71st U.S. Junior Amateur Championship – Storylines

July 16-21, 2018 (Upper and Lower Courses) Springfield, N.J. mediacenter.usga.org | usga.org/junioram | #USJuniorAm @usga_pr (media Twitter) | @usga (Twitter and Instagram | USGA (Facebook)

WHO’S HERE – Among the 156 golfers in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur field, there are:

Oldest Competitors: Nick Willis (18, born 7-22-99), Jeremy Sisson (18, born 7-23-99), Trey Rath (18, born 7-24-99), T. Andrew DiPetrillo (18, born 8-9-99), Cole Hammer (18, born 8-28-99), Augustin Segundo Oliva Pinto (18, born 9-1-99), Jack Rahon (18, born 9-1-99), Mark Turner (18, born 9-10-99), Bryce Kvick (18, born 9-12-99), Wil Gibson (18, born 9-27-99), Peter Bowie (18, born 10-8-99), Jackson Suber (18, born 10-18-99)

Youngest Competitors: Abhay Gupta (14, born 6-25-04), Jonathan Griz (14, born 12-1-03), Luke Clanton (14, born 11-5-03), Graham Moody (15, born 7-11-03), Ben James (15, born 5-30-03), Kelly Chinn (15, born 5-13-03), Kyo Morishita (15, born 5-12-03)

Average Age of Field: 17.06

U.S. States Represented – There are 36 states represented in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur: California (19), Texas (10), Florida (9), New York (7), Massachusetts (6), North Carolina (6), Virginia (5), Georgia (4), Ohio (4), Pennsylvania (4), South Carolina (4), (4), Alabama (3), Kansas (3), Kentucky (3), Minnesota (3), Arkansas (2), Colorado (2), Connecticut (2), Illinois (2), Indiana (2), Maryland (2), Michigan (2), Nevada (2), New Jersey (2), Oklahoma (2), Tennessee (2), Utah (2), Arizona (1), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Iowa (1), New Mexico (1), Oregon (1), South Dakota (1) and Wisconsin (1).

International – There are 18 countries represented in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur: United States (126), Canada (5), Japan (4), Australia (3), England (3), Mexico (3), Albania (1), Argentina (1), Brazil (1), the People’s Republic of China (1), Chinese Taipei (1), Hong Kong, China (1), India (1), Republic of Ireland (1), the Republic of Korea (1), Peru (1), the Philippines (1) and Switzerland (1).

USGA Champions (3): Garrett Barber (2018 Amateur Four-Ball), Cole Hammer (2018 Amateur Four- Ball), Shuai Ming Wong (2017 Amateur Four-Ball).

Players in Field with Most Junior Amateur Appearances (2018 included): Shuai Ming Wong (5), Cole Hammer (4), Joe Highsmith (4), Eugene Hong (4), Garrett Barber (3), Parker Coody (3), Kaiwen Liu (3), Trent Phillips (3), Cole Ponich (3), James Song (3), Travis Vick (3).

Played in 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur (26): Garrett Barber, Jake Beber-Frankel, Akshay Bhatia, Joe Bultman, Ricky Castillo, Aaron Chen, Parker Coody, Wil Gibson, Cole Hammer, Joe Highsmith, Eugene Hong, Kaiwen Liu, Sean Maruyama, Logan McAllister, Yuki Moriyamam Joseph Pagdin, Trent Phillips, Thomas Ponder, Cole Ponich, Cameron Sisk, Ryan Smith, James Song, Jackson Suber, Rayhan Thomas, Nick Willis, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur (13): Drew Brockwell, Nicolas Cassidy, Justin Gums, Cole Hammer, Joe Highsmith, Eugene Hong, Cole Ponich, James Song, Nate Stember, Johnathan Travale, Mark Turner, Travis Vick, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur (8): Parker Coody, Cole Hammer, Joe Highsmith, Eugene Hong, James Imai, Kaiwen Liu, Trent Phillips, Travis Vick.

Played in 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur (2): Garrett Barber, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur (1): Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2015 U.S. Open (1): Cole Hammer.

Played in 2017 U.S. Amateur (10): Garrett Barber, Ricky Castillo, Canon Claycomb, Parker Coody, Connor Creasy, Eugene Hong, Tyler Isenhart, Clay Merchant, Taehoon Song, Karl Vilips.

Played in 2016 U.S. Amateur (5): Kaiwen Liu, James Song, Travis Vick, Karl Vilips, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2015 U.S. Amateur (3): Ricky Castillo, Cole Hammer, Eugene Hong.

