Hye-Jin Choi crowned World Junior Girls champion; Korea claims team title
Peter MacKellar
Choi posts 7-under 65 as Korea completes wire-to-wire win
OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario) – As the temperatures cooled and fall was ushered in, the golf season drew to a close with the conclusion of the World Junior Girls Championship, Sept. 25 at the Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. Team Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory and claimed both the team and individual titles at the second playing of the competition for the world’s best 18-and-under female golfers.
Hye-Jin Choi of Paju-si saved her best performance for last, posting seven birdies in a bogey-free round to finish 7-under 65 for the lowest round of the tournament.
“Through the first three rounds I was focused on improving my putting, but today I sank a birdie on the first hole and with it, gained a boost of confidence for the round,” said the individual champion. “I felt better out there today than during any other round. I knew I could do it and at the same time, I trusted that my teammates would get it done, as well.”
The 16-year-old credited her competitors for challenging her across the course. “On the 14th hole I made a birdie and followed it up with a difficult par on the 15th. At that point, I had a good feeling that I was going to be the individual winner. Up until then, I was still worried because my playing partners from Sweden and Denmark are great players and they could have made a charge and caught up.”
“Team competition is not very common in golf,” added Choi, whose squad was making its debut in the championship. “So when I get a chance to play as a team and represent my country, my focus is always on the team. When I saw their scores, I was so relieved and was then able to turn my attention to winning the individual title. I am so happy and proud of us.”
The remaining two members of the Korean contingent completed the competition tied for fourth at 1-under 287. Eun-Soo Jang of Chang Hyung shot a final-round of even-par 72 to count towards her team’s winning total of 22-under 554. The final member of the squad, Shin Hye Kim of Icheon, carded a 73.
“This is a really big win for us,” said head coach Sang-Won Ko, whose trio was the only team to all finish with under-par rounds. “Coming into the tournament, we never expected that we would win. Our top priority was to learn since the environment and course would be so different to us. I am so happy with the result. It is an added bonus to win because we learned so much during the week. I am really proud of all of my players.”
“Hye-Jin was crazy today!” said Ko, when asked about the World Junior Girls champion. “I have mentioned during the week that she struggled with her putting, but today it was simply amazing.”
Finishing second in the individual competition was Cecilie Bofill of Denmark. The native of Silkeborg began the day tied for third, but tallied five birdies en route to a 3-under 69. The 17-year-old moved to 5-under 283 in the competition to trade places in the standings with Filippa Moork of Sweden. The native of Karlstad was 2-over on the day and finished 2-under overall to claim sole possession of third.
Bofill’s performance coupled with Frederickshavn native Puk Lyng Thomsen’s 1-over 73 propelled Denmark into the runner-up position in the team competition at 4-under 572. Four strokes shy of second was Team Sweden, which counted identical rounds of 2-over 74 from Moork and Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil to finish even-par 576.
Kathrine Chan led the Canadians in the field with a 3-over 75 performance. The native of Richmond, B.C., finished the championship at 15-over 303.
Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna echoed the sentiments of all those involved when asked to reflect on the competition. “In speaking with the players and coaches this past week, I think this event was a tremendous success. From the coaching summit and the skills clinic to an entertaining and exciting tournament – I truly believe this was a very positive experience for not only the golfing community in Ottawa, but also the development of junior girls’ golf on the international stage.”
Additional information on the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the tournament’s official website at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUNIOR GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is an annual event conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario. The international competition features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition.
In 2015, the competition will be hosted at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The second edition of the tournament will see a 16-team field compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours.
The event receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund); and Ottawa Tourism.
Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
Hye-Jin Choi regains lead; Team Korea increases advantage at World Junior Girls Championship
Peter MacKellar
Sweden’s Filippa Moork jumps to second with third-round 4-under 68
OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario)— The team representing the Republic of Korea continued its strong play in the third round of the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa.
The trio’s depth was again on display – for the third time in as many days, a different player led the team. The unit finished the day 6-under and now sits at 15-under 417 for the competition – 11 shots clear of second. Icheon native Shin Hye Kim led the way with six birdies and a bogey-free 3-under across the back nine. She finished the day at 4-under 68 to move into a tie for third at 2-under 214.
