Monday, March 29, 2010

Vigna, Fahy, and Yoo Hold off the field to Capture PUMA Challenge

Vancouver, B.C. – Cold and wet conditions greeted the juniors at the first PUMA Challenge stop at University Golf Club this weekend, providing great excitement in all divisions. It took extra holes to determine the Boys 15-19 Division, as James Fahy, 17, of Vancouver got up and down for birdie on the second playoff hole, the par 5 fifth, to capture the his second PUMA Challenge title in as many years. “The course was soft with the conditions, but it was in great shape and the greens rolled well” said Fahy.

Fahy held of Cameron Davison, 15, of Duncan in the playoff, after Davison fired a final round 72 (E) to tie atop the leader board with Fahy at 147 (+3) for the tournament. After exchanging par’s on the first playoff hole, Fahy was able to tap in for his birdie and the victory on the second playoff hole. “My putting and chipping were the strengths in my game” Fahy said. “Now I need to work on my distance control”. Kevin Ko, 16, of Coquitlam vaulted up the leader board with a final round 70 (-2) to finish in third place in the older boys flight.

Kevin Vigna, 14, of Coquitlam playing in his first CJGA event captured his first Division title in the Boys 14 & Under flight with an impressive one over par (145) two-day total for a three stroke margin of victory. “I hit the ball well off the tee this weekend”, said Vigna following his round. “I need to continue to work on my putting, but an extremely happy that I was able to win the tournament” he added. Alex Francois, 10, of Burnaby had the round of the tournament closing out with a 69 (-3) on Sunday to jump into second place in the division, three strokes back at 148 (+4) for the tournament. First round co-leader Donald Qui of Surrey finished in third spot after a 77 (+5) in the final round to finish five shots off the pace.

The Girls Division had excitement and was not to be outdone, as Anica Yoo, 16, of Port Coquitlam who lost in a playoff in last year’s event fired a final round 70 (-2) to capture the divisional title by a single stroke. “I putted really well, but have some work to do on my pitch shots” said Yoo. Taking advantage of the par 5’s, Yoo eagled two of the four par fives on her way to victory. “The course played fair, although the weather did not help” she added. First round leader Jamie Oleksiew, 15, of Surrey managed to hold on to second place after a final round 73 (+1) for a two day 147 (+3) and finish one off the pace. Soobin Kim, 16, of Port Coquitlam shot a final round 72 (E) to finish third in the division, two shots off the pace at 148 (+4).

Click here for the full results!


Jun Kang, 14, of Port Moody scored his first hole in one during the first round of competition, on the 145 yard par 3 11th hole.

Tournament Notes

Weather:
First Round: Mostly cloudy, 14°C
Final Round: Rain showers and windy, 9°C

Lexus Skills Competition Winners

Closest to the Pin
Girls – Ally Shin
Boys 14 & Under – Jun Kang
Boys 15-19 – Myles DeBrincat

Long Drive
Girls – Soobin Kim
Boys 14 & Under – Chris Crisologo
Boys 15-19 – Sean Moen

The next PUMA Challenge will take place in Alberta on May 1-2 at River Spirit Golf Course. The next British Columbia event takes place April 17-18 at McCleery Golf Course with the Euro Junior Golf Cup/Lipton Brisk Canada Cup Team West Qualifier.

About PUMA
PUMA is one of the world's leading sport lifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Peace, Creativity, and SAFE Sustainability, and by staying true to the values of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Soccer, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. The Black label features collaborations with renowned designers such as Alexander McQueen, Yasuhiro Mihara and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Tretorn and Hussein Chalayan. The company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit http://www.puma.com/ and golf.puma.com.

About the CJGA
The Canadian Junior Golf Association is a ³registered Canadian amateur athletic association² (RCAAA) not-for-profit registered federally with Revenue Canada.. The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) is dedicated to providing Canada's junior golfers with the necessary skills and knowledge required to lay a foundation for a future in competitive golf. Through its six-stage competitive development program that focuses on tournaments, clinics, international competitions, and mentoring programs with PGA Tour professionals, the CJGA introduces the game to juniors as young as five and offers competitive multi-day events for the more advanced golfer. The CJGA acts as a feeder system to provincial and national competitions, collegiate and university golf, as well as professional and recreational golf. For more information please visit http://www.cjga.com/.

The Canadian Junior Golf Association is generously supported by its National Founding Partner, LEXUS.

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