Karishma Thiagaraj 2nd at AJGA Preseason Junior

DC Metro area junior golfer Karishma Thiagaraj (Haymarket, VA) walked off the 18th green with the Girls Division low final-round score on her card (1-under, 71) that allowed her to pass over 1st round leader Olivia Landino (Hermitage, PA) to grab a 2nd place finish in the AJGA’s Preseason Junior at St. James Plantation (NC). Landino wound up in 3rd (77-80, 157). Thiagaraj’s two-round total of 156 was four strokes shy of Champion Alaina Yeatts (Durham, NC) who came from one-stroke behind Landino after the first round to capture the win with an 8-over, 152. If you have already done the math on Thiagaraj’s score, you have figured out that she posted a disappointing 1st round 85 yet worked through it for a strong 2nd place finish. There is a lesson here for all juniors, stay with it! Persevere! Showing you have the ability to come back from a poor first round and finish up strong is a trait college coaches look for in a player.  Karishma is the reigning 2010 Girls Champion at the prestigious Bobby Bowers Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.

On the Boys side, David Long (Catonsville, MD) grabbed a T3 finish with two great rounds (75-72, 147). Another DC Metro area player, Adam Ochs (Ashburn, VA) finished in the Top-20 with a T18. Ochs put up rounds of 81-74 (155). When contacted by DC Metro Junior Golf to ask him about his first AJGA tournament experience, he said that he was “fairly happy with his play overall.” He added, “Once I got the first tournament of the year, first round jitters out, I felt comfortable. It’s something I can build on going into the season.” You can learn more about Ochs in the DC Metro Junior Golf Spotlight section. Griffin Clark (Colonial Heights, VA) and Archer Price (Gastonia, NC) shared the winner’s circle, both posting 74-72 (146). Some of our local readers may recognize Griffin Clark’s name as he was the 2008 Boys 13 and Under Champion at the Bobby Bowers Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Preseason Junior at St. James Plantation was a 36-hole stroke play competition played at The Founders Club. The par-72 course played at 6,507 yards for the boys and 5,695 yards for the girls. The 95-player field featured players from 12 states and Canada, including 41 players from North Carolina.

To read more about the event and see all the scores, visit the AJGA’s website, here.