Villips, Pierce Are Medalists At AJGA Qualifier

Vilips, Pierce earn medalist honors at AJGA Qualifier
13 boys, 2 girls advance to play in AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Karl Vilips of Foxfire, North Carolina, shot a 4-under-par 68 and claimed medalist honors Sunday at the AJGA Qualifier for the AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford. In the Girls Division, Abbey Pierce of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, medaled after shooting 2-over-par 74 at Fieldstone Golf Club.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Qualifier for the AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford was an 18-hole stroke play event held at Fieldstone Golf Club. The tournament field featured 85 boys and 12 girls, ages 12-18, from 10 states. The Boys Division played the par-72 course at 6,544 yards, while the Girls Division played the course at 5,730 yards. AJGA Qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to “play their way in” to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or earn Performance Stars to use for a future event. The AJGA Qualifier Series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events.

Also qualifying for the AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford were Connor Quigley of Dayton, Ohio, Brett Seward of Aurora, Illinois, Niko Voutsaras of East Lansing, Michigan, Wyatt Liston of Houghton, Michigan, Ryan Kauppila of Rochester, Michigan, Ying-Shih Chang of Indio, California, Max Clift of Kitchener, Ontario, Liam Fisk of Windsor, Ontario, Brad Wheeler of Augusta, Michigan, Jake Radom of Huntington Woods, Michigan, Hsi An Wang of Indio, California, and Wyatt Frykman of Birmingham, Michigan.

Also qualifying in the Girls Division was Alexandra Swayne of Maineville, Ohio.

The AJGA Junior at Forest Lake presented by Tom Holzer Ford will begin Tuesday with first-round tee times running from 7 a.m. — 12:10 p.m. off the No. 1 tee at Forest Lake Country Club. For more information, please contact tournament headquarters at (706) 362-7420, or visit ajga.org.

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 more than 6,300 members from 48 states and more than 50 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.

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 fourth 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 600 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Stacy Lewis, Vicky Hurst, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel.

VIA American Junior Golf Association