Played in 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (5): Garrett Barber, Dillon Brown, Cole Hammer, Trey Rath, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (4): Akshay Bhatia, Fred Biondi, Ryan Smith, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (3): Cole Hammer, Sean Maruyama, Shuai Ming Wong.

Played in 2018 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying (6): Ricky Castillo, Canon Claycomb, Logan McAllister, Joseph Pagdin, Colin Sikkenga, Tyler Wilkes.

PLAYER NOTES:

Garrett Barber, 18, Stuart, Fla., won the 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title with partner Cole Hammer when they defeated Chip Brooke and Marc Dull, 4 and 3, in the final at Jupiter Hills Club’s Hills Course in Tequesta, Fla. Barber advanced to the Round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Amateur and has competed in two U.S. Junior Amateurs (2014, 2017). He won this year’s Jones Cup Invitational in a playoff with 2018 U.S. Open qualifier Theo Humphrey and the 2017 Rolex Tournament of Champions. He claimed the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A state championship by six strokes with a 36-hole score of 10-under 134. Barber, who will attend Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall, is the first player to have won both the Jones Cup Junior (2016) and the Jones Cup.

Jake Beber-Frankel, 16, of Miami, Fla., advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. He tied for 16th in the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A state high school championship as a member of the Ransom Everglades High team. He was runner-up in the FSGA Boys Junior (ages 13-15) and Junior Players at TPC Sawgrass in 2017. He finished seventh in the 2018 FSGA Boys Junior (ages 16-18). His father David has directed several successful studio films, including “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Marley & Me,” while their mother owns a Miami advertising agency. His grandfather, Max, was the executive editor of the New York Times. His twin sister, Phoebe, is also a competitive golfer and finished 11th in the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A girls’ state championship.

Douglas Beney, 16, of Rye, N.Y., is competing in his first USGA championship. Beney, who was born in Switzerland and was a self-taught golfer until age 14, recently completed his sophomore season on the Rye High School golf team. He earned honorable mention Westchester/Putnam recognition by the Journal News. In 2017, he won three PGA Metro section titles and posted nine top-10 finishes and was second in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Major Championship at The Architects Golf Club in Lopatcong, N.J. (ages 14-15).

Akshay Bhatia, 16, of Wake Forest, N.C., reached the Round of 64 in the U.S. Junior Amateur and advanced to match play with partner Grayson Wotnosky in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in 2017. He won this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley by one stroke over Frankie Capan with a 54-hole score of 214 (2-under) and the Polo Golf Junior Classic at Echo Lake in Westfield, N.J., by 10 strokes. Bhatia won the 2017 Boys Junior PGA with a record 22-under , which included a second-round 61. Bhatia, whose sister Rhea just completed her junior season as a member of the Queens University of Charlotte women’s golf team, aced the 17th hole at Pinehurst No. 2 when he was 12 years old.

Fred Biondi, 17, of Brazil, is competing in his second USGA championship after having played in the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Daisuke Nakano. Biondi, a two-time Rolex All-American who attends Morningside Academy, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., won the 2017 Florida State Golf Association Boys Junior (ages 16-18) by five strokes and captured the 2016 FSGA Boys Junior in the ages 13-15 division. He was chosen FSGA Junior player of the year in 2016. Biondi tied for second in this year’s Terra Cotta Invitational.

Jacob Bridgeman, 18, of Inman, S.C., is playing in his first U.S. Junior Amateur. He won the 2016 Carolinas Golf Association Boys’ Junior by nine strokes and was the runner-up in the CGA Boys’ Junior last year. Bridgeman, who will attend Clemson University in the fall and study mathematical sciences, represented the U.S. in the 2018 Toyota Junior World Cup. He captured three consecutive SCHSL Division 3A state championships, from 2016-18, as a member of the Chapman High team.

Joe Bultman, 18, of Shawnee, Kan., is competing in his second consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur. He tied for 11th in this year’s KSHSAA state championship as a member of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School team. Bultman is a two-time Kansas City Golf Association Junior Player of the Year and was the KCGA Boys’ Match Play runner-up in 2016. Bultman finished third in the 2016 U.S. Kids Teen World Championship at Pinehurst No. 2.

Tyler Carroll, 18, of Carlsbad, Calif., competed in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club at age 13 in 2014. At the time, he was an eighth-grader at San Elijo Middle School. Carroll, who is an Eagle Scout, shot a 70 at Vista Valley Country Club to qualify. A member of the San Marcos High School team, Carroll will attend Embry-Riddle University in the fall.

