News

By David Plati

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Tyler Long—the incoming University of Colorado freshman whom the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame will honor as one of its Future Famers on October 3—capped off his American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) career by winning one of the organization’s most prestigious events—the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Match Play Classic.

The Evergreen High School graduate and 3A state champion felt his ball striking and short game were the best facets of his overall game during the week. And during the three matches after advancing out of pool play, he never trailed on one of the toughest courses he’s competed on, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, which played to 7,425-yards and par-71 … and all of 68 feet above sea level.

“Bethpage Black is in my top five for courses I’ve gotten to play,” Long said. “It feels awesome to win my last AGJA and go out with a bang. It was a grinder of a week and I was proud of my ability to stay in it both mentally and physically. And it’s really cool to have my name on the same trophy as Tiger Woods.” (Woods won the event in 1991.)

Seeded 19th entering the tournament, he won three of the four pools that determined the eight who advanced into the quarterfinals. A 1-up victory over Stanford recruit Edan Cui of Atherton, Calif., propelled him into that next stage. In the quarterfinals, he beat 15-year old Jaden Soong of Los Angeles 4 & 3, and then edged Vanderbilt signee Tyler Manwhinney 1-up in the semifinals.

Long won the title with a 4 & 2 victory over 16-year old Guiseppe Puebla of Royal Palm Beach, Fla. He took the lead right away with a birdie on No 1, and would fluctuate between being 1- or 2-up through 14 holes, when he birdied No. 15 and Puebla bogeyed it; the match was over when Puebla bogeyed No. 16.

All told, he led for 44 holes and was tied just five times, one of the latter in the quarterfinal after both opened with pars. He received two tickets to the Ryder Cup, which will be held this fall at Bethpage.

“This is a great win for Tyler, a major national victory over a bunch of good players,” CU head coach Roy Edwards said. “He has been playing some great golf all June with his previous finishes in the Western Junior (fifth) and the AJGA’s The Wyndham Clark (14th).”