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| Connor Black |
Katy’s Connor Black and McKinney’s Brad Dalke headline the AJGA’s West Team for the 2011 Wyndham Cup, which will take place July 25-28 at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C.
The annual AJGA East vs. West tradition since 1990 pits 20-player teams (10 boys, 10 girls) from east and west of the Mississippi River against each other in match play.
Riding a six-match winning streak, the West leads the series 12-8-1 and will look to make it seven-straight victories behind the experience of five Wyndham Cup veterans. AJ McInerney of Henderson, Nev., is the only boy returning from last year’s team, while four veterans will anchor the West girls: Kyung Kim of Chandler, Ariz.; Tiffany Lim of San Jose, Calif.; Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif.; and Lindsey Weaver of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Both Dalke and Black enter the competition riding the momentum of recent major victories.
Black, 15, won the Western Junior Amateur in June at historic Beverly Country Club in Chicago. He is the No. 1-ranked junior in the high school class of 2013.
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| Brad Dalke |
Dalke in May became the youngest Invitational champion in AJGA history (13 years, 9 months and 11 days) by winning the prestigious Thunderbird Invitational. Dalke made national news last year by giving his verbal commitment to the University of Oklahoma two days before his 13th birthday.
The three-day Wyndham Cup will feature five match play formats: four-ball, mixed four-ball, foursomes, mixed-foursomes and singles. Notable past players from the East Team include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Charles Howell III, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.
Past participants from the West include Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Grace Park and Paula Creamer. For more information about the Wyndham Cup, visit ajga.org.
- Mark Button, Texas Links Magazines
Mark - this is good stuff on two great junior players. We get to see so many young players across the map and these two stand out. I/we have a close relationship with Brad and the Dalke family. Brad isn't a country club boy or a player that has been given everything. He comes from a hard working and very close family. Kay (his mom) was the first All American Women's Golfer at OU, his dad (Bill) has a National Championship ring from playing middle line backer for OU (75), and his grandpa made the winning shot to beat Texas and send OU to the final four...I think that is the history of GPa. It was no secret last year when Brad became the youngest in the history of NCAA sports to verbally commit to play for OU...when he graduates...he is only 13!
ReplyDeleteI have the utmost respect for all junior players and I hope those reading will pick up the game. Without junior players this sport will suffer...we need you! Does those sound like Uncle Sam?! When Brad gets back from France later this month after playing in the Evian Junior Masters we will tee it up. I will try to rattle his cage....it's hard to do! I play competitive golf and testing Brad makes him even stronger playing against older players...yes I am old (40) this year. I will not go out on a limb on this comment because I think it has validity...when seniors start to move off the ranking it will create a suction and pull many higher ranked players into the top 100 in the junior rankings. I see Brad making a huge leap from 400 something to a top 50 player, but his final landing spot will be the top spot #1 by the time he hits 15! He can handle it and it will be fun to watch!
Let me know when you are coming to DFW...jh