NORTH PLAINS, OR. — In exciting finishes that came down to the final hole, Norman Xiong of Canyon Lake, California, claimed the Junior All-Star Invitational sponsored by NIKE GOLF championship (October 10th-13th, 2014) with a tournament-total 9-under-par 204. Yujeong Son of Norman, Oklahoma, posted a 6-under-par 207 to win in the Girls Division at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club – Ghost Creek.
Xiong and Son are the first pair of Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Team members to win the Junior All-Star Invitational sponsored by NIKEGOLF since 2012 when Philip Barbaree and Karen Arimoto won at Mission Inn Resort & Club – El Campeon Course.
Xiong, a member of the 2014 Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Team and the winner of two other 2014 AJGA events (Junior All-Star at Fox Meadow and Sunriver Junior Open), posted a final-round 5-under-par 66 in his first-ever AJGA Invitational. No. 36 in the Polo Golf Rankings, Xiong opened with a birdie but saved his best golf for the back nine, where he made four birdies on his way to a 4-under-par 31.
Xiong said he let his frustrations get the best of him on the front nine, but staying focused brought him to a 25-foot putt on No. 18 with a chance to win.
“As I stood over the putt I felt so much adrenaline, I couldn’t really tell what was going on around me,” Xiong said. “The fact that I won my first AJGA Invitational still hasn’t sunk in.”
Kaiwen Liu of San Diego, and second-round leader Garrett Barber of West Palm Beach, Florida, finished in a tie for second at 8-under-par 205. Liu, who started the day T6, began his day with a bogey, but carded seven birdies en route to a final-round low 6-under-par 65. Barber, playing in the final group, made four birdies on the day, including three in a row on Nos. 8-10 that positioned him to contend for the championship.
Michael Sanders of Davidson, North Carolina, finished fourth at 5-under-par 208, and Joseph Chun of Irvine, California, finished fifth at 4-under-par 209.
Son, No. 70 in the Polo Golf Rankings, was tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds with close friend Youngin Chun of Austin, Texas, but opened up a late lead on the strength of two birdies in the last three holes, good for an even-par 71. The 13-year-old said she was struggling to stay focused on the front nine, but was able to stay within a few shots of the lead until her putts started falling.
“The turning point for me today was my birdie on No. 16,” Son said. “I was down by one to Youngin [Chun] heading into that hole, and I knew if I would trust my irons enough to get it on the green, I would be able to make a birdie putt. I was lucky enough to have that momentum carry over to No. 17 and I made another birdie to take the lead.”
Second-round co-leader Chun finished second with a tournament-total 5-under-par 208. Isabella Fierro of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, and Allyson Geer of Brighton, Michigan, finished tied for third at 4-over-par 217.
For more information about the Junior All-Star Invitational, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.