Manhua (Wendy) Chen
Wins 51st Annual John
Dropping Invitational Junior
Championship
Manhua
Chen
is
the
Champion of The Dropping
Junior Championship held at
Banbury Golf course in Eagle,
Idaho. Chen fired a final round
69 to win by an impressive 8
shots.
“This win signifies her growth
as a golfer this year. Wendy has
managed her expectations
better and directed more
energy into areas of need during training.” Said BGGA
Director of Instruction Kevin Smeltz.
“Wendy always has a smile on her face but don’t let
that fool you, she is a fierce competitor. She is a great
golfer but an even better person.” Stated Siyan’s coach
Keegan Fennessy, Senior Coach at BGGA.
BGGA’s Annie Kim Qualifies for the U.S. Girls
Championship
Bishop Gate Golf Academy (BGGA) graduate Annie Kim
qualified for the U.S. Girls Championships by winning
the Sectional Qualifier at Fort Smith, AR posting a 70.
The U.S. Girls’ Junior will be held July 16-21 at Poppy
Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.
also will be making the LPGA in the future and becoming
world No. 1.”
The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship was established in
1949, and is the largest and one of the most prestigious
girls junior events in the country. The field will consist of
156 players. The USGA announced in 2017 that the U.S.
Girls’ Junior champion would receive an exemption into
the following year’s U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
Alumni Carlos Marrero Wins The Public Links
Championship
BGGA current student Tianyu (Jeffrey) Wu
comes in 3rd.
Carlos Marrero, Bishops Gate Golf Academy (BGGA)
alumni and a member of the University of West Florida
golf team celebrated a wire-to-wire victory at the Public
Links Championship posting rounds of 66/70/72 – 208
total to claim the title. BGGA current student Tianyu
(Jeffrey) Wu came in third posting rounds of 72/71/69.
Marrero dominated the front nine all week and the final
round was no different. Marrero’s totals on the front for
the tournament were 32-33-32, which is a combined
eleven under par! He took a five shot lead in to the final
nine holes, but after a double bogey on 10 and a bogey
on 11, 14 and 15 his lead diminished to just one shot.
Ricky Hendler, a member of Florida Atlantic University
golf team, had a 12-foot putt on the final hole to force
Kim, a BGGA recent graduate, chose Vanderbilt
after two years at BGGA. While preparing her game
for college at BGGA, Kim learned about the college
placement process. Kim said, “I learned to not be afraid
of contacting college coaches.” Kim credits the BGGA
facility as giving her a great opportunity to improve
her game and commented that, “No one can deny that
Bishops Gate has the best facility in Florida.”
“I already made one of my goals of going to a top
college,” said Kim. “I will be signing with Vanderbilt. I
a playoff, which did not find the hole. Marrero saved
par on 18 for a one shot victory and his first state
championship.
The Public Links Championship was contested at
Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club over the
weekend. Eighty-four players consisting of some junior
golfers, college players, and mid-amateurs played
54-holes of stroke play.
BGGA congratulates all our student-athletes on their
stellar performances!
THE GATE | 13