by Mark Button
THE WOODLANDS—Stratton Nolen summed up his final round of the AJGA Signsational Signs Junior at The Woodlands Country Club’s Gary Player Course with one word.
“Frustrating,” he said.
The 15-year-old from Austin Westlake finished in a three-way tie for second place at the inaugural 54-hole, stroke play event. Nolen put together rounds of 71-73-74 to post 218, one shot shy of first-time winner Vincent Martino of Southlake. Martino, who committed to the University of Houston two weeks ago, won with a bogey on the final hole, finishing at 1-over-par 217.
Nolen, the reigning Player of the Year for the Texas Legends Junior Tour, started the final round five shots behind Martino. Nolen plodded along with five straight pars before he bogeyed the seventh and ninth holes. He bogeyed No. 10, too, and finished with eight pars and a two-putt birdie on the 536-yard, par-5 16thhole.
“I was hitting every single pin,” Nolen said. “I kept thinking the putts would start to fall, but they never did. Frustrating would be the best way to describe it.”
Nolen said he was proud of the way he battled, making up four shot on the leader.
“I hung in there and never gave up,” he said. “But I’m not terribly pleased about my round. I’ll get it straightened out for the Texas Amateur.”
Nolen’s next event is the 102nd State Amateur Championship at Austin Country Club on June 16-19.
Lake Travis junior Klein Klotz finished tied for 31st with rounds of 76-79-79 for a 16-over 232.
In the girls’ division, Westwood High School’s Christine Lin held the overnight lead going into the final round, but a final round 79 left her in fourth place overall. She opened with a first round 73 and vaulted into the lead with a second round 69. In Thursday’s final round, five bogeys and two double bogeys against two birdies led to the 7-over 79.
Regents School of Austin’s Alexandra Rossi shot a final round 77 to finish in 11thplace.
– Mark Button, Texas Links Magazines
