Woods, Booth Are Medalists at Junior Golf Tournament

TUCSON — Junior Players of the Year Tiger Woods of Cypress and Kellee Booth of Coto de Caza won medalist honors in their divisions at the American Junior Golf Assn. Rolex Junior tournament on the first hole of sudden death Friday.

The tournament, at La Paloma Country Club, is the final event on the association’s 34-event schedule.

Woods, who shot par 72 Friday, overcame a four-stroke deficit to finish qualifying play at 150, tied with first-round leader Robert Floyd of Miami Beach.

Woods birdied the first three holes, but made the turn at one-over par. On the back nine, he birdied 10, 14 and 16.

“It clicked at the beginning, it left me in the middle and came back in the end,” Woods said moments after Floyd, son of PGA Tour star Raymond Floyd, conceded on the first playoff hole after sustaining a hand injury.

After hitting his drive left, Floyd brushed his hand against a cactus on his second shot and did not finish the hole.

Chris Berry of Yorba Linda also qualified for today’s match play in the 17-18 age division with a 158 total. Ben Garner of Lake Forest, who had a 161, qualified in the 15-16 age division.

In the girls’ division, Booth, a six-time AJGA winner in 1992, sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to defeat Betty Chen of Canada. Booth had three birdies in her round of three-over-par 75 for a 36-hole total of 153.

“This feels really good after my disappointing performance at last year’s Rolex Junior,” Booth said. “I was just glad Betty didn’t hit her approach shot in a bunker. The last time I played her in a playoff, she chipped in from the sand to beat me.”

Eunice Choi of Dove Canyon also qualified for match play with a two-day total of 161.

The top 16 finishers in each division advance to match play. First-round and quarterfinal matches are scheduled today.