Nicklaus Junior Championship Results

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - First round leaders held on to win all four age groups Sunday in the 16th annual Nicklaus Junior Championship on the Links course at Bear Lakes Country Club. Included were:

Kevin Jorden, 17, of Palm Beach Gardens paced the boys 16-18 division with 71-72-143, scoring three birdies and as many bogeys to win by a shot. "I was trying all day to make pars," he said, "but I missed a lot of five footers." Jorden, a rising junior at Cardinal Newman High School, is the grandson of the late Mickie Gallagher II, head professional at the Members Club at PGA National before he died in March. Jorden won the 13-15 age group two years ago.

Jessica Brinkman, 17, of Palm Springs, an incoming senior at John I. Leonard High, had a pair of 76s to win girls 16-18 for the second year in a row at 152, a dozen strokes lower than her winning score of 164 here a year ago. She had a birdie, two bogeys and a double bogey on each nine. Brinkman also averages 180 for the Leonard bowling team but would not be drawn into a comparison of the two sports. "It's hard to chose or compare the two," she said with a smile.

Stefano Diaz, 15, of Key Biscayne copped the boys 13-15 w ith 71-73-144 after scoring 77 on the Links course during the middle round of the Florida State Golf Association's Junior Championship last week. He had 75 and 74 the first and third days on the adjacent Lakes course to finish sixth overall. A rising sophomore at Columbus High in Miami, Diaz had two birdies and three bogeys Sunday. He won the Honda Classic's Junior Championship in 2007 at PGA National, his last victory before Sunday.

Ashley Burke, 13, of Boynton Beach, who will be a freshman at Trinity Christian Academy in Lake Worth, earned the largest margin of victory, winning the girls 13-15 flight by nine strokes with 79-75-154. She birdied the par-5 11th hole both days, her only birdies of the weekend.

Boys and girls 10-12 years of age played a nine-hole event on the front side Saturday. The winners were Michael Graboyes, Palm Beach Gardens, 32, and Alexa Hammer, Boynton Beach, 35.

The Palm Beach County Golf Association event drew more than 100 players, twice the 53 entries a year ago. This was largely because for the first time the tournament was open to boys and girls from outside Palm Beach and Martin counties. Final round play was interrupted for about 40 minutes by rain and lightning. The prize list:

Palm Beach County Golf Association
Nicklaus Junior Championship
Bear Lakes CC, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Links course, July 11-12, 2009

Boys 16-18, 6,700 yards - 1, Kevin Jorden, Palm Beach Gardens, 71-72-143. 2, Marcelo Huarte, Miami, 75-69-144. 3, Connor Barry, Jupiter, 77-68-145.

Boys 13-15, 6,400 yards - 1, Stefano Diaz, Key Biscayne, 71-73-144. 2, Brad Gray, Tequesta, 76-71-147. 3, Derron Peyton, Boynton Beach, 78-73-151.

Girls 16-18, 5,600 yards - 1, Jessica Brinkman, Palm Springs, 76-76-152. 2, Kaylin Yost, West Palm Beach, 79-76-155. 3, Ji Woo Lee, Korea, 77-80--157.

Girls 13-15, 5,600 yards - 1, Ashley Burke, Boynton Beach, 79-75-154. 2, Radi Sauro, Lake Worth, 81-82-163. 3, Casey Farmer, Deerfield Beach, 80-83-163 (ties broken by matching cards).

Boys 10-12, 2,400 yards - 1, Michael Graboyes, Palm Beach Gardens, 32. 2, Nick Gagliardi, Tequesta, 36. 3, Zachary Bariso, Boca Raton, 37.

Girls 10-12, 2,400 yards - 1, Alexa Hammer, Boynton Beach, 35. 2, Story Shaw, West Palm Beach, 42. 3, Kaely Krayeski, Welington, 44

Hole-in-One - Nick Gaglardi, No.4, 115 yards, pitching wedge.