Anawin Pikulthong – Syndication Server

Anawin Pikulthong wins 2023 Golfweek Southwest Junior Open by 13 shots; Sirina Ganne takes girls division title

ASU-bound Anawin Pikulthong won the Golfweek Southwest Junior by a whopping 13 shots.

Anawin Pikulthong, 18, an Arizona State University commit from nearby Gilbert, Arizona, won the 2023 Golfweek Southwest Junior Open at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, on Sunday.

The limited-field Southwest Junior Open, now in its 22nd year, is recognized as one of the nation’s premier junior golf tournaments.

Pikulthong enters the Golfweek record book after his dominating victory becoming the first player to four-peat. Along the way, Pikulthong took out some of Arizona’s top junior talent to claim the coveted title.

Pikulthong, who said he hasn’t been playing up to his potential lately, used his relaxed attitude and intimate knowledge of Southern Dunes to put on an exhibition. His performance was particularly impressive given the combination of heat, fast greens and tucked pins.

His victory came after a thrilling final round at Southern Dunes where he shot 9-under 63 to finish with a two-day total score of 19-under 125. He hit accurate drives, approach shots and made putts while avoiding any costly mistakes en route to his two-day combined scorecard that included 17 birdies and one eagle.

His closest competitors were Tommie Clark of Mesa and Kyle Koski of Chandler who posted 6-under 138 and 5-under 139, respectively.

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Girls division

Sirina Ganne, 15, of Holmdel, New Jersey, added another first-place finish to her resume.

Ganne, a rising high school sophomore, is the current New Jersey Girls State Champion, a title she won earlier this month at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Her two-day total of 144 (70-74) earned her a three-shot win over Angela Zhikun-Chen of Chandler. Ganne finished even par; the rest of the field finished over par during the two-day event.

With her victory at the Golfweek Southwest Junior Open, Sirina will get an exemption into the Golfweek International Junior Invitational, Nov. 4-5, in Orlando.

Ganne’s older sister, Megha, just finished her freshman season at Stanford.

2022 Golfweek South West Junior: Anawin Pikulthong three-peats; Honorine Nobuta Ferry takes home title

Anawin Pikulthong and Honorine Nobuta Ferry won their divisions at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club.

MARICOPA, Ariz. — Two invites to the Golfweek International Junior Invitational were up for grabs as both boys and girls teed it up at the Golfweek South West Junior on Sunday at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club.

Heading into Sunday’s final round on the girls’ side it was Jennifer Seo and Honorine Nobuta Ferry who paced the field. Both at 3 under, it was Ferry who out lasted Seo in the 18 hole dual.

Ferry used three back nine birdies to propel herself to the win despite giving up nearly six years of experience to Seo.

Tied with Seo after bogeying two of her last three holes on the 14th tee, Ferry and Seo traded birdies before Ferry made an eight foot birdie putt on the par 5 16th to take a one shot lead.

Carding pars on Nos. 17 and 18, Ferry clinched the title despite being given “multiple heart attacks” by Seo.

With the win, the 12-year old from West Palm Beach, Florida, earned eight American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) performance stars as well as a coveted spot in November’s series finale, the Golfweek International Junior Invitational.

The win could also kick start what Ferry hopes to be a Hall of Fame worthy golf career. We could be hearing plenty more of Ferry as her goal is to turn pro and win at least 5 majors before it’s all said and done.

Seo, Julia Herzberg (2 under), Natrada Pongsasin, and Raegan Capizzi (1 over) round out the top five.

ASU-commit wins boys division

On the boys’ side it was once again Anawin Pikulthong who took home the title.

Trailing by seven heading into the final round, Pikulthong, who plays for Hamilton High School in nearby Chandler, Arizona, and has committed to play college golf for the hometown Arizona State Sun Devils, relied on his previous experiences and some luck to close the gap.

“I didn’t play too well in the first round, but I found something on the range (last) night,” Pikulthong told Golfweek. “This morning came and I tested it out… I hit a couple of good shots in the first few holes and from then on I started to blend confidence and make some putts.”

Out in 3 under, Pikulthong kept that score until he eagled back-to-back par 4s. The par-4 14th was drivable for some in the field this week. Driving the green, Pikulthong nailed his eagle putt to move to 5 under. On the 430-yard par- 4 15th, Pikulthong holed out from 186 yards to make another jump towards his three-peat.

