KPMG STACY LEWIS JUNIOR ALL-STAR INVITATIONAL

Final-round deficits prove no problem

Harmie Constantino of the Phillipines watches a putt on the fourth hole during Thursday’s fi nal round of the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational at the Blessings Golf Course in Johnson. Constantino shot a final-round 67 to win by six shots over Jayna Choi of Collierville, Tenn.
Harmie Constantino of the Phillipines watches a putt on the fourth hole during Thursday’s fi nal round of the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational at the Blessings Golf Course in Johnson. Constantino shot a final-round 67 to win by six shots over Jayna Choi of Collierville, Tenn.

JOHNSON -- The highest-rated golfer in the boys division in the American Junior Golf Association lived up to his ranking Thursday at the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational.

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Karl Vilips putts on the fourth green Thursday during the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational at the Blessings Golf Course in Johnson.

On the girls side, the hottest player on the AJGA circuit sustained her recent dominance in the final round at Blessings Golf Club.

KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational

Thursday at Blessings Golf Club, Johnson

Final Round Results

Boys

Karl Vilips, (Australia) Wesley Chapel, Fla. — 72-70-68 — 210*

Canon Claycomb, Bowling Green, Ky. — 71-68-71 — 210

Khavish Varadan, (Malaysia) Wesley Chapel, Fla. — 74-72-69 — 215

Mason Nome, Houston, Texas — 71-73-72 — 216

Aaron Chen, Fremont, Calif. — 75-69-77 — 221

Clay Seeber, Newport Beach, Calif. — 71-80-71 — 222

Robin Williams, Peterborough, United Kingdom — 71-77-74 — 222

Connor Creasy, Abingdon, Va. — 75-75-73 — 223

Kelvin Lim, Thornhill, Ontario — 73-75-75 — 223

Mauricio Figueroa, Guadalajara, Mexico — 71-76-76 — 223

Denver Davis, Fayetteville — 75-75-75 — 225

Kento Yamawaki, (Japan) Encintas, Calif. — 74-79-73 — 226

James Song, (Canada) Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. — 80-73-73 — 226

Tyler Lipscomb, Carrolton, Ga. — 80-76-72 — 228

Andy Mao, Johns Creek, Ga. — 77-78-73 — 228

Nicholas Cassidy, Johns Creek, Ga. — 75-79-74 — 228

Alex Zhu, San Ramon, Calif. — 75-78-76 — 229

Nicklas Staub, Boynton Beach, Fla. — 76-77-77 — 230

John Driscoll III, Ridgewood, N.J. — 78-77-76 — 231

Chris Kim, Cary, N.C. — 72-83-80 — 235

Vivek Vasireddy, Fremont, Calif. — 81-80-76 — 237

Connor Gaunt, Cabot — 74-82-81 — 237

Sixian (Tyler) Guo, (China) Addison, Texas — 77-83-79 — 239

Philip Choi, Corinth, Texas — 80-87-77 — 244

Jude Kim, Plantation, Fla. — 85-83-84 — 252

*— won one-hole playoff

Girls

Name^Hometown

Harmie Constantino, Taguig, Philippines — 68-75-67 — 210

Jayna Choi, Collierville, Tenn — 67-72-77 — 216

Ya Chun Chang, Taiwan, Taiwan — 74-77-68 — 219

Michaela Morard, Huntsville, Ala. — 71-75-73 — 219

Angelina Kim, Los Angeles, Calif. — 73-75-75 — 223

Sadie Englemann, Austin, Texas — 72-74-77 — 223

Brittany Shin, Cape Coral, Fla. — 78-76-71 — 225

Grace Ni, Cypress, Texas — 73-79-73 — 225

Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego, Calif. — 80-76-70 — 226

Megan Furtney, South Elgin, Ill. — 73-77-77 — 227

Xin (Cindy) Kou, (China) Windermere, Fla. — 72-76-79 — 227

Jennie Park, Carrolton, Texas — 76-80-72 — 228

Briana Chacon, Whittier, Calif. — 80-75-73 — 228

Auston Kim, St. Augustine, Fla. — 80-73-76 — 229

Katherine Muzi, Walnut, Calif. — 78-75-77 — 230

Macy Fox, Marble Falls, Texas — 76-76-79 — 231

Quynn Duong, San Jose, Calif. — 83-73-76 — 232

Rachel Heck, Memphis, Tenn. — 75-78-80 — 233

Laura Miller, Niceville, Fla. — 74-79-82 — 235

Anne Chen, (Australia) Sugar Land, Texas — 82-74-81 — 237

Kayla Sam, Anaheim Hills, Calif. — 81-83-78 — 242

Baili Park, Germantown, Tenn. — 87-82-76 — 245

Casey Ott, Conway — 81-86-84 — 251

Estibaly Garcia Rubio, Tijuana, Mexico — 85-91-83 — 259

Ellie Szeryk, London, Ontario — 74 — WD

Karl Vilips, 14, of Wesley Chapel, Fla., entered the week 17th in the AJGA rankings, which is a measuring stick for many of the top 12- to 18-year-old golfers playing in the United States. At the Stacy Lewis Invitational, where players ranged from 12 to 15, Vilips saved his best for last. He trailed Canon Claycomb of Bowling Green, Ky., by three shots through two rounds before a final-round 68 forced a playoff between the two.

Vilips and Claycomb, who finished 6-under 210 for the 54-hole event, began the playoff on the par 4 18th.

Vilips went right to work, hitting his approach shot within 5 feet. A birdie putt sealed the playoff victory and gave Vilips his third AJGA victory.

He played in the group right in front of Claycomb, and he wasn't sure where he stood most of the day. Mixed pairing twosomes were used, and the boys and girls divisions competed in a three-day team tournament. The boys won the event by four strokes as the top four scores from each division were used each day.

Vilips, who said he enjoyed the format, still wished he had more of an eye on Claycomb down the stretch.

"It was fun playing [with the girls]," Vilips said. "But I wanted to play with Clay. I didn't know where we stood."

Claycomb bogeyed the par 4 14th and the par 3 15th to give up his final-round lead, then had to get out of trouble after an errant tee shot on the 18th to save par and force the playoff.

Harmie Constantino picked up her third consecutive AJGA victory in the tournament.

Constantino, who turned 15 Wednesday, won two weeks ago at the AJGA All-Star at Lost Springs in Bentonville. The week before that, she was a winner at the Under Armour Gary Woodland in Lawrence, Kan.

Constantino, of Taguig, Philippines, said she didn't know why Arkansas had been so good to her recently.

"I think it's just a coincidence," said Constantino, who was observed during her round by many top Division I schools. "Today, my round was about approach shots. My approach shots were very good today."

Trailing Vanderbilt commitment Jayna Choi by four shots entering the final round, Constantino took the lead midway through the round and stormed to victory with a 5 under on the back nine, including an eagle on the par 5 16th, finishing with a 67.

For the tournament, Constantino carded a 6-under 210, the only player to finish under par in the girls division.

"I wasn't even going to play in this tournament," Constantino said. "After Lost Springs, I was done with AJGA this year and my mom said, 'Do you want to play Stacy Lewis?' So I said, 'Sure.' "

Choi's final-round 77 left her at even par 216 for the tournament.

Sports on 06/24/2016

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