May makes up 5 strokes, wins on 3rd playoff hole

Elizabeth Moon, 14, of Forrest City shot a final-round 77 to defeat Kirsten Garner by one stroke and win the girls division of the ASGA Junior Stroke Play Championship at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers.

Elizabeth Moon, 14, of Forrest City shot a final-round 77 to defeat Kirsten Garner by one stroke and win the girls division of the ASGA Junior Stroke Play Championship at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

ROGERS -- Garrett May entered Tuesday's final round of the ASGA Junior Stroke Play Championship knowing he had to play a bit of catch-up to have a chance, trailing leader Ryan Spurlock by five strokes.

Eighty strokes and three playoff holes later, May tipped his hat to the crowd as junior boys state champion.

"This is a great win for me," May said. "Happy to get some confidence with it and kind of springboard me into the summer."

May rallied with a blistering 68 through 18 holes and took a tie for the lead into the turn. It was the best round of the day among all competitors, but May had to wait for Spurlock to finish his round, not knowing the final outcome with no hole-by-hole scoring available. Spurlock returned to the clubhouse after a round of 73, forcing the playoff.

"I knew there was probably going to be a playoff," May said. "I wasn't at all surprised. I wasn't at all mad. I just wanted to go out there and make as many pars as I need to to win."

Both parred the first two playoff holes before Spurlock's three-putt left him needing a miss by May from 2 feet to force a fourth playoff hole.

May made it.

"I wanted to get off to a hot start. I wanted to keep the birdies rolling," May said of his comeback. "They didn't have hole-by-hole scoring, but I wanted to try mentally to put as much pressure on him as I could."

Elizabeth Moon, 14, captured the girls title with a final-round 77 that left her at 156. That was one stroke better than 18-year-old Kirsten Garner, who shot a 78 in the final round.

The two entered the round tied for the lead before Moon eagled No. 16, which provided the winning margin. She holed out from 106 yards with 9-iron to highlight the round.

Moon said she wasn't worried about the age difference between her and the other players.

"I go out there and just play my game," Moon said. "Ever since I was a little girl, I always played with older girls. It didn't really bother me. They'd outdrive me 50 yards and I didn't really care."

AJGA

Trio ties for lead

Kyler Tate of Winter Garden, Fla., Cooper Bryant of Houston and Chase Furey of Newport Beach, Calif., each carded a 4-under-par 68 on Tuesday for a three-way tie for first place after the first round of the Stacy Lewis Junior Open at Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club in Rogers.

Vying for his first American Junior Golf Association victory, Tate recorded a 4-under 32 on the front-nine after starting three under through four holes. He tallied five birdies in his round and had an even-par 36 on the back nine to finish tied for the lead.

Bryant, playing in his second consecutive Stacy Lewis Junior Open, carded a low-round 3-under 33 back nine and captured six birdies in his first-round showing. He recorded a 1-under 35 front nine, and tallied four consecutive birdies through Nos. 8-11.

Furey, tied for the lead alongside Tate and Bryant, tallied just one bogey in his 18 holes to capture a 4-under 68.

Bentonville’s Tyler See is the top Arkansan in the Boys Division, shooting a 2-under 70 to finish in fourth place. Sloan Turrentine of McKinney, Texas, and Jake Van Hooser of Tulsa are tied for fifth with a 1-under 71.

Fisher Vollendorf of Fayetteville shot a 2-over 73 and is tied for 11th place and Kyle Robinson, also of Fayetteville, shot a 3-over 74 to sit in a tie for 20th place. Drew Castleberry of Alexander shot a 4-over 76 and is tied for 37th and Nicholas Hancock of Sprindale is tied for 55th place after shooting a 6-over 78. Luke Long of Fayetteville shot a 7-over 79 and Bradley White of Little Rock shot a 10-over 82. El Dorado’s Gage Parker and Michael Cogan of Bentonville both shot 14-over 86, while zach Leisenring of Rogers shot an 87 and Brandon Coale of Siloam Springs shot an 88.

In the Girls Division, Chloe Horton of Miami holds a one-shot lead after netting three birdies on a 2-under-par 34 front nine before carding a 1-over-par 71. The 16-year-old had the only under-par round in the Girls Division.

Tied for second are Anna Kim of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Taylor Black of Warrensburg, Mo. with an even-par 72. Taylor Loeb of Maumelle shot an opening round 3-over 75 and is tied for 11th place. Fort Smith’s Addison Mitchell and Brooke Matthews of Rogers both shot 77 and are tied for 15th. Casey Ott of Conway and Fayetteville’s Sarah Wright each shot 79 and are tied for 21st place. Natalie Akers of Rogers shot a 97 and is in 33rd place.

Sports on 06/25/2014