Nicolas Cassidy, 17, of Johns Creek, Ga., will play in his second U.S. Junior Amateur after reaching the Round of 64 in 2016 at The Honors Course. He tied for fifth in this year’s GHSA Class 6A state championship and helped Johns Creek High School to its third consecutive state championship. Cassidy won the Callaway Golf-Ollie Schniederjans Junior Classic by one stroke on April 29, which included a third-round 66.

Ricky Castillo, 17, of Yorba Linda, Calif., advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Junior Amateur and Round of 32 in the 2017 U.S. Amateur, losing to 2017 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup competitor Connor Syme. Castillo, who was the youngest player in the 2015 U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club and competed in 2018 U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Daly City, Calif., won this year’s Los Angeles City Junior and Ping Heather Farr Classic. A rising senior at Valencia High School, Castillo is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and played on two Wyndham Cup West teams (2016, 2017). His brother Derek, who is a junior on the Cal State Fullerton team, competed in the 2013 U.S Junior Amateur and 2014 U.S. Amateur.

Kelly Chinn, 15, of Great Falls, Va., won the 2018 Virginia Class 6A individual state title as a freshman and led Langley High School to the state championship. He earned VHSL all-state and all-region recognition and was chosen to the Washington Post All-Met first team. Chinn, who is interested in math and science, is a two-time club champion at Army Navy Country Club. His father, Colin, is a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and serves as Joint Staff surgeon at the Pentagon and is the chief medical advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Luke Clanton, 14, of Miami Lakes, Fla., is the third-youngest player in the U.S. Junior Amateur field. He started hitting balls at age 3 and began played competitively at age 6. Clanton, who is home-schooled, has captured two AJGA and four FJT tournament victories this year. In 2017, he won the AJGA Junior at Blue Hills and the South Florida Junior Open. He also captured the South Florida PGA Junior and tied a course record with a 7-under 65.

Canon Claycomb, 16, of Bowling Green, Ky., was the second-youngest player in the 2017 U.S. Amateur field and was one of five 15-year-olds to compete in last year’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Claycomb, who also competed in this year’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Jupiter, Fla., splits time between Kentucky and Orlando, Fla. He has played on the Greenwood High School team in Bowling Green since fourth grade and, in 2016, he led the team to a second-place finish in the state championship while tying for second individually. He tied for third in this year’s FHSAA Class 1A state championship and helped Circle Christian School capture the state title. His teammates, Eugene Hong and Daniel Core, are also in the Junior Amateur field.

Nathan Cogswell, 18, of Kent, Wash., works on the grounds crew staff at Meridian Valley Country Club, which hosted a U.S. Open local qualifier this year. Cogswell, a four-time all-league selection at Kentwood High School, has placed among the top-11 finishers in four consecutive WIAA Class 4A state championships, including a tie for fifth in 2017. Cogswell who will attend Seattle University in the fall, has been taking piano lessons since age 10.

Parker Coody, 18, of Plano, Texas, is the grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, who played in 18 U.S. Opens. Parker, who reached the Round of 32 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur and advanced to match play in 2015, tied for eighth in the Byron Nelson Junior and tied for ninth in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. Parker, who won the 2017 state high school championship, and his twin brother, Pierceson, helped Plano West High to the 2016 Texas UIL Class 6A state title.

Daniel Core, 18, of Canada, won first place in a regional essay competition and enjoys reading the literary works of Oscar Wilde, Aldous Huxley and Fyodor Dostoyesky. Born in the People’s Republic of China, he will attend Columbia University in the fall. Core, who has also interned at a law firm, finished second in the FHSAA Class 1A state championship and helped Circle Christian School claim the state title. His teammates, Eugene Hong and Canon Claycomb, are also in the U.S. Junior Amateur field.

John Driscoll III, 17, of Lake Mary, Fla., has New Jersey roots, as he tied for sixth in the 2016 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and earned all-state and all-county recognition as a freshman at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey. Driscoll, who lived in Ridgewood for four years, also won the 2014 NJSGA Boys Championship. He now attends Lake Mary Prep and tied for 22nd in the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A state championship. Driscoll was named Seminole County golfer of the year and was a FHSAA regional and district champion.