“I am extremely happy with my round. I was very lucky with my putting today. There were times when I made six or seven footers and that is something that rarely happens for me.”
Teammate, Hye-Jin Choi, a native of Paju-si, fired a 2-under 70 to reach 5-under in the tournament and reclaim the lead she held following the first round. Round two leader Eun-Soo Jang of Chang-Hyung finished the day 4-over 76 and sits alone in fifth for the tournament at 1-under.
“Even though this competition has an individual component, all three of us are only focused on the team competition,” added Kim when asked about her relationship with her squad. “The first day I was worried because I shot a 4-over. Throughout the round, I thought about what my teammates were doing, when I finished and found out what they had shot, I was instantly relieved. It felt like I had shot a 3-under myself.”
Filippa Moork began the round in third-place at even-par, but a 4-under performance propelled the native of Karlstad, Sweden into second. The 18-year-old is one-shot off the individual lead at 4-under.
“It felt really good to tie for the low round. I played my own game,” said Moork. “It was fun out there today. It feels nice that my putts were going in.”
Team Sweden, consisting of Moork, Gothenburg’s Elin Esborn and Fiskebackskil’s Frida Kinhult, sits alone in second at 4-under 428 following a combined score of 3-under on the day. Esborn completed the round at 3-over 75 to sit T20 in the tournament at 223. Kinhult ended the day with a 74 and is currently alone in sixth.
“We did really well today,” said Sweden’s head coach Malin Thorberg.
“Filippa putted really well today and made a lot of birdies. Frida, as well. It was a very good day on the greens. We are all really happy with today.”
Despite some difficult circumstances, Thorberg reflected very positively on the importance of this competition. “This is a really good learning experience for the girls. For Frida and Elin, it is their first time playing in this championship. We were without our clubs for the first two days (due to travel issues), but that was a good thing for the girls to learn – that these things can happen. They took it really well. From there, we just tried to be happy and do our best and learn as much as we could, both from other players and the course.”
Rounding out the top three is Team Denmark. The squad members made a move early in the round and found themselves just one back of Korea for the lead. However, they would fall back and sit at 2-under heading into the final round.
Silkeborg’s Cecilie Bofill, who is tied for third, led Denmark on the day. Bofill got off to a fast start with three birdies on the first five holes, but would end the round at 2-over 74 to sit 2-under for the tournament. Teammate Puk Lyng Thomsen, a native of Frederickshavn, was 1-over for the day and sits T8 at 2-over. The third member of the team, Gilleleje’s Line Toft Hansen, is T13 at 4-over after an even-par third round.
Team Canada Two’s Kathrine Chan of Richmond, B.C., posted a 2-over 74 on the day – her lowest round of the competition. Tied for 27th, she is the top Canadian in the individual standings at 12-over.
The final round of the World Junior Girls Championship will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additional information regarding the tournament, including tee times and full results, can be found at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUNIOR GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is an annual event conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario. The international competition features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition.
In 2015, the competition will be hosted at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The second edition of the tournament will see a 16-team field compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours.
The event receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund); and Ottawa Tourism.
Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
Eun-Soo Jang tops leaderboard as Korea increases lead at World Junior Girls
Peter MacKellar
Jang reaches 5-under as Team Korea builds a five-stroke lead
OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario) – Clear skies and brilliant sunshine provided an ideal backdrop for the second round of the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The team representing the Republic of Korea took full advantage of the ideal conditions to expand its lead atop the standings.
“I am very satisfied with both the scores and details of today’s performance,” said Korean coach Sang-Won Ko. “Yesterday the scores were fine, but the details weren’t where we wanted them to be. Today everything went well.”
Ko credited hard work and increased familiarity with the course for his team’s play. “The players are getting used to the course and are getting more comfortable playing it. Their putting was much better. We worked on it after yesterday’s round and it helped a lot today. To continue to lead, we just need to keep putting well.”
Leading the Korean side was Eun-Soo Jang who tallied six birdies en route to a 5-under 67. The 17-year-old, who has been battling a cold, is finally feeling more like herself. “Yesterday, I was struggling. Today, I got back to my game and gave myself more chances to make birdies. My wedge play was the strongest part of my game today. My shots from 80-yards-in were really good. I stuck many of them to within a foot or two on many of the holes.”
