Tigers Record Falls At IIAJC Tourney
Columbus, N.J.
This years Independent Insurance Agent Junior Classic was memorable not just for the insurance agents who helped make it happen, but for two youngsters whose personal triumphs highlighted the event.
Travis Toyama, a 16-year-old from Kaneohe, Hawaii, not only won this years tournament for the boys, but also broke a tournament record previously held by one of the worlds premier mens professional golfers, Tiger Woods.
For the girls, Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff, also 16, of Toms River, N.J., the reigning U.S. Girls Junior Champion, posted her second consecutive win at the 35th Independent Insurance Agent Junior Classic.
The tournament was held for the first time in New Jersey at the Olde York Country Club in Columbus, N.J., from Aug. 11 to Aug. 15.
The tournament has become a special event for the Alexandria, Va.-based Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and its members who dedicate themselves to the tournament.
In addition to two-time winner Tiger Woods, among the storied winners of the tournament are some of todays notable professionals, Bobby Clampett, Billy Andrade, Justin Leonard, Cristie Kerr and Grace Park.
After shooting an opening round of 75, Mr. Toyama came back with back-to-back 5-under-par rounds of 66 in his second and third rounds, finishing the final day one stroke under, at 70–10 strokes ahead of the field.
His 10-stroke win beat the old record of 9 strokes set by none other than Tiger Woods back in 1992, and matched by Kevin Silva of New Bedford, Mass., in 2002 in a rain shortened match.
Finishing second was Daniel Kefale, 16, from Woodbridge, Va., who shot a 287 for the four-day, 72-hole tournament; and Nicholas Park, 16, from Ithaca, N.Y., placed third, coming in at 288.
On the girls side, Ms. Wuesthoff, the winner of the 2003 U.S. Junior Girls Championship a few weeks before, started the day 4 strokes behind Liebelei Lawrence, 17, from Bradenton, Fla.
Ms. Lawrences chances for a win were dashed when she shot an 11 on the 10th hole. However, she put her game back together and managed to tie Katherine Hoey, 17, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for second. Both shot 305 for the week, two strokes behind the winners aggregate of 303.
Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff still needed a birdie on 17 and par on 18 to win, finishing the day with a 77.
Following behind Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Hoey was Ann Laney, 16, of Charlotte, N.C., who was one stroke behind with an aggregate 306.
Ms. Wuesthoff also won the 18th annual Pat Cannon Memorial Long Drive Championship in the girls division with a 249 yard drive on very wet fairway.
C.J. Vuytowecz of Pauma Valley, Calif., took the boys trophy with a 306-yard drive.
Ed Eget, the clubs owner, called it a wonderful event. He said the club has experience hosting junior events and added he hoped it would be hosting the New Jersey state amateur tournament.
Next years IIAJC tournament is scheduled to be at Dornick Hills Country Club in Ardmore, Okla.
Bob Bramlett, a member of the IIAJC National Committee and president of The Bramlett Agency Inc. in Ardmore, said the state hosted the tournament in 1998 and was looking forward to having it back there again.
Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, August 25, 2003. Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.
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