Tyler Gerbavsits, 18, of Huntington, N.Y., has been a member of the Huntington High School team for six years and will attend St. John’s University in the fall of 2018. He is competing in his first USGA championship. Gerbavsits has earned Newsday All-Long Island, All-Suffolk County and All-Suffolk League honors throughout his career. He has also competed in the Metropolitan Golf Association’s Williamson Cup and Carter Cup.

Ty Griggs, 16, of Manteca, Calif., won the 2016 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National Golf Club in the boys’ 12-13 division. He is a distant cousin of Francis Ouimet, the 1913 U.S. Open and 1914 and 1931 U.S. Amateur champion. Griggs was selected the Sacramento Bee district player of the year and is a two-time Valley Oak League player of the year. He was the medalist in this year’s Valley Oak League championship. A rising junior at East Union High School, he is competing in his USGA championship.

Jonathan Griz, 14, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., is the second-youngest player in the U.S. Junior Amateur field. He shared medalist honors with a 68, which included six birdies and one double bogey, in qualifying at of South Carolina, in Florence, S.C. Griz was the runner-up in the SCISA Class 2A state championship as an eighth-grader and helped Hilton Head Prep win its second state title in the last three years. Griz, the 2016 Hurricane Junior Golf Tour player of the year when he won 12 events, was the 2017 club champion at Colleton River Plantation Club, the site of the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Abhay Gupta, 14, of Concord, N.C., is the youngest player in the U.S. Junior Amateur field. He was one of three players to qualify when he shot a 68 at the Country Club of Salisbury (N.C.) on June 11. His older brother Aman competed in two U.S. Junior Amateurs and advanced to the quarterfinals last year. In 2017, Abhay was a semifinalist in the North Carolina Junior Boys (13 & under) and tied for 14th in the Carolina Junior Boys’ Championship after sharing the 36-hole lead. He won the Tarheel Golf Foundation’s Players Championship on May 13 and was runner-up in the Wolfpack Junior on April 29.

Cole Hammer, 18, of Houston, Texas, is playing in his eighth USGA championship. Hammer, who was the third-youngest player to compete in a U.S. Open when he played at Chambers Bay in 2015, won this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Garrett Barber, who is also in the U.S. Junior Amateur field, at Jupiter Hills Club. Hammer has advanced to match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2015 (Round of 32), 2016 (Round of 16) and 2017 (Round of 16). He won this year’s Azalea Invitational when he defeated Hugo Bernard and 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur competitor Joseph Pagdin in a playoff. Hammer, who will attend the University of Texas in the fall, tied for fourth in the Sahalee Players Championship on July 4.

Nathan Han, 17, of Somers, N.Y., won the 2017 NYSPHSAA state championship when he made a 10- foot par putt on the third playoff hole to defeat Adam Xiao. Han, who tied for second in the state championship the previous year, also won the Section I title. Han, who attends Ethan Allen Prep, in Ridgefield, Conn., won the 2015 and 2016 Metropolitan Golf Association Boys Championship, the first player to win consecutive crowns in 30 years. He was chosen the Westchester/Putnam Boys’ Golf Athlete of the Year as a sophomore

Joe Highsmith, 18, of Lakewood, Wash., is competing in his fourth consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur. He has twice advanced to the Round of 32 (2016, 2017) and advanced to the Round of 64 in 2015. Highsmith became the youngest player to win the WSGA State Amateur last year when he posted a 54- hole score of 9-under 205. He also won the 2017 WIAA Class 4A state championship and helped Bellarmine Prep capture its third consecutive state crown. Highsmith, the 2016 WSGA Junior Boys player of the year, will attend Pepperdine University in the fall of 2018.

Eugene Hong, 18, of Orlando, Fla., advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in both 2015 and 2016 and reached the Round of 64 last year. He also competed in his first U.S. Amateur last year at The , in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Hong helped Circle Christian School win the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A state title, tying for third as an individual. He won the 2016 Class 1A state championship and was the runner-up in 2014. Hong, who was chosen 2017 USA Today Boys Golfer of the Year, will attend the University of Florida this fall.

James Imai, 17, of Brookline, Mass., is a Japanese American who is competing in his second U.S. Junior Amateur. He states 12 is his lucky number because he was born on Dec. 12 at 5:34 a.m. (adds up to 12). Imai, who attends Brookline High School, was born in the 12th year of the current emperor’s reign and has used golf balls with the No. 12 labeled on them. Imai claimed last year’s New England Junior Amateur at Manchester (N.H.) Country Club, shooting a course-record 65 in the first round. Imai, who was sixth in the 2017 Massachusetts Division I state high school championship, earned Boston Globe and Boston Herald all-scholastic honors.

