Michigan’s Do Wins AJGA Championship

Henry Do of Ypsilanti, Michigan has joined Phil Mickelson as the only repeat winners of the American Junior Golf Association Boys Division. Do pulled off the feat at the Randy Wise Junior Open at the Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc. He’s a student at Ann Arbor’s private Greenhills school.

Do competed against 71 boys from 13 states and five other countries.

The full release follows:

GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Henry Do of Ypsilanti, Mich., jumped ahead in the final round and snatched a playoff victory to defend his title as the Boys Division champion of the Randy Wise Junior Open with a total of 1-over-par 217. Do carded a birdie in the playoff to beat out Michael Nagy of Manistique, Mich. The Boys Division has been decided by a sudden-death playoff in six of the last seven years. In the Girls Division, Talia Campbell won her second Randy Wise Junior Open with an even-par 216.

The Randy Wise Junior Open was a 54-hole stroke play event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich. The tournament field boasted 71 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 13 states, Indonesia, Venezuela, South Korea, China and Canada. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 7,122 yards and the Girls Division played at 6,024 yards.

Do played consistently and carded four birdies on the day, including one to win the playoff against Nagy.

“I just tried to play it safe,” Do said. “My goal was to shoot even-par, hit every green and fairway, and just let things fall as they may. I made a couple of putts here and there, and it paid off. On No. 12, I made a 10-footer for birdie. I had an opening there, and I was able to get a lead and I never looked back.”

With the victory, Do became the second repeat winner of the Boys Division in the event’s 27-year history. Phil Mickelson won the event in 1987 and 1988.

“It feels great to repeat here, I never dreamed it would be possible,” Do said. “Playing at a course that the pros play at, playing against a strong field, it just feels great to win.”

Finishing the tournament in the runner-up position, Nagy tallied a 1-over-par 217. In third place was Reed Hrynewich of Muskegon, Mich., at 3-over-par 219. In fourth, Max Kollin of Farmington Hills, Mich., finished with a tournament total of 4-over-par 220. Rounding out the top five were Joo-Young Lee of Hilliard, Ohio, and Bailey Truesdell of Grand Blanc, Mich., tied with a score of 5-over-par 221.

In the Girls Division, Campbell used four birdies in the final round to earn her second Randy Wise Junior Open victory. She previously won the event in 2009 at Flint Elks Lodge 222.

“My round was pretty consistent,” Campbell said. “My putting was working well for me today. I made some good mid-range birdie putts, and that definitely helped keep the momentum going my way.”

Campbell has had a strong year, producing four top 10 finishes so far, including second place at the Rochester Open Championship. Having earned her first AJGA win at the Randy Wise Junior Open, it has a special meaning to her.

“I’m thrilled that I could win here again,” Campbell said. “It is such a special tournament to me, and an honor to win at Warwick Hills, since it has such a rich history of success. I got my first AJGA win here and I’m happy to have another one.”

With the win, Campbell became the fourth player in the Girls Division to win multiple times at this event. The most recent was Paula Creamer, who won in 2001 and 2002.

Finishing in second for the Girls Division was Elisabeth Bernabe of Anaheim Hills, Calif., at 5-over-par 221 for the tournament. Rounding out the top three was Muni Lily He of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., carding a 13-over-par 229.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 40 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA’s second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

For more information about the Randy Wise Junior Open, please contact AJGA Headquarters at (770) 868-4200.