IJGT Upstate Challenge at Timber Banks G.C. - Final Results

The International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) traveled to Timber Banks Golf Course for the 2012 IJGT Upstate Challenge on Sept. 29-30. The Jack Nicklaus Design course, which is known for its exceptionally difficult greens, combined with cold and rainy weather conditions to create the setting for an exciting junior golf event. The Upstate Challenge featured some of the top junior golfers in the Northeast, competing in the nationally ranked junior event.

Cedric Laverdure from Montreal, QC made it worth his while to travel across the U.S. Canada border to play in his first IJGT event of the season. Laverdure made quick work of the extremely difficult course at Timber Banks on the first day of the event by firing an opening round 74 (+2), which is only two strokes off the course record.

"My putter was quite a good friend this weekend," said Laverdure. "The greens were very fast and difficult, but I was able to manage the greens well."

Laverdure's opening round 74 gave him a nine-stroke cushion going into the final round and he never looked back. He put up a final round 79 (+7) to end up winning the Boys 15-19 division title by ten strokes. Jack Gianniny from Rochester, N.Y. led the rest of the field with an 86-77-163 final, while Sean Murray from Bridgeport, N.Y. rounded out the division top-3 finishers with a two-day total of 165.

Sarah Bothner from Rochester, N.Y. put on a show in the Girls division at Timber Banks. She jumped out to an early seven-stroke lead after the first round of competition on Saturday with her round of 88 (+16). The combination of cold and rainy weather conditions showed to be no match for her determination. She flew through the course with ease on Sunday putting up a final round tally of 76 (+4) to expand her lead to an incredible 25 strokes as she took home the Girls division title. Allyson Wentworth from Stewarstville, N.J. put together two consistent rounds of 95-94 on the weekend to finish runner-up in the division, while Lindsay May of Auburn, N.Y. earned the third place trophy with scores of 98-93.

Pittsford, N.Y. native Will Thomson came into the IJGT Upstate Challenge looking to get his first victory on tour this season after coming up just short at Blue Heron Pines just two weeks earlier. He got into a groove early on Saturday and was able to use the momentum he built up to carry him to an opening round 77 (+5) to lead the field after day one.

Mike May from Auburn, N.Y. posted a strong score of 80 (+8) on Saturday, which was good enough to put him into the ever-important final pairing with Thomson on Sunday. The two were the talk of the course throughout their rounds on Sunday as they fought back and forth the entire day. Thomson got into some trouble on the par 5 seventh, which opened up the door for May to get a slight advantage for the division lead. May's successes continued but Thomson shot two-under in the last 4 holes down the stretch. May and Thomson finished in a two-way tie for the Boys U-14 title, sending them into a playoff. May needed only one extra hole to capture the title.

"I was pretty nervous going into the playoff," said May. "But I was able to chip it close and ended up making the par to win."

May's playoff victory marked his first on the IJGT tour this season, leaving Thomson with is second runner-up finish on the year. Ryan Rybicki from Remsen, N.Y. followed up his first career IJGT victory at Wintonbury Hills with a two-day total of 162 to round out the champions in third place.

May and Bothner won the Clazic Belt Low Final Round awards with rounds of 73 (+1) and 76 (+4), respectfully.

The IJGT will travel to Colonial Williamsburg, Va. next for the IJGT Colonial Open at Golden Horseshoe on Oct. 6-7. To register for this event or any others, call (800) 792-9143 or visit www.IJGT.com.