Tyler Isenhart, 17, of Geneva, Ill., is a rising senior at Geneva Community High School and will be competing in his first U.S. Junior Amateur. Isenhart, who played in the 2017 U.S. Amateur at The Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and recently qualified to play again this year’s Amateur at Pebble Beach, tied for third in the IHSA Class 3A state championship for the second consecutive year and led Geneva to a seventh-place finish. He also tied for second in the Illinois State Junior Amateur for the second year in a row. Isenhart, the region’s most valuable athlete, won the Memorial Junior on June 7 and tied for 17th in the Western Junior on June 21.

Benjamin James, 15, of Milford, Conn., and an eighth-grader on the Hamden Hall Country Day School team, won the 2013 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship (age 10) with a 54-hole score of 202 (14-under). James, who tied for the second in 2014 (age 11) and tied for fourth in 2015 (age 12), also tied for second in the 2015 IMG Academy Junior World Championships when he lost in a playoff. In 2017, he won the Fairchester Athletic Association Championship and advanced to the Round of 16 in the Connecticut Junior Amateur.

Alex Kyriacou, 17, of Suffern, N.Y., was fourth in the 2018 NYSPHSAA state championship. He is a two- time Rockland County player of the year by the Journal News and was the Sectional I runner-up. Kyriacou, who has served as team captain at Suffern High School since seventh grade, won the International Junior Golf Tour’s Faldo Series Pennsylvania Championship on April 15. In 2017, he was sixth in the New York State Federation Tournament and tied for seventh in the New York State Boys Junior Amateur.

Jud Langille, 16, of Ossining, N.Y., won the 2017 MGA Boys Championship when he defeated Jimin Jung in 20 holes. He also claimed the Westchester Golf Association Boys title and was chosen WGA player of the year. Langille, who tied for 35th in this year’s NYSPHSAA state championship, advanced to his first USGA championship by holing a 50-foot birdie putt to shoot 70 and earn the fourth and final spot in the Elmsford, N.Y., sectional qualifier. In 2017, he captured the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Northeast Regional Invitational (ages 14-15) in a sudden-death playoff.

Kaiwen Liu, 18, of the People’s Republic of China, is playing in his fourth USGA championship. He reached match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2015 and 2017 and qualified for the 2016 U.S. Amateur. Liu, who helped Torrey Pines High School finish third in the 2017 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championship, recently completed his freshman season at the University of California-Berkeley. He tied for 26th in the NCAA Raleigh Regional and tied for 52nd in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. In 2017, Liu was a first-team Rolex All-American and competed in the Wyndham Cup.

Sean Maruyama, 18, of Japan, is the son of three-time PGA Tour winner and five-time U.S. Open qualifier Shigeki Maruyama. He reached the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur, losing to eventual champion Noah Goodwin. He and partner Clay Seeber were the youngest team in the 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball field. The duo reached match play when Maruyama holed a 119-yard pitching wedge for an eagle on the second playoff hole at . Last summer, he represented the International team in the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup held at Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club. Maruyama, who will attend UCLA in the fall, was the runner-up in the CIF state championship as a junior.

Justin Mathew, 16, of Rocky Hill, Conn., is a first-team all-state selection who tied for second in both the 2017 and 2018 CIAC state championships. Mathew won the PGA Connecticut Section’s 2018 Ryan Lee Memorial Junior. In 2017, he recorded two PGA section wins and posted six top-5 finishes. Mathew, a three-time all-state performer, was the medalist (66) in the U.S. Junior Amateur Oxford, Conn., sectional qualifier to earn a spot in his first USGA championship. He studies mathematics and analyzes numbers and would like to work in a field that handles risk assessment with statistics.

Logan McAllister, 18, of Oklahoma City, Okla., advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur, losing to eventual runner-up Matthew Wolff in 19 holes. McAllister, who won the OSSAA Class 3A individual state championship in 2016 and 2017 as a member of the Christian Heritage Academy team, will attend the University of Oklahoma in the fall. He competed in this year’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Richmond, Texas. In 2017, he was the runner-up in the OGA Junior Boys and lost in a three- way playoff in the Junior Players. He finished second in the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods on Feb. 19.

