Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship
Old York Country Club at Chesterfield
Chesterfield, N.J.
July 27-30, 2010
Bunner and Tsukiyama Earn Top-Honors at Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship
Records fall at Old York Country Club as three players make runs up the leaderboard
Chesterfield, N.J. — After sharing the Boys Division lead for two straight rounds, Greg Bunner of Cherryville, N.C., was crowned the champion at the 42nd Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship with a final round 71 and one-under-par 283 tournament total. New Jersey native Kuriko Tsukiyama of Bogota finished the tournament at 2-over-par 290 to claim the Girls Division title after holding the lead all four rounds. Corey McElyea of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Will Bishop of Lexington, Ky., shot final round 65s while Elise Bradley of Mandeville, La., carded a final round 67. The three juniors made wrote new men’s and women’s single round records at Old York Country Club at Chesterfield.
The Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship was a 72-hole stroke play event hosted at Old York Country Club at Chesterfield. The tournament field boasted 102 boys and 54 girls, ages 12-18, from 35 states, with nine juniors representing the host state of New Jersey. Second-round cuts were made at 155 in the Boys Division and 159 in the Girls Division to include 55 boys and 27 girls for the third and final rounds.
Bunner averaged four birdies per round en route to the biggest victory of his junior career. Consistent strong putting throughout the week led the eighteen-year-old to win in his last junior golf appearance, as he heads off to Western Carolina University in the fall. With McElyea and Bishop in the clubhouse tied at even-par 284, eighteen-year-old Bunner two putted from 20 feet for par to seal the victory.
“I had no clue that they were that close,” Bunner said after the round. “I thought I had a two to three stroke cushion. I was just trying to put a good line on it with good speed. It’s nice to have my name in the same list as Tiger Woods.”
Tied after their course-breaking rounds of 65, McElyea and Bishop took home second-place trophies. Standing alone in fourth at 2-over-par 286 was Sean Friel of Rochester Hills, Mich. Caleb Sturgeon of Laurens, S.C., Daniel Pizetoski of Davidson, N.C., and Mark Reilly of Babylon, N.Y., finished tied for fifth at 7-over-par 291.
In the Girls Division, 14-year-old Kuriko Tsukiyama shot a final-round 2-over-par 74 to claim the champion’s title. After a shaky 5-over-par third-round 77, Tsukiyama concentrated on chipping and putting while warming up for the final round.
“It’s my first big victory,” Tsukiyama said. “I’m really excited right now. All I wanted to do was concentrate on my own game and not worry about what other people were shooting.”
Finishing second at 9-over-par 297 was Ally McDonald of Fulton, Mich., followed by Ashlee Pickerell of Salem, Ore., who shot an 11-over-par 299 for the tournament.
The Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship is one of the nation’s premier junior stroke-play championships. Organized by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, The Big “I” attracts the nation’s top junior golfers. Notable past participants include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Charles Howell III, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Candie Kung, Cristie Kerr and Grace Park.
The Big “I” is able to provide an opportunity for juniors to compete thanks to its title sponsor Trusted Choice, presenting sponsor Harleysville, and its partners Allied Insurance and Nike Golf.
For more information about the Trusted Choice® Big “I” National Championship, please contact Media Relations Manager Chelsea McCullough (TrustedChoiceBigI@gmail.com) at (404) 242-7435.
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