San Diego Junior Amateur after shooting a final-round 2-under 70 at Sycuan Resort on Jan 5. This is Cathrea’s third San Diego Junior Amateur title after winning the event in 2010 and 2009. The Livermoore, Calif., native finished six strokes ahead of the field. She will attend Oklahoma State in the fall.

The 6th annual San Diego Junior Amateur took place at Steele Canyon Golf Club and Sycuan Resort on Jan. 3-5.

In the boys 15-18 division, Corey Shaun of Encinitas, Calif., won by four shots over Aaron Wise. Shaun’s first round, 5-under 66, was tied for the low round of the tournament. He is ranked No. 48 in the boys junior Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, class of 2014.

In the girls 15-18 division, the 2010 and 2009 San Diego Junior Amateur champion Casie Cathrea won after shooting a final-round 2-under 70. The Livermoore, Calif., native finished six strokes ahead of the field. She will be a freshman at Oklahoma State in the fall. This is Cathrea's third San Diego Junior Amateur title.

Hey everyone!

My name is Ashlan Ramsey and I’m a senior at John Milledge Academy in Milledgeville, Ga. I have played AJGA events for six years and have played in various junior events for eight years. I have been extremely blessed to have traveled the places I have and I am thankful everyday that I am able to play a game that I love. There are many people, especially my family and friends that have motivated and encouraged me to follow my dreams, and they all have played a huge role in helping me get to where I am today.

I first picked up a golf club at the age of six when my dad took me in our backyard (a driving range) and let me swing while he was practicing his own game. We moved to Augusta, Ga., a year later and decided I wanted to play tennis instead of golf. My mind was quickly changed when my sister, Taylor, came home with a bunch of golf trophies and I had yet to win one (a trophy) playing tennis. Whether I was playing 4-hole tournaments at our country club or playing U.S. Kids events, I was always ...

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The 31st annual Doral-Publix Junior Golf Classic took place at Doral Golf Resort & Spa on Dec. 17-23.

In the boy’s championship, Alexander Matlari of Bad-Wuer, Germany, shot 68-75-70 to win the title by two shots over Danny Guise of Greenwich, Conn.

In the girl’s championship, Emily Pedersen of Smoerum, Denmark, captured the title by one-shot over Lakareber Abe of Fort Worth, Texas, by shooting 74-70-71.

Puerto Rico’s Maria Torres and England’s Patrick Kelley won the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship on Dec. 30 at The Biltmore Golf Course in Coral Gables, Fla.

Torres edged American Nicole Morales by one-shot on the 72nd hole of the tournament. Torres had a four-stroke lead at the 14th hole, but Morales didn’t go away quietly. She sunk a 40-foot putt to save par at No. 15, then she made a birdie at No. 16, where Torres three-putted. They were tied heading into No. 18. Morales made bogey and Torres tapped in for par to claim the title.

Kelley won the title by going wire-to-wire and winning by a 13-shot margin. He started the final round with a seven-shot lead and was never threatened. He struggled with illness throughout the week. Kelley’s 19-under 263 total was the second-lowest winning score in the 49 years of the championship.

Information from the Junior Orange Bowl was used in this report

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – He's just 13 years old, but Robin Wang proved Sunday that he can play with the older boys.

Wang sank a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the boys 15-19 division of the CJGA World Junior Challenge at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club's Copperhead Course.

Maria Alejandra Villalobos won the girls division and Sam Jung took the boys 14-and-under crown.

"I was a little bit nervous [standing over that putt]," said Wang, who set up the championship-winning birdie with a clutch approach – a 9-iron that landed and stopped on the green just to the front-right of the pin.

The shot generated a loud roar from the gallery watching on the 18th green, especially Wang's father and those affiliated with Wang's academy, Eagles Dream, which is based out of Timacuan Golf and Country Club in Lake Mary, Fla.

“I knew I had to hit a close approach,” said Wang, who is ranked No. 57 in the Golfweek/Sagarin junior boys rankings. “I told myself I can do this. I can hit this close the hole.”

Wang entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Renato Paratore and Jose Mendez. Playing ...

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In 2012, the likes of Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn on the girls side, not to mention Matt NeSmith on the boys side, provided plenty of fireworks.

Who will make a name for themselves over the next 365 days? Our Cassie Stein breaks down 10 storylines to watch heading into 2013:

• • •

GIRLS

1. Who will be the next girl’s junior superstar after the departure of the Thai super sisters, Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn?