Clay Merchent, 17, of Noblesville, Ind., is competing in his first U.S. Junior Amateur after playing in last year’s U.S. Amateur at The Riviera Country Club. Merchent tied for fifth in the 2017 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals, held at Augusta National Golf Club. Merchent won the driving portion of the boys’ 14-15 division with a mark of 304.7 yards. He tied for eighth in the 2018 IHSAA state championship after finishing 12th individually as a sophomore. Merchent also tied for seventh in this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and claimed the 2017 AJGA Junior at Purgatory title with a score of 14-under 202.

Graham Moody, 15, of Vancouver, Wash., won the 2018 WIAA Class 3A state championship as a freshman at Mountain View High School with rounds of 68-71 for a one-stroke victory. He owes his golf development to the Jacobsen Youth Initiative and Oregon Golf Association, which allowed him to play for $5 per round. Moody, who was chosen The Columbian all-region golfer of the year, tied for 10th in this month’s Oregon Golf Association Junior Stroke Play. Moody plays trombone in his high school’s wind ensemble and jazz bands.

William Mouw, 17, of Chino, Calif., is competing in his first USGA championship. Mouw won the 2017 Western Junior by eight strokes, tying 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Hunter Mahan’s 72-hole scoring record of 266 (14-under). He received the Curtis Cup Award as the top junior player in Southern California and was chosen as a Rolex All-American. Mouw, the winner of the 2015 IMG Junior World Championship (ages 13-14) and a member of the victorious 2017 Junior Presidents Cup Team, is the son of a chicken egg farmer. In 2018 as a junior at Ontario Christian High School, he tied for 10th in the CIF State Boys Championship and was the runner-up in the CIF/SCGA SoCal Regional. He is also a member of the school’s basketball team.

William O’Neill, 18, of Morristown, N.J., is competing in his first USGA championship and will attend Georgetown University in the fall. O’Neill is a two-time all-state selection in New Jersey and was the Morris County golfer of the year. Last year, he was the Metropolitan Golf Association Junior Championship runner-up, losing to Jake Mayer in the final. He began playing competitively as a freshman after concentrating on basketball. He was the runner-up in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions in 2017 and tied for fifth this year. He won the Group IV title as a junior and was runner-up as a senior.

Augustin Segundo Oliva Pinto, 18, of Argentina, matched the lowest round in sectional qualifying with a 64 at St. John’s Golf and Country Club, in St. Augustine, Fla., to earn his first start in a USGA championship. Oliva Pinto fractured his right elbow in a snowboard accident three years ago and the surgery required six screws and one metal plate. In 2017, he won the Campeonato Abierto del Centro by four strokes over Marcos Montenegro with a 72-hole score of 285.

Joseph Pagdin, 16, of England, advanced to the Round of 64 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. Pagdin, who lives in Florida, tied for sixth in the FHSAA Class 3A state championship as a sophomore at Lake Nona High School. He tied for second in the Azalea Invitational for the second consecutive year, losing to Cole Hammer in a three-way playoff. Pagdin, who also tied for 13th in this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, represented his country in the 2017 Boys Home International.

Julian Perico, 18, of Peru, will compete in his first USGA championship. He captured this year’s AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods by two strokes with a 54-hole score of 205. Perico, who graduated from Montverde Academy in Florida and will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall, tied for 13th in the Latin America Amateur Championship in January. In 2017, he won five tournaments, including the IMG Academy Junior World Championship.

Trent Phillips, 18, of Spartanburg, S.C., advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur and the Round of 32 in 2015. He is a three-time Class 4A/5A state high school championship medalist (2014, 2015, 2017) and has led Boiling Springs High to four state titles. Phillips, who became the first player since 1991 to win consecutive South Carolina Junior Championships, tied for third in this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. He will attend the University of Georgia this fall, where his brother, Trevor, is a rising junior on the team. Trevor competed in the 2013 Junior Amateur (Round of 16) and 2014 U.S. Amateur (Round of 32).

Cole Ponich, 18, of Farmington, Utah, is competing in his third U.S. Junior Amateur. He advanced to the Round of 32 last year at Flint Hills National Golf Club. Ponich, a three-time Utah Junior Golf Association player of the year, won the 2017 UHSAA Class 6A state championship with a 36-hole score of 133 in leading Davis High to the team title. Ponich, who was second in Class 5A the previous year and tied for seventh in 2015, was a finalist for USA Today Golfer of the Year. Last year, he was a Rolex All-American and was second in the Junior North and South Amateur.

