Blake Taylor and Delaney Shah Win Inaugural Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship
Taylor Led Wire-to-Wire While Shah Rallied From a 9-Stroke Deficit
Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The inaugural Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship crowned its first victors Monday, and the boys and girls winners emerged in completely different ways on a cool, damp day at TPC Myrtle Beach.
Blake Taylor (Atkinson, N.C.), an East Carolina signee, opened the day with a three-shot lead and pulled away from the field on the back nine, finishing the tournament at 2-over par. Mt. Pleasant’s Jamie Wilson finished four strokes back in second place.
On the girls side, Delaney Shah (North Potomac, Md.), who will be playing at Louisville in the the fall, opened the round trailing leader Zhu Wenqi of China by nine strokes. Shah made four birdies and four bogeys en route to shooting an even par 72, the best round of the tournament in the girls division, and she rallied for a two-stroke victory.
Shah finished the event at 16-over par, but she played the final two rounds in 2-over. As a result of snow in Maryland, Shah said she had only putted on grass three times since Christmas and struggled with her putter while shooting 86 in the opening round.
Shah spent extra time on the practice putting green prior to the second round and her work was rewarded.
Taylor, who led wire-to-wire, started the day with five consecutive pars and was in command until consecutive bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes and a double on nine, a stretch that saw his lead reduced over Wilson reduced to one. Taylor, as he did throughout the week, answered the challenge, birdieing the 12th and the 13th holes to push his lead back to three. He made par on the next four holes and drained a long birdie putt on No. 18 to complete his final round 74.
Alexander DeRosa of Atlanta, Ga., fired the round of the tournament with a 69 on Monday. DeRosa made five birdies and was the only player to break 70 during the event. After struggling in the opening two rounds, DeRosa moved up 31 places on Monday and finished tied for 17th.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship attracted 90 kids from 12 states and eight countries to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the 54-hole event. Among the countries represented at the event are Canada, China, England, Japan, Philippines, Scotland and Sweden. Nearly a quarter of the field will be comprised of international players. A significant part of the tournament’s appeal is TPC Myrtle Beach, one of the Grand Strand’s most decorated layouts. TPC Myrtle Beach has hosted the Senior PGA Tour Championship and been ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, making it an ideal venue to test golf’s rising young stars.
With the support of Johnson, one of top 10 players in the world, the tournament will provide participants a PGA Tour-like experience, and the chance to challenge themselves against their peers from others parts of America and the world.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is being sponsored by Founders Group International, the Dustin Johnson Golf School, and Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.
Johnson’s involvement with the tournament reflects his long-time commitment to junior golf, particularly in South Carolina, where he grew into one of the world’s best players. Through the Dustin Johnson Foundation, which is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, Johnson has donated more than $250,000 to junior golf, sponsoring numerous events throughout the state and helping cover entry costs for kids who need financial assistance.
About Founders Group International Founders Group International is the foremost golf course owner-operator company in the Southeast. Formed in 2014 through various purchases and the 2015 acquisition of National Golf Management, Founders Group International owns and operates 22 golf courses (423 holes) in and around Myrtle Beach, S.C., the world’s most popular golf destination. Founders Group International also has a division that does residential and retail development. And, it has partnered with one of the biggest travel agencies in China to bring golfers and wedding parties to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association comprised of 79 championship golf courses and 99 golf package providers in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the region’s thriving golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation.
Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help to foster continued growth of the game. In addition to hosting the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also runs the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest single-site amateur golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic, the Preseason Classic, the March Championship and the Myrtle Beach Fall Classic.
For more information about MBGH, visit www.MyrtleBeachGolfHoliday.com.