Cecilie Bofill of Silkeborg, Denmark ascended the leaderboard with five birdies, including three across a bogey-free back nine. The 17-year-old finished the first day of competition tied with 10 other players in fourth-place at even-par; her round of 4-under 68 has vaulted her into second.
The 18-hole leader – Hye-Jin Choi – followed her opening round of 2-under 70 with a 71. She carded two birdies on the day and despite sitting third in the competition, the 16-year-old’s tally will not count towards her team’s total on the day.
The Korean trio extended its lead from two to five strokes on the strength of performances from Jang and the team’s final member – Shin Hye Kim. She collected four birdies on the front nine before a pair of bogeys saw the 18-year-old finish at 2-under 70. The team is now 9-under 279 through two rounds.
Led by Bofill, Team Denmark rose two spots to claim sole possession of second place. Puk Lyng Thomsen’s even-par round also counted towards her squad’s combined total of 4-under 285, while Line Toft Hansen’s 75 on the day completes the trio’s scores.
Team Sweden – comprised of Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil, Gothenburg’s Elin Esborn and Karlstad native Filippa Moork – holds third place at 1-under 287. Kinhult, who sits T5, posted a round of 1-under 71 to count alongside Moork’s 72. Esborn was 3-over 75 for the round.
Toping the Canadian contingent is Alisha Lau. The 15-year-old carded one birdie and completed the round at 2-over 74. The national team Development Squad member is T24 at 6-over for the competition.
Head Coach of Team Canada One, Ann Carroll, provided some insight on her squad’s second-round performance. “I think they tried a little too hard today. I think some of them got off to a not-so-great start and after that, they started to force things instead of letting things come to them. I tried my best to get them in the right frame of mind and back to where they could control things.”
Carroll remains positive on the experience as a whole. “I think playing in an international event like this excels their learning and gives them confidence that even though they may not have played their best, they still know they can play against other girls from around the world.”
The third round of the World Junior Girls Championship will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additional information regarding the tournament, including tee times and full results, can be found at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
Republic of Korea grabs opening round lead of 2015 World Junior Girls Championship
Peter MacKellar
Hye-jin Choi (KOR) and Elizabeth Wang (U.S.) share individual lead at two-under (70)
OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario) – It was a beautiful day at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa as the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship officially began. This year’s competition has gathered 14 countries, 15 teams and 44 players in the nation’s capital.
Making their debuts in this year’s event are teams representing the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and France, who join returning countries Canada, Australia, Denmark, England, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the defending champions from the United States of America.
With the lowest two scores from each round counting towards the team’s daily total, Korea took the opening-round lead at two-under (142). Hye-Jin Choi led her team with a round of two-under (70) while Eun-Soo Jang shot even-par (72). The third member of the team, Shin Hye Kim, posted a four-over-par performance.
After the round, Korean coach Sang-Won Ko reflected pensively on his team’s first round. “I told the team that they were leading at lunch, but that they could have been playing even better. I think all three can work on their putting heading into the second round. It is always a great experience to be a member of a team that represents Korea, it’s all the motivation they need.”
Choi’s round of 70 also has her tied atop the individual competition. Despite her share of the lead, the 16-year-old laments the opportunities she was unable to capitalize upon.
“It is hard to pinpoint one particular strength of my game today. I finished with five birdies, but could have had more,” said Choi. “I missed a few chances that could have led to two or three more birdies. Having a share of the lead is nice because it makes me comfortable heading into the rest of the tournament. I just have to play even better tomorrow now that everyone is warmed up.
Two shots back of Korea in the team competition are the United States and Sweden who both sit at even-par 144. Team USA was led by a strong performance from Elizabeth Wang who holds a share of the lead.
“I started out pretty well with my putting really helping me out,” noted Wang. “I got a little tired on the back nine and my putting suffered. This is a very beautiful course, the greens are pretty firm, each hole is unique and you can definitely score on the course.”