Brett Roberts, 16, of Coral Springs, Fla., advanced to his first USGA championship with a 68 to earn one of three spots in the West Palm Beach, Fla., sectional qualifier. His cousin, Taylor, reached the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. The Broward County golfer of the year also finished third in the 2017 Florida State Golf Association Boys’ Junior (ages 13-15). Roberts tied for second in the FHSAA Class 3A state championship as a sophomore from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Roberts, who tied for 11th as a freshman, was chosen Broward County golfer of the year.

Sam Salisbury, 18, of Green Valley, Ariz., advanced to his first USGA championship by holing a 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole in a four-way playoff for the third and final spot in sectional qualifying at Tucson (Ariz.) Country Club. His father Mark is the course superintendent at Marriott’s Staff Pass Country Club, in Tucson, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 40 years. Salisbury, who tied for 16th in the 2017 AIA Division II state high school championship, played year-round baseball from ages 8-16 at the Little League level and on travel teams.

Colin Sikkenga, 18, of Kalamazoo, Mich., is playing in his first USGA championship after earning medalist honors (68) in the Wyoming, Mich., sectional qualifier on June 18. Sikkenga, who also competed in U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Springfield, Ohio, will attend Oakland University this fall. Besides playing golf at Kalamazoo Christian High School, where he helped the team to a state runner-up finish in 2016, Sikkenga also was the sixth man on the basketball team. He has been among the top-10 finishers in four consecutive MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 state championships, including a tie for third as a senior, and led his team to state runner-up in 2016. Sikkenga, who is also the sixth-man on the school’s basketball team, has advanced to match play in three consecutive Michigan Junior State Amateurs

Jeremy Sisson, 18, of Skaneateles, N.Y., is the second-oldest player in the U.S. Junior Amateur field, as he will turn 19 two days after the scheduled championship match. Sisson, who attends the Junior Players Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island, S.C., was the runner-up in last year’s New York State Boys Junior, losing to Jude Cummings on the fourth playoff hole. Sisson captured the Golfweek International Junior Invitational by one stroke last November when he posted 5-under 135. In 2017, he won five events on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and two events on the International Junior Golf Tour.

James Song, 17, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., advanced to the Round of 64 of the U.S. Junior Amateur in both 2016 and 2017 and competed in the 2016 U.S. Amateur. Song, who fired a 62 at Oak Valley Golf Club in 2016 U.S. Amateur sectional qualifying, finished second in both the World Stars of Amateur Golf and the Thunderbird International Junior this year. Song, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is a high school teammate of 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur competitor Kaiwen Liu, led Torrey Pines High to the 2016 CIF state championship. He will join Liu this fall at the University of California, Berkeley. Song, who won this year’s CIF-San Diego Section title and tied for third in the CIF/SCGA SoCal Championship, finished sixth in the Sahalee Players Championship on July 4.

Ryan Smith, 16, of Carlsbad, Calif., advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. He also competed in the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and tied for fifth in the 2017 Rolex Tournament of Champions. Smith, a rising junior at Santa Fe Christian High School, has helped the Eagles win a pair of CIF Division 3 titles. He tied for fifth in last year’s Rolex Tournament of Champions, including a third- round 66, and tied for 17th in the 2018 Western Junior.

Jackson Suber, 18, of Tampa, Fla., reached the Round of 64 in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. He helped H.B. Plant High School win the 2016 FHSAA Class 3A state championship and was the state individual runner-up as a sophomore and junior. Suber, who likes to hunt deer, duck and dove, tied for second in the Terra Cotta Invitational and tied for third in the Jones Cup Invitational in 2018. He will attend the University of Mississippi this fall. In 2017, he tied for third in the Florida State Golf Association Amateur and tied for fourth in the FSGA Boys’ Junior (ages 16-18).

Sean Taylor, 18, of Westfield, N.J., missed nine months and his senior ice hockey season due to an ACL and MCL tear in his knee. He regrouped for the spring golf season when he tied for fifth in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and qualified for his first USGA championship. Taylor, who will attend the University of Rhode Island in the fall, also tied for second in the Group IV championship on his way to receiving first-team all-state recognition. Taylor, who is a three-time All-Union County performer, earned medalist honors with a 69 in U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying at Shackamaxon Country Club, in Scotch Plains, N.J.

Aidan Thomas, 17, of Bernalillo, N.M., grew up on the Laguna Pueblo Indian Reservation, where he used a pad to hit practice balls over railroad tracks into an open field. He won the 2018 NMAA Class 5A state championship by eight strokes with rounds of 71-68 after finishing third the previous year. He is a three-time district champion as a member of the St. Pius X High School team. Thomas, who is also a competitive cross country runner, was named the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association junior player of the year three times and has twice finished as the runner-up in the University of New Mexico Open (2017, 2018).

