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Russell and Coach win "Player of the Year"
The final event of the MAJGT Mini Tour was held this weekend at the Lake Bluff Golf course in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Russell played good in the wind during round one carding a 3 over 75 and sat in T2 overnight. You couldn't have asked for better weather for round two. Sunny and 70* with little wind looked to be start of a great day. Russell had a good front nine, but struggled a bit on the back finishing the event tied for 3rd. His third place finish was more than enough for him to win his 2nd consecutive MAJGT Mini Tour "Player of the Year" title with 460 points,180 ahead of second place. Russell also earned AJGA Junior All Star full exempt status for 2012.
Congratulations also go out to Russell's swing coach Rich Dukelow. Rich won the Illinois PGA Players Championship at the Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Ill. There were 95 registered members competing in the two-day, 36-hole stroke play event. Rich's win at Galena kept him in the top spot to take the IPGA "Player of the Year" title.
Official Results
Russell wins his 75th at MAJGT 13-15 North Shore Junior - Glencoe, Illinois
After struggling two weeks ago at the Blackberry Open, Russell came back strong this weekend at the MAJGT North Shore Junior at Glencoe. In the very windy first round on Saturday, Russell carded a 4 over 77 to take the lead by 2. Mother Nature came thru with a beautiful sunny fall day for round 2. With temps in the high 60's, Russell played great all day posting a -1 under 72 and finished 10 shots ahead of second place. This was win marked Russell's 75th career stroke play victory. Russell looks forward to next week at the Mini Tour Championship at Lake Bluff.
Official Results
MAJGT 13-15 Broken Arrow - Lockport, Illinois
The MAJGT 13-15 Mini Tour fall season kicked off this weekend at the Broken Arrow golf course in Lockport, Illinois. The course got the better of all the competitors in round one with tricky green complexes and afternoon wind gusts. Russell played excellent in round two carding a 1 over par 73 from 6482 yds to win by three. next stop on the tour is Blackberry Oaks in three weeks.
Official Results
A day at Cantigny with Kevin Streelman
Wilson Golf in partnership with the IJGA and Cantigny Golf was proud to have PGA Tour professional and Wilson Staff Advisory Member, Kevin Streelman appear at Cantigny Golf on August 5 during the 2011 IJGA Wilson Staff Slam Finals.
Streelman, a Wheaton, Illinois native and IJGA alumnus conducted a playing lesson following the Wilson skills challenge finals and also assisted in presenting the challenge awards. 8 lucky IJGA members were picked thru a raffle to play along side Kevin during the playing lesson portion of the event. Russell was one of 4 other lucky kids that got picked to caddy for Kevin during the playing lesson.
Russell carried his bag on the par 5 2nd hole on the Hillside course. Kevin was mic'd during the playing portion answering questions from the gallery as they walked behind in the fairways. It's hard to beat a regular day at Cantigny, but this one was really special.
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Dupage County Junior 13-14 division
The 12th Annual DuPage County Junior Classic was hosted by the golf facilities of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois. The DCJC serves as one of only two Callaway Golf Junior World Golf Championship qualifying sites in the state of Illinois.
Russell successfully defended his title winning his second Dupage County Junior Classic in as many years. In cold temps and a steady wind, Russell played good in round one with a score of 4 over 75 and was tied for first place. Rain was in the forecast for round two and it hung around thru the front nine. As the rain moved out, the wind moved in and made round two a difficult day to score. Russell's short game was spot on and helped him stay out front carding a round of 6 over 77 to win by 8.
Official Results
AJGA Junior All-Star at Stonelick Hills
Russell started his 2011 season with his first AJGA Junior All-Star at Stonelick Hills in Batavia, Ohio.
Russell struggled a bit around the greens on day one with too many lip outs to count. He came back strong on day two with three birdies on his back nine carding 83-75 and finishing in T47 overall.
Russell looks forward to his next AJGA event in Galena Illinois in June.
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MAJGT 12-15 Invitational at Cantigny
Russell ended his 2010 MAJGT 12-15 minitour season with a win at the Tour
Invitational and claimed the "Player of the Year" season points title.
Round 1 - Russell played good in round 1 finishing 4 over par on the beautiful
Hillside and Woodside 9's at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton Illinois. Russell
finished 1 shot back of the leaders and made the final group for round 2.
Round 2 - Russell played excellent feeling very comfortable on his home
course hitting all but two fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation. He
finished round two with a great score of even par 72 to win the event by 4
over his nearest competitor. Russell's win also gave him full exempt status
for the AJGA Junior All-star series for next year.
Official Results
MAJGT Royal Hawk
Upon his return from N.C., Russell tee'd off the next morning at the MAJGT Royal Junior at the Royal Hawk CC in St Charles, Illinois. The demanding course played tough for the 12-15 division. Russell finished 3rd, earning his first AJGA junior all star exemption for next season.
USKG World Championships
Russell played in his 7th and final U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina. USKG is a leader in junior golf equipment and has been holding their Junior World Championships for kids 6 -12 for the last 9 years. 152 of the Worlds top 12 year olds competed on Pinehurst # 4. In addition to the 54 hole Championship event, the top ten Americans and top ten Internationals after the tournament compete in a Ryder cup style event on Sunday called the USKG World Cup on the infamous Pinehurst #2. The heat is always a factor in August at Pinehurst. This year, the temps were in the high 90's with the real feel index at 110 degrees. plenty of water was needed to make it thru the five hour rounds in the midday sun
Round 1 - Russell played excellent in round 1 getting around the front nine at -3. with a double bogey on the par-3 12th and a bogey on the final hole, Russell finished the day T12 with a round of even par 72
Round 2 - Russell struggled a bit in round two. With a change in wind direction, the long par-4 5th and 7th holes were unreachable for him in regulation and lead to a pair of bogeys. It was one of those days where good shots on the back did not lead to good scores, that's the funny thing about this game of golf, some days they go in, some days they don't. Russell finished the day T44 with a second round score of 80.
Round 3 - Russell played another good round getting around the course with a final round 76. He moved up a few spots finishing the tournament in 38th. This year the course really played into the longer hitters game.
Congrats to Russell's friend Brad Dalke from Texas for 3 great rounds under par and his first World Championship Victory.
Official Results
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