The San Marino, Calif., native beamed with pride when asked about taking part in this competition. “This event is just such a privilege for me to represent the United States and I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
Also factoring into the team score was Alyaa Abdulghany of Newport Beach, Calif., who finished two-over (74). Completing the American contingent was Frisco, Texas native Courtney Dow who carded a five-over (77).
Sweden – last year’s silver medalists – counted Frida Kinhult and Filippa Moork’s identical even-par rounds. The pair’s performances have them knotted in an 11-way tie for fourth. Elin Esborn completed the day at one-over (73).
Both Canadian sides finished with room for improvement following the first day of competition. Team Canada Two made up of B.C. natives Euna Han (Coquitlam), Alisha Lau (Richmond) and Katherine Chan (Richmond) finished at seven-over (151) while Team Canada One consisting of Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) were eight-over.
Team Canada Two coach Mike Martz sees positives to be taken from his team’s performance. “I think they did a good job today. They didn’t have the greatest start, but they fought really hard on the back nine to come back two or three shots. They could have just folded, but they pulled everything together and fought back. We will put some work in today and hopefully they will be able to continue to improve tomorrow.”
For full tournament information, including the leaderboard and pairings see the tournament site at: http://www.worldjuniorgirls.com
ABOUT THE WORLD JUNIOR GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is an annual event conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario. The international competition features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition.
In 2015, the competition will be hosted at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The second edition of the tournament will see a 16-team field compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours.
The event receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund); and Ottawa Tourism.
Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
Nation’s capital to host second World Junior Girls Championship
Peter MacKellar
World’s best female juniors will battle for world supremacy at The Marshes Golf Club from Sept. 20-25, 2015
Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The stage has been set for the world’s top female junior golfers to put their talent and skill on display at the second annual World Junior Girls Championship. The Marshes Golf Club in the nation’s capital is set to host the event from September 20-25 as the world’s premier 18-and-under players descend upon Ottawa to compete in both team and individual competition.
“We are thrilled to announce The Marshes Golf Club as hosts of this year’s World Junior Girls Championship. The challenging course and the scenic backdrop of Ottawa will showcase the game’s proud tradition in Canada,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna.
Situated among wetlands and forests with the Gatineau Hills in the distance, The Marshes is a prime example of the craft and care that Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Sr. put into their course designs. The venerable club has been home to several local and provincial amateur competitions and has hosted five PGA of Canada Senior Championships, most recently in 2009.
Conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario and supported by the International Golf Federation, the 2015 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will bring together 48 of the top 18-and-under female golfers from 15 countries. As hosts of the event, Canada will once again feature two contingents vying for the competition’s top prize.
When asked about having the championship in Ontario again, Golf Association of Ontario’s Executive Director Steve Carroll spoke to the tournament’s ability to grow the game. “It is an honour to host this event in our province for a second consecutive year and we greatly appreciate the support of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Ottawa Valley Golf Association for this world class championship. It provides us the opportunity to not only develop our athletes on home soil, but to also showcase our great sport and display the amazing golf skills of these incredible athletes.”
The inaugural tournament held last year at Markham, Ont.’s Angus Glen Golf Club saw Team USA claim team honours while Beverly Hills, Calif. native Mika Liu finished atop the leaderboard.
Team Sweden took home silver while Canada One comprised of Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C. and Grace St-Germain of Ottawa captured bronze. Canada Two, made up of Calgary native Jaclyn Lee, Thornhill, Ont.’s Selena Costabile and Richmond, B.C.’s Alisha Lau finished the tournament in 13th place.
In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Golf Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a specific focus on developing the game. Before the tournament gets underway, Golf Canada will host a Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) coaching summit and a girls skill development clinic.
“As much as this Championship is about competition, it also serves to strengthen the game and increase the profile of golf in Canada,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “Conducted in partnership with Ottawa Tourism, this tournament marks the first of many Golf Canada championships to be hosted in our nation’s capital over the next four years.”
The competition’s first round will begin on Tuesday, September 22; the tournament’s closing ceremonies will wrap-up the event on Friday, September 25 with one team and one player being crowned world champions.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUNIOR GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is an annual event conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario. The international competition features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition.
In 2015, the competition will be hosted at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The second edition of the tournament will see a 16-team field compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours.
The event receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund); and Ottawa Tourism.
Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.