There are a few girls vying for the elusive spot of No. 1. A few names to be thrown out there are Nicole Morales and Shannon Aubert, but there are some younger girls coming up the ranks, too, such as Samantha Wagner and Andrea Lee.

• • •

2. Who will make the Ping Junior Solheim Cup Team?

A Solheim Cup year also means a Ping Junior Solheim Cup will take place, too. It will be played Aug. 13-14 at the Inverness Golf Club in Denver, Colo., just prior to the professionals. Will the 2013 high school graduates be able to participate? If so, Team USA is stacked.

• • •

3. Where will Shannon Aubert give a verbal commitment?

With her solid play all throughout her junior career, all the big-time schools ...

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Robin Wang, Maria Alejandra Villalobos and Sam Jung are out in front heading into Sunday's final round of the CJGA World Junior Challenge at Innisbrook.

Wang, of Lake Mary, Fla., leads the boys 15-19 division by one shot over Jose Mendez and Renato Paratore. Wang is currently 2 over for the tournament after a 2-over 73 Saturday on the Island Course.

Villalobos fired a 1-over 72 to take a seven-stroke lead in the girls division at 5 over.

Jung, of Chantilly, Va., shot even-par 71 on the Copperhead Course to take a two-shot lead over Sachin Kumar in the boys 14-and-under division. Jung is 1 over for the tournament.

From Ariya Jutanugarn's dominating performance at the Concession Golf Club to her older sister Moriya making her way through LPGA Q-School, 2012 was a year to remember for girls junior golf.

Over the course of 10 days, we will bring you the top 10 players of the year starting at No. 10 and ending with the player who we think had the most impressive season.

Who's No. 1? None other than Thailand native Ariya Jutanugarn.

Check out the full series by clicking here.

• • •

1. Ariya Jutanugarn (Bangkok, Thailand)

The resume: She was the 2012 Rolex Player of the Year and was named a first team Rolex Junior All-America. She finished the season at No. 1 in the Golfweek girls junior rankings. Jutanugarn won the Junior PGA Championship, the Thunderbird International Junior and the Rolex Girls Junior Championship by an 18-shot margin. She was a semifinalist at both the U.S. Girls’ Junior (stroke-play medalist, too) and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. She won the AJGA Polo Junior Golf Classic (stroke play co-medalist honors, too).

Commentary: Without question, Jutanugarn was the No. 1 player in girl’s junior golf this year. The way she dominated fields was ...

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Cao Sen may not be the oldest and most experienced player in the World Junior Challenge field, but on Friday, he shot the lowest score.

Sen, a Lake Mary, Fla., native, shot 1-under 71 on the Island Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club to take the first-round lead in the boys 14-and-under division. Sen, who made a tournament-high five birdies in the opening round, leads Sachin Kumar of Trinidad and Tobago by a shot.

Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ontario, leads the girls division after carding a 3-over 75 on the Island Course. She holds a one-stroke advantage over Maria Alejandra Villalobos of Gainesville, Fla., and Hana Furuichi of Orlando, Fla.

“It was cold this morning and a little hard to get going,” Costabile said. “I tried not to worry about my bogeys. I knew there were birdie holes coming up and that allowed me to stay confident.”

There is a three-way tie for first place in the boys 15-19 division as Italy's Renato Paratore, and Lake Mary's Robin Wang and Jerry Zhu all find themselves at 1 over after opening-round 72s on the Copperhead Course.

There are 11 players within two shots of the lead, including notables ...

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From Ariya Jutanugarn's dominating performance at the Concession Golf Club to her older sister Moriya making her way through LPGA Q-School, 2012 was a year to remember for girls junior golf.

Over the course of 10 days, we will bring you the top 10 players of the year starting at No. 10 and ending with the player who we think had the most impressive season.

Who's No. 2? None other than California native Alison Lee.

Check out the full series by clicking here.

• • •

2. Alison Lee (Valencia, Calif.)

The resume: Lee had four top-five AJGA finishes in the 2012 season, including wins at the Annika Invitational and The Ping Invitational. The first team Rolex All-America finished No. 2 in the Golfweek girls junior rankings. In USGA championships, she was runner-up at the U.S. Girls’ Junior, was one of three amateurs to make the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open and made it to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She represented Team USA at the Junior Ryder Cup and played on the West Team for the AJGA Wyndham Cup.

Commentary: If you could say there is a first second place winner, A ...

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