INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Potter breaks AJGA scoring record in win at Carlton Woods
(L-R) Briana Chacon, Jiarui Joyce Jin, Megan Schofill, Xin (Cindy) Koh,
Rose Zhang, Pauline Roussin Bouchard, Bohyun Park
ANA JUNIOR INSPIRATION GIVES 48 JUNIOR
GOLFERS OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
T
he ANA Inspiration, golf’s
fi rst major championship of
the season, hosts the ANA
Junior Inspiration to offer 48 of
the top junior golfers from around
the world a chance to compete for
a dream ticket to play in the ANA
Inspiration. The 54-hole junior
tournament will provide the winner
an amateur exemption into the
ANA Inspiration. The junior event
will be hosted the week before the
ANA Inspiration from March 26-29,
2020, at Mission Hills Country Club
in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
ANA Junior Inspiration, organized
in partnership between the American
Junior Golf Association (AJGA)
and All Nippon Airways (ANA) –
Japan’s largest 5-star airline, will
challenge 48 AJGA golfers invited
through the Rolex AJGA Rankings
and ANA Priority Miles Points
system. The three-round tournament
will host the fi rst 36 holes on the Pete
Dye Challenge Course. During the
fi nal round, the juniors will compete
on the Dinah Shore Tournament
Course. Each pairing will feature
one LPGA past Champion and two
juniors. Juniors will compete for an
overall stroke-play title while the 24
LPGA past Champions battle in a
best-ball format.
“Inspiring the next generation of
professional golfers and leaders is
our focus around the ANA Junior
Inspiration every year. As the
offi cial airline of the LPGA and title
sponsor of the fi rst golf major of the
year, we look forward to pairing the
amazing 48 juniors with legends
of the game during the weekend
prior to the ANA Inspiration,”
said Shigeru Hattori, Senior Vice
President of the Americas, ANA.
“It is important for us to remind
all of the participants that they
are leaders in their schools and
hometowns. We hope their time in
Rancho Mirage at the ANA Junior
Inspiration is a fun and educational
experience in which they can take
learnings home with them to inspire
their teammates and younger
golfers who hope to one day follow
in their footsteps.”
POTTER BREAKS AJGA SCORING
RECORD IN WIN AT CARLTON WOODS
L
uke Potter of Encinitas, California, won the AJGA
Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods in
record-setting fashion. Potter claims the 54-hole
AJGA tournament record with a score of 20-under-par
196.
“Winning feels great, to do it here at Carlton Woods in this
tournament against such a great fi eld is even better,” Potter
said.
After setting a course record in the second round at
10-under-par 62, Potter fi nished his fi nal round with six
birdies to bring his tournament total to 22.
“Last year I was consistent with a lot of top-10s and didn’t
get the win, “Potter said. “I’m very happy to win this week
and it gives me great confi dence the rest of the year and
moving forward.”
A two-time Rolex Junior All-American and member
of the 2018 AJGA Junior All-Star team, the high school
sophomore joins past champions of the event Doug Ghim,
Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.
Potter’s name will also live in the AJGA record books
alongside the lowest 54-hole tournament record which
was previously set at 19-under-par.
Potter is a verbal commit to Arizona State University
and No. 29 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. In his second
appearance at Carlton Woods, Potter fi nished four strokes
ahead of Joseph Pagdin (United Kingdom) of Orlando at
16-under-par 202.
Potter’s win at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at
Carlton Woods is his second AJGA Invitational win. His
fi rst was at the 2018 AJGA Junior All-Star Invitational at
Reynolds Lake Oconee.
BALLESTER BARRIO PREVAILS IN SPANISH AMATEUR CASTILLO WINS SEA BEST TO
JOIN TOP FIVE
J A
ose Luis Ballester Barrio is the new Spanish amateur champion after
defeating Germany’s Jannik De Bruyn 3&1 at Real Club Sevilla Golf. As
Spain’s fi fth best amateur, Ballester Barrio was expected to challenge for
the title, especially after starting the year second in the Junior Orange Bowl.
The 2018 Boys Amateur fi nalist duly delivered and jumps 18 places on the
World Amateur Golf Ranking® to 31st to become Spain’s fourth best amateur.
Reigning German champion De Bruyn moves 24 spots to 61st.
10 GolfPlus Junior March-April 2020
merican Ricky Castillo is now a top fi ve
player thanks to winning the Sea Best
Invitational in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Castillo, a University of Florida student, closed with
a 5-under 65 to post an 8-under 202 and win by three
shots. He climbs fi ve places to fi fth on the WAGR®
table.