Rayhan Thomas, 18, of India, reached the semifinals of the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur in his first USGA championship, where he fell to eventual champion Noah Goodwin, 5 and 4. Thomas, who started playing golf at age 8 and was born in Dubai, tied for 35th in the 2017 Asia-Pacific Amateur after he tied for 29th the previous year. In 2017, Thomas made the 36-hole cut in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and tied for 10th in the Qatar Open Amateur.

Travis Vick, 18, of Hunters Creek Village, Texas, is a three-sport athlete at Houston’s Second Baptist School. In addition to golf, he was a TAPPS Division II honorable mention all-state linebacker and all- district quarterback and a pitcher/third baseman on the baseball squad. Vick advanced to match play in his previous two U.S. Junior Amateurs (Round of 16 & stroke-play medalist, 2016; Round of 64, 2015). He has twice won the TAPPS Class 5A state individual golf championship and led his team to the 2018 state crown. Vick is a family friend of Hal Sutton, who competed in 18 U.S. Opens and won the 1980 U.S. Amateur and 1983 PGA Championship.

Karl Vilips, 16, of Australia, will compete in his first U.S. Junior Amateur after playing in two U.S. Amateurs (2016, 2017). He has posted four top-3 finishes this year. He won the Wyndham Invitational by six strokes when he equaled the course record with a third-round 62. He also was the runner-up in the Western Junior. In 2017, he captured the Southern Amateur title and matched Bob Jones (1917) as the youngest champion in tournament history. Vilips, who was born in Indonesia, lived in Salvation Army shelters with his father for a few years when they were without a home, and has used fund-raising activities to travel to tournaments.

Tyler Wilkes, 16, of Tampa, Fla., is competing in his first USGA championship. He won the 2018 Florida State Golf Association Boys Junior (age 16-18) by one stroke with a 54-hole score of 206, including a final-round 66. Wilkes, who tied for fourth in this year’s FSGA Amateur, also won the 2017 FSGA Boys’ Junior (ages 13-15) by five strokes and shot a final-round 64 at Bent Pine Golf Club. Wilkes, whose swing coaches are his father Scott and PGA Tour Champions player Woody Austin, has posted five top-5 finishes in 2018, including a victory in the Orlando International Amateur for Juniors on Jan. 5. Wilkes, who advanced to this year’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Jupiter, Fla. as a local alternate, tied for sixth in the 2016 FHSAA Class 3A state championship as a freshman at Tampa Gaither High School.

Nick Willis, 18, of Cowpens, S.C., is the oldest player in the U.S. Junior Amateur field and turns 19 on July 22, the day after the scheduled championship match. A rising sophomore at Wofford College, Willis earned Southern Conference All-Freshman recognition in 2017-18 when he recorded two top-20 finishes. He captured the 2015 South Carolina Junior Match Play Championship. Willis, who attended Spartanburg Christian Academy and was a five-time all-state selection, won the SCISA Class 2A title in 2016 and was runner-up twice (2013, 2014).

Shuai Ming Wong, 18, of Hong Kong, is competing in his ninth USGA championship and fifth U.S. Junior Amateur. He will become the eighth player to compete in five Junior Amateurs, a group that includes four- time U.S. Open champion Jack Nicklaus. Wong, who has reached match play in two of his previous four Junior Amateurs, captured the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title with Frankie Capan at Pinehurst No. 2. Wong, who will attend Southern Methodist University this fall and will be teammates with 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Noah Goodwin, was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Beijing, in China, at age 6. Wong, whose nickname is Ben, captured the 2017 Junior Players in a three-way playoff at TPC Sawgrass.

Kento Yamawaki, 18, of Japan, is playing in his first USGA championship. A rising senior at La Costa Canyon High School, Yamawaki owns three top-10s in American Junior Golf Association events this season, including a tie for fifth in the Hana Financial Group Se Ri Pak Junior. He was a runner-up twice last year on that circuit. He has been among the top-3 finishers in the CIF-San Diego Section the last three years (2nd, 2016; 1st, 2017; 3rd, 2018) and has earned All-CIF section honors three times. He was chosen 2018 Avocado West player of the year and tied for fifth in the CIF/SCGA SoCal Regional Championship.

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Contact: Brian DePasquale, USGA Communications ([email protected], cell - 908-655-8395)