Bookmarking the deuces with birdies, Pikulthong went from 3 under to 8 under in a blink of an eye.

Closing it out with pars on 17 and 18, Pikulthong vaulted himself from fourth to first for his third straight victory in this event.

Finishing second is Alec Barker. His 4-under total would have been plenty clear of the field had it not been for Pikulthong’s back-nine heroics.

Rounding out the top five is 18 hole leader Ryan ‘O.T.’ Sefrioui (even par), Lyman Brackett (1 over), and Austin Plunkett (6 over).

Both Pikulthong and Ferry will be exempt into the season ending Golfweek International Junior Invitational in November. The next Golfweek junior event is the 2022 Golfweek New England Junior Open, July 13-14 at Ledgemont Country Club in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

If interested, sign your junior up here.

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2022 Golfweek South West Junior: Jennifer Seo, Honorine Nobuta Ferry co-lead girls; Ryan Sefrioui leads boys

Jennifer Seo and Honorine Nobuta Ferry co-lead the girls division while Ryan Sefrioui leads the boys.

Some of the nation’s best junior golfers take the stage for a 36-hole shootout at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, this weekend at the 2022 Golfweek South West Junior.

The event features a boys and girls division with the girls side vying for eight valuable America Junior Golf Association performance stars on top of an invite to the prestigious Golfweek International Junior Invitational in November.

The girls came to play as there were three rounds under par in Saturday’s first round. Jennifer Seo and Honorine Nobuta Ferry fired matching 3-under 69s to take a one stroke advantage on Annie Dawson (1 under).

Winning the 2021 Thunderbird Junior Classic and looking for her sixth career win, Seo has the experience over her playing partners as a member of the 2023 graduating class.

Chasing the leaders at even par are Julia Herzberg and Zoe Newell. Four more golfers are within five shots of the lead.

On the boys side, two-time defending champion Anawin Pikulthong opened with a 3-over 75, good for a spot at solo fourth.

Leading the way on the boys’ side is Ryan ‘O.T.’ Sefrioui. Carding a bogey-free 68, Sefrioui takes a four stroke lead over his next closest chaser, Alec Barker.

Rounding out the final grouping alongside Barker and Sefrioui is Lyman Brackett who posted a 1-over 73 in his opening round on Saturday.

With five golfers within eight shots of the lead, Sefrioui will have plenty of chasers with 18 holes separating him from the championship.

Anawin Pikulthong repeats at Golfweek West Coast Junior Open; Gracie McGovern wins girls division

Both Anawin Pikulthong and Gracie McGovern ran away with the title in their respective division at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes.

In some ways, not much has changed at all for Anawin Pikulthong over the past year. The rising high school junior won the Golfweek West Coast Junior Open a year ago with rounds of 69-64. He did the exact same thing on Sunday at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona.

Pikulthong, who plays for Hamilton High School in nearby Chandler, finished 11 under and ran away with the boys title. Charlie Allen was second at even, Blake Hammarstrom and Camden Braidech tied for third at 3 over, while Colton Cherry was fifth at 5 over.

“It was pretty special – last year I thought that 64 was once in a lifetime and to be able to do it again today proves that a lot of hard work is coming along,” he said.

Pikulthong, who has committed to play college golf close to home at Arizona State, has played a few tournaments at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes but “never really shot anything remotely close to that so today was pretty special.” His closing 64 included an eagle at the par-5 third hole plus six birdies and no bogeys.

As for what’s changed in his game the past year?

“I’ve just been improving on putting, a little bit of short game. I’m hitting it a little bit longer … lately it’s been translating to better scores,” he said.

A year ago at this time, Ashley Menne claimed the title in the girls division. But on Sunday, Menne was leading her Arizona State team up the leaderboard at the NCAA Women’s Championship at nearby Grayhawk Golf Club with a bogey-free 65.

This year, Gracie McGovern stepped up, reaching 6 under for 36 holes to win by eight shots over Annie Dawson and Samantha Olson, who tied for second at 2 over.

“I’m really excited and all that hard work and dedication has paid off,” she said. “Even though it was hot, I just tried to remain focused and calm.”

McGovern’s closing, bogey-free 67 threatened her lowest score in competition – it came one shot shy of her record 66. She’ll be a sophomore in high school at Chaparral in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the fall.

“Just hitting greens and I just tried to play good strategy,” she said of the weekend. “I laid up on most holes and I gave myself a lot of full swings instead of 30- to 40-yard shots.”