Germany’s Sean Einhaus, front-runner for the entire event, is the 44th Junior Orange Bowl International champion, claimed in a thrilling one-hole sudden death finish with Peter Uihlein, last year’s runner-up. Both players completed regulation play in 274, 6-under par for the four rounds, two strokes ahead of Portugal’s Pedro Figueiredo.
The girls champion is 14-year old Jung-Eun Han from Jeju, Korea, who started her final round two strokes off the lead and from the penultimate group pounced on the leaders with a sterling 2-under par 68 for a 283 (+3) total in tough and breezy conditions.
Overnight leader 13-year old Victoria Tanco from Argentina finished with a 2-over par 72 for a three-way share of third place. Italy’s Giulia Molinaro finished second with valiant even-par 70, holing her last short par putt and fist-pumping her joy, aware of having outlasted her final-group partners only to learn her effort was good for only second place.
England’s under-18 champion Florentyna Parker hoped for family double by duplicating her brother Ben’s victory here two years ago but critical putts failed drop over the closing stretch and she completed her record 6th and final appearance tied-third. South Florida phenom 12-year old Alexis Thompson, last week’s Doral Publix winner, closed with a gutsy even-par 70 for solo-sixth spot.
This became one of the mostly closely-contested finals in recent years after Einhaus, who led by four at the start of play, gave back the entire advantage on the front nine. Uihlien jumped into contention with an eagle at the opening par-five and these two were stayed locked over the closing holes while challenges from Portugal’s Pedro Figueiredo and Christiano Terragni were answered with a stream of closing pars from birdie opportunities.
The cut and thrust thus took these two exceptionally-talented teenagers back to the final hole one more time and although Uihlein made a wonderful saving flop-shot to three feet from behind the green, when he missed and Einhaus tapped in a par putt of 18 inches, the Junior Orange Bowl International had a new champion.
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