Sixteen-year-old C. Woods fought her way through the difficult last round to win the Junior PGA Championship. He would go on to tie for ninth at the Ackerman-Allen Course in West Lafayette, Indiana. Woods posted a stellar three-day total of 12-under-par and went into the final day tied for second. He was unable to maintain his momentum and over time lost the opportunity to lock up a coveted spot in golf’s Ryder Cup.
On the last day of competition, Woods opened up with some fire, but couldn’t get his groove. He shot even par in his final round, which left him too far back to challenge for a top finish. He fell back with a bogey on the 14th hole. Then, a double bogey on the 15th put his game in the dirt, ending without his final score of 9 under par.
Even with high hurdles to overcome, Woods’ play throughout the three-day event showed clearly why he’s considered one of the next big things on the junior golf scene. It earned him one of the two automatic qualifying spots on the Junior Ryder Cup team. His selection, though, is not yet a done deal. Woods is ranked 20th in the most recent American Junior Golf Association standings. He now appears to be the leading candidate for the one captain’s pick allowed on the Junior Ryder Cup team.
Woods, as positive as this win was for him, has had an otherwise up-and-down season coming into this event. He recently missed the cut at the U.S. Junior Amateur, which may have affected his confidence going into the Junior PGA Championship. For Woods, just to be competing in this event was a big deal. This was the first year that he had played in the Junior PGA Championship.
After an exciting week and a hard fought tournament, Lunden Esterline took home the first ever Women’s Championship, winning by a comfortable margin at 19 under par. Woods didn’t get the result he would have liked in this tournament, but the future is still bright. His grit and resolve in his golf career definitely comes through!
Leave a Reply