Junior golfers’ tourney is billed

Ninety-nine players will compete in the annual American Junior Golf Association Tournament this week at the New Castle Country Club in New Castle, Pa.

It marks the second straight year the tournament will be held at the New Castle Country Club.

The tournament will kick off today with an AJGA junior qualifying tournament at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in West Middlesex, Pa., which will give area golfers a chance to qualify for the tournament.

On Monday a Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament will be held at the New Castle Country Club beginning at 1:30 p.m., while the first round of the 54-hole tournament for boys and girls ages 12-18 will begin Tuesday with tee times scheduled between 7 a.m. and noon.

This year’s tournament field will be representing 17 states, Washington D.C., Thailand and Canada.

Going into today’s qualifying round, there are already three area golfers included in the field.

Acosta, Giangiuli, Romeo already set

In the boys division Jonathan Acosta and Nikko Giangiuli, both from New Castle, have qualified, while in the girls division Alexis Romeo of Youngstown is included in the field.

Acosta and Giangiuli will have a big advantage on the field since they are both members of the New Castle Country Club. Acosta is a freshman and Giangiuli a junior at Neshannock High School.

Thunderstorms canceled the final round of last year’s tournament, but Cory Mehl of Seattle and Joy Kim of Pinole, Calif., each were crowned champions. Mehl finished at 4-under-par after the two rounds and was four-shots ahead of his nearest competitor. Kim finished at 5-over-par and was four shots ahead when the tournament was stopped.

Neither champion will be returning this year.

This year’s field will have representatives from California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.

Benyapha Vilairatana of Bankkruy, Nontaburi, Thailand will be competing in the girls division, while John Krpan of Burlington, Ont., will be in the boys division.

Grant Martens of Pittsburgh will be the top returning player from last year. The recent graduate of North Allegheny High School finished eighth a year ago.

Annie Park heads the girls division

Headlining the girls division will be Annie Park of Levittown, N.Y. She is still in middle school, but already is making a name for herself in junior golf as she is ranked No. 43 in the Polo Golf Rankings and won the AJGA Cliffs Championship. Another top headliner is Nicole Agnello of Longwood, Fla., who is a high school senior.

The largest association of its kind, the AJGA has an annual membership (boys and girls 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 25 foreign countries.

AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressell and Julieta Granada.

Area junior golfer Austin Elder won his fifth junior tournament in the last six weeks by taking first place in the North Coast Junior Tournament at Fowlers Mill Golf Course with a round of 75.

Elder qualified for the North Coast Junior Tour Championships which will be held Aug. 5 at Quail Hollow Resort.

He has also competed in the Junior PGA Sectional Championships and in the Junior Optimist Tournament shot a 76 and just missed the cut which would have put him in the National Optimist Tournament in Palm Beach, Fla.

He will also be competing in the Kenny Novak Junior Championships on July 29 and 30 at Walden Golf Club.

X Pete Mollica covers golf for The Vindicator. Write him at mollica@vindy.com.