Local DCHS student golfer Isaac Walker qualified and competed in the AJGA Junior tournament held last week RiverWatch Golf Club.
It was the first time RiverWatch played host to the world-class competition that had 78 golfers from 12 states and four foreign countries, ages 12-19, competing in the 54-hole, stroke-play tournament.
“It’s been really great,” said tournament director Adam Rogers about competing at RiverWatch. “The owners Jeff and Ann Lacy are excellent to work with. The course is very comparable to others in the Northeast and Florida region.”
Golfers had to prequalify or qualify at the open during the open qualifier event held July 30. Out of 85 hopefuls, 16 made the grade.
For the boys, Bo Jin of (China) Encinitas, California, captured his first AJGA victory with a tournament-total 12-under-par 209. This marks his best AJGA three-round tournament score. Jin shot 3-under-par 69 in the final round. The 15-year-old started off the round with an eagle on No. 1 and ended the round with an eagle No. 18. For the second time during the tournament, Jin went bogey free on his front nine. He carded a total of 13 birdies and three eagles.
In the girls division, Joys (Jiarui) Jin of (China) Encinitas, California, set her new AJGA-career best round after shooting 5-under-par 67 and going bogey-free for 11 consecutive holes. The 2017 AJGA Junior at RiverWatch marks the first victory for the 14-year-old. Jin also played her best AJGA three-round tournament with a final total of 7-under-par 209, carding 12 total birdies. Jin finished second at the 2017 AJGA City of London Junior Championship. She has finished in the top-10 in every AJGA event she’s played in. The 2017 AJGA Junior at RiverWatch marks her fifth AJGA event.
Bo and Joys (Jiarui) Jin are siblings.
Walker finished the tournament 73-79-72 for a 224 in a four-way tie for 26 with Edward Lee, South Korea, Kade Russell, Knoxville and Luke Dasher of Macon, GA. Walker finished the first round in the 14 spot, but hit a rough patch on the front nine.
“I’m not playing very well,” Walker said on the No. 15 green in round two. “I had a bad hole on the front side.”
Walker ended with 1 eagle and 10 birdies.
The tournament held 16 players who have committed to play golf at the college of their choice and 18 golfers called Tennessee home. In the past four-year history of the tournament, Tennessee golfers have won 3-for-4 in both the boys and girl’s division. The 2016 girls champion was Ashley Gilliam of Manchester, TN.