Optimistic Thurston Wins in Florida

Kyle Thurston of Moorpark came from five strokes down in the final round on Monday to win the boys’ 12-13 division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Thurston, 13, who finished at 75-75-70--221, was fourth, five strokes behind leader Randy Lowry of Spring, Texas, when the final round began but shot two under par on the last day.

“I just wanted to shoot a solid round and if the leaders blew up I though I might be close,” said Thurston, who was 10 strokes behind at one stage in the first round.

“I didn’t hit the ball great but my short game was good. I really putted well, only 26 putts in the final round. When I finished, in the second to last group, I knew I was close but I didn’t know I won for about 15 or 20 minutes.

“It’s one of the biggest tournaments I’ve won.”

Lowry shot 70-75-76--221 and tied for second with Trent Leon of Dallas, who finished at 74-73-74--221.

Thurston, who plays out of Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks, flew home and on Thursday shot three-over-par 75 at Franklin Canyon Golf Course in La Verne to tie Daniel Choe of Diamond Bar for first in the boys’ 12-13 division of a Southern California Junior PGA Tour event.

Thurston won the title in a card-off.

*

Anthony Kim of Studio City shot 74-71-75--220 to finish tied for seventh Thursday in the boys’ 13-14 division of the Junior World Championships at Steele Canyon Golf Club in Jamul.

Sean King of Ventura totaled 73-73-77--224 and tied for 14th in the same division with Kyle Dowden of Somis, who came in at 77-73-73--224. Brandon Christianson of Valencia wound up in a tie for 17th at 77-76-71--224.

Scott Bashin of Northridge made a big move on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla and is tied for 15th at 75-77-69--221 in the boys’ 15-17 division with one round remaining.

Ina Kim of Encino is tied for 25th in the girls’ 15-17 division at 76-77-79--232 with one round remaining on the North Course at Torrey Pines.

Hana Kim of Encino is tied for 27th at 74-81-78--233 and Saki Uechi of Panorama City is tied for 30th at 83-74-77--234.

*

Linda Ishii of Northridge shot four-over-par 76 at Mesa Verde Golf and Country Club in Costa Mesa to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ishii, who plays for USC, is a graduate of Granada Hills High.

Krystal Shearer of Northridge, a senior at Alemany High, missed qualifying by one stroke at 78 and is listed as the first alternate.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur will be played Aug. 9-14 at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C.

*

Chris Finefrock of Thousand Oaks shot one-over-par 73 at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard to win the boys’ 15-17 division of a Ventura County Jr. Golf Assn. tournament.

Jeff Riddle of Camarillo finished second at 74, followed by Mark Modglin of Simi Valley at 75 and Wes Rundle of Westlake at 76.

Kristin Smith of Moorpark shot 90 to win the girls’ 13-17 division, followed by Alana Silvertrust of Camarillo at 91 and Molly Bradley of Simi Valley at 93.

Jennifer Marshall of Thousand Oaks shot 94 and tied for fourth with Nicki Shum of Camarillo.

Ramie Sprinkling of Camarillo finished at 82 and tied with Jason Wilk of Camarillo atop the boys’ 13-14 standings.

Danny Lawlor of Camarillo and Thomas O’Hara of Westlake Village tied for third at 85, with Colin Wilcox and Joey Speciale of Ventura tied for fifth.

*

Scott Bashin of Birmingham High in Van Nuys has signed with Cal State Northridge, Coach Jim Bracken said.

Bashin, who lives in Northridge, finished second in the City Championships as a senior and was an two-time All-City selection.

Jennifer Amran of Sun Valley, a recent graduate of Providence High in Burbank, also signed with the Matadors.

*

Hana Kim of Encino and Anne Lee of Northridge have been selected to play for the West in the 10th annual AJGA Cannon Cup matches.

Lee, 18, is a graduate of Notre Dame High who will attend Arizona, and Kim, 17, is a senior at Brentwood High.

The Canon Cup matches will be played Aug. 9-12 at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C.

*

Justin Ohye of Calabasas shot 73-76-78--227 to tie for 21st in the American Junior Golf Assn.’s Ashworth/Golf Design Junior Championship on Thursday at Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club.

Roy Moon of Simi Valley tied for 28th at 81-76-72--229, Brian O’Flaherty of Westlake Village tied for 48th at 80-81-74--235, Zack King of Ventura tied for 55th at 77-77-83--237, Ian Medlock of Thousand Oaks finished 58th at 76-85-77--238, Jeff Osborn of Glendale tied for 59th at 86-78-75--239 and Scott Fulkerson of Simi Valley tied for 72nd at 75-85-89--250.

LEADERBOARD

VENTURA COUNTRY JR. GOLF ASSN.

Monday at River Ridge Golf Club, Oxnard

Boys’ 15-17 Division

73--Chris Finefrock, Thousand Oaks

74--Jeff Riddle, Camarillo

75--Mark Modglin, Simi Valley

76--Wes Rundle, Westlake Village

77--James Logeman, Oak Park

78--Eric Paris, Thousand Oaks

79--Chris MacLaughlin, Simi Valley

81--Patrick Field, Simi Valley

82--Alex Mora, Oxnard

Girls’ 13-17 Division

90--Kristin Smith, Moorpark

91--Alana Silvertrust, Camarillo

93--Molly Bradley, Simi Valley

94--Nicki Shum, Camarillo

Jennifer Marshall, Thousand Oaks

95--Rebecca Morris, Thousand Oaks

96--Heather Kanny, Camarillo

97--Susanne Dunwell, Oak Park

98--Heidi Miller, Camarillo

Boys’ 13-14 Division

82--Ramie Sprinkling, Camarillo

Jason Wilk, Camarillo

85--Danny Lawlor, Camarillo

Thomas O’Hara, Westlake Village

88--Colin Wilcox, Camarillo

Joey Speciale, Ventura

89--Michael Lory, Ventura

Zack Bale, Ventura

90--Wyeth Bonney, Ventura

****

OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR

Saturday, Sunday and Monday

At PGA National Resort and Spa

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Boys 12-13 Division

220--Kyle Thurston, Moorpark, 75-75-70

221--Randy Lowry, Spring, Texas, 70-75-76

Trent Leon, Dallas, 74-73-74

222--Danny Zimmerman, Verona, Wis., 79-71-72

223--James Minahan, Spring, Texas, 76-76-71

****

AJGA ASHWORTH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Qualifying, Saturday on Palmer Course

Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage

Boys’ Division

72--Kunio Kasuga, Saugus

Jay Choe, Yorba Linda

73--Joe Legacy, Temple City

Mike Jenks, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Roy Kim, Beverly Hills

Eric Smith, Rancho Mirage

74--Roy Moon, Simi Valley

Jeff Osborn, Glendale

Daniel Kush, Tustin

Mitch Geyger Jr., Martinsville, Mont.

Casey Strohsahl, San Clemente

Jack Smothers, Fallbrook

Ryan O’Donnell, Chico

****

NONQUALIFIERS INCLUDED:

76--Kyle Ostrom, La Canada

77--Michael Park, La Crescenta

78--Nate Dahl, Ventura

81--Ali Siam, Westlake Village

Ryan Brown, Valencia

Peter Heilbron, West Hills

84--Chris Stimson, Saugus

Brian Zelner, Tarzana

88--Jonathan Kim, Calabasas

92--Sean Martin, Oak Park