October 31 -November 1, 2009
Belmont CC

• Boys Championship Flight – Scorecards
• Girls Championship Flight – Scorecards
• Boys First Flight – Scorecards
• Girls First Flight – Scorecards

November 1, 2009

FRESNO – The NCGA Junior Tour wrapped up its second season with the Tour Championship at Belmont CC in Fresno.

Bryson Dechambeau of Clovis grabed the boys championship flight, pairing steady rounds of 70 and 72 together for a two-stroke win on his home course. This was Dechambeau’s third Junior Tour win of the year; he also won the NCGA Junior Players Championship in July at Rancho Canada. Kurt Kitayama of Chico posted the low round of the event for boys, a three-under 69, that allowed him to snare second place. Player of the Year Shotaro Ban finished in a three-way tie for third with Matthew Briggs of Novato and Alex Franklin of San Rafael, four back of the champion.

Players of the Year Shotaro Ban and Hannah Suh

In the girls championship flight, 2009 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier Mariko Tumangan of San Jose came from behind in the final round, carding one of the lowest rounds of the year in a stellar, 6-under 66 to win going away by seven shots. Runner-up and first-round leader Madchen Ly of Clovis posted a 145 total, unable to equal her opening 69 in the final 18 holes. Asia Adell of Fresno was third, 11 back of the champion. Tumangan had earlier won the Junior Tour event at Poplar Creek and ended up second in the race for Junior Tour Player of the Year.

In the boys first flight championship, for competitors with handicaps 7.5 and up, Jeff Yamaguchi of Fresno held on to his first-round lead, expanding it from three shots to a four-stroke final margin. Chris Parkinson of Danville took second while Eamonn Coughlin grabbed third. Jordan Keyser of Ahwahnee came from five back to capture the girls first flight, firing a one-over 73 to win by a single strokle over Taylor Dominguez of Salinas. There was a tie for third between first-rou, exnd leader Madeleine Ngo of Friant and Keegan Dominguez of Salinas.

Besides competition in four flights, the Tour’s players of the year were crowned, following in the footsteps of 2008 honorees Austin Roberts and Tiffany Lim. Due to stellar play throughout the season, a little suspense was removed from the weekend because Shotaro Ban and Hannah Suh had already earned enough points to secure the 2009 awards.

Ban won Jr. Tour events at Poplar Creek, Oakmont and Poppy Hills as well as the  AJGA’s Junior All-Star at Lake Havasu, two JGANC tournaments and three California Junior Tour tournaments. Suh won Junior Tour championships at Poppy Hills and Poppy Ridge, the NCGA/JGANC Junior Players Championship at Rancho Canada and the JGANC/NCPGA Junior Match Play as well as qualifying for the U.S. Junior Girls and making match play. Both players earned coveted AJGA performance based exemption because of the award.

Two 12-13 year-old players won an AJGA junior all-star tournament exemption based on their play this year. Chris Parkinson of Danville won three NCGA Junior Tour First Flight tournaments while Casie Cathrea of Livermore grabbed the NCGA Junior Tour events at Pajaro Valley and Hunter Ranch and earned a spot through Monday qualifying in the LPGA’s CVS Pharmacy Challenge in September. She made a hole-in-one at that event garnering national attention.

The Junior Tour commences its third season March 13-14, 2010 at Brookside CC in Stockton.

Boys Championship Flight: champion Bryson Dechambeau, runner-up Kurt Kitayama, third-place finishers Shotaro Ban, Matthew Briggs and Alex Franklin

Girls Championship Flight: champion Mariko Tumangan, runner-up Madchen Ly and third-place finisher Asia Adell

Boys First Flight: champion Jeff Yamaguchi, runner-up Chris Parkinson and third place finisher Eamoun Coughlin

Girls First Flight: champion Jordan Keyser, runner-up Taylor Dominguez, third place finishers Keegan Dominguez, Madeleine Ngo

Photo Gallery

Results