| Tour Championship, Purdue University |
| W. Lafayette, IN, 47907 |
| May 29-31 2010 |
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| Director: Ellis |
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A fantastic PJGT season culminated with a fantastic Tour Championship Memorial Day weekend at Purdue University’s famed Birck Boilermaker Golf campus. 169 players walked the same grounds where the NCAA held their 2008 men’s championship. To make the weekend even better, the weatherman cooperated by delivering bright sunshine and temperatures in the high 80’s.
The 54-hole event was played over two courses using the Pete Dye designed Kampen Course on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and the old style beauty of the Ackerman Course as well on Monday. The weekend started off with the 16th annual Awards Banquet on Friday night which was held at the Ross-Ade Pavilion overlooking the Purdue football field. Year end awards included honoring sportsmanship winners Jack Schlemmer and Anna Gleixner. Molly Hudgins of the Future College Golf Association and Jeff Heisler from Kaplan Preparatory School were the guest speakers.
Round one began with a bang, when the second group of Boys 14-15 Division, Adam Wood, Alec Tahy, and Fred Allen Meyer made the turn as a group in an astounding 9-under par! Tahy went on to shoot the low round of the day carding a 69, while Wood came in at even par 72. Casey Komline (Boys 16-19 Division) had the next low round on Saturday with a great round of 1-under 71. A popular number for the day was a 73, as Thomas Lewis (Boys 10-11 Division), Frankie Capan (Boys 10-11 Division), Daniel Romero (Boys 12-13 Division), Tim Novic (Boys 14-15 Division), Mitch Rutledge (Boys 16-19 Division), and Michael Wolf (Boys 16-19 Division) all came in at one over par.
Sunday was moving day as many players put themselves into position to challenge for the title. Andrew Wood shot a 74 and Thomas Calbi fired a round of 75 to challenge for the lead in the Boys 10-11 Division. Bennett Wisner and Jackson Wendling each shot even par 72 to get in the final group for the Boys 12-13 Division. Trailing by only three strokes starting the day, Adam Wood went low with a two-under 70 to take the lead in the Boys 14-15 Division, while Brantley Kushner (71), Taylor Combs (72) and Todd McDaniel (72) all had great days and found themselves at the top of the Boys 16-19 Division leaderboard. Evan Greenplate began to pull away in the Boys 8-9 Division after a second round 77 as did Hana Ku (78) in the girl’s 12-14 division. The Girls 15-19 Division was shaping up for a great finish after great rounds by Alina Rogers (75), Katherine Hepler (77), Brooke Beegle (78), and Briana Midkiff (77).
The threat of thunderstorms greeted the players in the final round on Monday. The rain never did materialize but the great golf continued. The Boys 10-11 Division, Boys 12-13 Division, and all girls divisions moved to the Ackerman Course on the final day.
In an exciting finish in the Boys 10-11 Division, Thomas Lewis carded a final round of 74 to win the title. Lewis held off hard-charging Thomas Calbi (76) and Brandon Berry (tournament low round of 71) for the win. Also taking hardware home were Frankie Capan and Matthew Bachmann who shot great final rounds of 72 and 73 respectively.
Down by six shots to start the day, John Edwards stormed back to win the Boys 12-13 Division championship after a closing round of 74. In a playoff, Jackson Wendling finished second, Bennett Wisner third, and Tyler Pearson fourth after all shooting a three day total of 228. Daniel Romero took fifth place honors.
Over the past two years at the PJGT Tour Championship Adam Wood has an accumulative score of 15 under par after a closing round of 69 on Monday! Adam won the Boys 12-13 Division at Reunion Resort last May (-10) and picked up where he left off by winning the Boys 14-15 Division title this year and the Overall Boys 14-19 Division title. Adam earned two AJGA exemptions for his efforts as well. Carr Vernon also shone on this day closing his tournament with a 71 to finish in second place, while Alec Tahy, Fred Allen Meyer, Brendon Doyle, and Mason Stutler all took home awards.
Taylor Combs continued his outstanding season by shooting an even-par round of 72 for the second consecutive day and captured the championship in the Boys 16-19 Division and finish second overall in the Boys 14-19 Division. Player-of-the-Year Todd McDaniel was solid all weekend and closed with a 73 to take second while Casey Komline finished third after a round of 77. Brantley Kushner, Mark Folkwein, and Mitch Rudledge were close behind and were awarded trophies for their efforts.
It was a fight to the finish in the Boys 8-9 Division. Drew Doyle, Fletcher Wunderlich and Andrew Lewis also played beautifully on Monday, but the play of Even Greenplate was too much to overcome as he took home the championship by four shots. Anina Ku was a runaway winner in the Girls 8-11 Division with a great three-day total of 241. Abby Kiefer and Hallie Kent both played exceptionally well and finished second and third.
After trailing by one shot heading into play on round two, Hana Ku came from behind to win the Girls 12-14 Division by nine strokes. Saturday medalist Harley Dubsky played very well and finished second, while Katie Sharp (81) and Chau Tran (83) used their great final rounds to take home hardware.
The Girls 15-19 Division provided the most exciting finish as four girls finished within four shots of each other. The round of the day belonged to Alina Rogers who followed her round of 75 with a round of 78 to win the title and overall Girls 12-19 Division title by one stroke over Katherine Hepler (238), Jessie Jordan (239), and Brooke Beegle (240).
The PJGT would like to thank the staff at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex and especially head golf professional Dan Ross for their hospitality. We would also like to thank the title sponsor of the event Kaplan Preparatory School and look forward to a continued relationship. Have a wonderful summer and we will see you next fall!
