SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Leading by only two strokes going in to the final round on Thursday, Adam Sumrall, 18, of South Bend, Ind., carded a tournament low 5-under-par 66 to take the title in the Boys Division.

Ashley Armstrong, 16, of Flossmoor, Ill., overcame a nine-stroke deficit carding a final round even-par 71 to take home Girls Division title.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Notre Dame Junior Open was a 54-hole stroke play event held at Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame. The tournament field consisted of 75 Boys and 24 Girls, ages 12-18, from 15 states and four foreign countries. The par-71 course was played at 6,908 yards for the Boys Division and 5,888 yards for the Girls Division.

Sumrall started off his round shaky making bogey on the first hole, but was able to turn it around soon after. Sumrall caught fire by carding an eagle on the 515 yard par-5 No. 5 after driving down the left side of the fairway, using a 5-wood to get on the green, and making a long 35 foot putt.

Sumrall later added another eagle on the par-5 491 yard No. 10 by making a 20 foot putt and added birdies on Nos. 7, 9, and 15.

“I was really happy with my putting today. Being able to not miss the short putts really helped me shoot low today,” Sumrall said. “Making the longer putts allowed me to build my momentum going forward.”

Sumrall finished with a 7-under-par 206 to take the victory by seven strokes.

This is Sumrall’s first AJGA victory since taking the title at the 2005 Nike Golf Junior at Fox Hills.

Niles’ turned in his best round of the three, shooting 74 on Thursday. Noble finished with a 231.

Armstrong’s astounding come-from-behind victory comes on the heels of a three-hole playoff loss to Banchalee Theinthong of Bangkok, Thailand, only one week ago at the AJGA Flossmoor Junior Open. This week, it was Armstrong who came out on top after carding a tournament total 10-over-par 223. Coming into the day trying to play everything safe and keep the ball in the fairway, Armstrong carded birdies on Nos. 2 and 16, and made par on fourteen holes enroute to a one stroke victory.

“My dad always said to play against the course and not the other competitors,” Armstrong said. “Anything can happen in golf, and today showed how that can happen.”
Theinthong placed second at 11-over-par 224. Michelle Mayer of Flossmoor, rounded out the Girls Division in third at 13-over-par 226.