News

At the end of June, some of the most talented Southland juniors teed it up for 36 holes in U.S Junior Amateur sectional qualifying at Mission Viejo Country Club in Orange County and Goose Creek Golf Club in Mira Loma.

Only one player qualified without the trouble of a playoff at Mission Viejo on June 29 — Chula Vista's Kevin Gorman, who earned medalist honors by shooting 2-over-par 146. 

Four players were then tied at 147. Of those four, only three would receive automatic bids by virtue of a playoff, with the fourth ending up as the first alternate. Patrick Cantlay (Los Alamitos), Mark Hicks (Bermuda Dunes) and Michael Yiu (Laguna Hills) qualified, leaving Macgregor Hoobery (Santa Maria) with the first alternate position. 

There was then a three-way playoff for the final alternate position, between Matthew Jun (Temecula), Beau Hossler Jr. (Rancho Santa Margarita), and Matt Duralde (San Clemente), who all shot 148.  Jun won the playoff to gain the last spot.

On June 30, San Diego's Jay Hwang took medalist honors by two strokes at Goose Creek, shooting an even-par 142, while runner-up Kevin Dehuff (Coto De Caza) finished at 144. Andrew Cho (La Crescenta) and Chen Lin-Liu (Chinese Taipei) wrapped up the two final automatic bid positions with 3-over-par 145s. Murrieta's Keenan Nelson and Arcadia's Jonathan Lai won both alternate positions by shooting 4-over-par 146s. 

San Diego's Todd Baek and Ben Doyle, Rito Armenta IV (San Juan Capistrano) and Rico Hoey (Rancho Cucamonga) missed the cut.

Qualifiers will move on to Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. for the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur, which will be held July 20-25.