What is it about Texas A&M recruits and shooting extremely low final rounds to win major Colorado-based junior tournaments?
Last year, A&M recruit Reese Ramsey set the course record with a 10-under-par 61 at CommonGround in the last round to win the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.
And on Friday, Aggie recruit Walker Lee fired a bogey-free 9-under-par 63 at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy to rally to win a national PGA Junior Series event. Lee and Ramsey will be freshman teammates at Texas A&M in the fall of 2017.
“That’s crazy good,” Lee (pictured) said of the 63. “But I feel like I should be much closer to that more often. But everything was going great. Everything was going my way.
“The first day (of the 54-hole tournament) my putting was good but my ball-striking wasn’t. The second day it was vice-versa. And I knew if I could get both those to click I’d be in pretty good shape.”
The 63 Friday for Lee was the lowest tournament round in the life of the golfer from Houston, which came at an ideal time for him.
But it wasn’t so ideal for AJ Ott of Fort Collins, who led after the first and second rounds. Despite being up by three going into Friday and shooting an even-par 72, Ott amazingly finished six shots behind the champion.
The result was yet another runner-up finish for the Colorado State University-bound golfer, who also placed second in the 2015 CGA Junior Stroke Play, the 2015 5A state high school meet and the 2016 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.
“I’ve just got to learn how to finish,” said Ott (left), the 2015 CJGA Tournament of Champions winner. “There really isn’t any other answer to it. Second place is fine, but it’s not really going to go anywhere. It’s been solid, but I think I need to learn how to finish off a little better.”
But even if Ott had played better on Friday, it would have been difficult to keep up with Lee. The champion’s closing 63 gave him a three-round total of 14-under-par 202. To put that into perspective, the record-low 54-hole total for the winner of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational college tournament that’s held annually at Eisenhower Golf Club is 203.
“It was fun to watch,” said Ott, who was paired with Lee all three days. “I was kind of rooting him on there toward the end.”
Ott, like Lee a left-hander, checked in at 208 for second place, while 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier Davis Bryant of Aurora came in third at 212 after carding a bogey-free 68 in round 3. Oliver Jack of Denver placed fourth at 214.
Lee, a past winner of an AJGA tournament in Texas, made nine birdies Friday and played his final 11 holes in 7 under par.
“I haven’t won in a long time,” the 18-year-old said. “It’s good to get that off my back. I’ll take some confidence from this.
“My goal today was 4 under on the front nine (which he shot) just in case the rain came and they cut it down to nine holes. I wanted to get at least tied with (Ott) after nine. I did that, and put some pressure on.”
Lee said this was his first time playing golf in Colorado — or anywhere with significant altitude.
“I like it,” he said with a smile. “I talked to a bunch of friends who have played up here and they said, ‘Turn your range finder to meters and it’s about the same’. It worked pretty well.”
After Ott went 67-69 the first two rounds, making two eagles on Thursday, Friday wasn’t as good, though he was steady, with two birdies and two bogeys.
“I didn’t hit the ball as well today and I didn’t putt as well,” said the 18-year-old Ott. “I had six three-putts this week so that cost me a little bit.”
In the girls tournament, Thai national team member Tunrada Piddon (left) also posted a stellar final-round score — in her case, a 66 — to win by four strokes. The 15-year-old, who had never before carded a 6-under-par round, finished at 1-under-par 215.
Dominique Galloway of Rio Rancho, N.M. was second at 219 while Sophie Guo of China ended up third at 224. The top Coloradan in the girls 15-18 division was Sarah Hwang of Monument, who placed sixth at 232.
“She’s happy,” Piddon said through a translator. “Today everything just came together. She drove the ball really well and putted really well.”
With their victories on Friday, Lee and Piddon qualified for the Junior PGA Championship, set for Aug. 9-12 in Rumford, R.I.
Marie Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village was best among the four players in the girls 12-14 division. She carded an 83 Friday for a 244 total, good for a one-stroke victory over Amisha Singh of Greenwood Village.
Aaron Kuznik of Orono, Minn., went wire-to-wire to win the boys 12-14 division. His final-round 78 gave him a 19-over-par 235 total. Carson Hackmann of Laurel, Mont., came in second at 245, while Supawich Boonta of Aurora placed third at 246.
For scores: boys 15-18, girls 15-18, boys 12-14, girls 12-14
