JGTA Member Yuxin Lin Masters Bound

The JGTA brings you an exclusive interview with 17-year-old 2018 Masters Competitor and JGTA Tour Card holder Yuxin Lin (2019) of Beijing, China fresh off of his win at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. His win punched his ticket to Augusta National and secured his exemption in the Masters as well as the 2018 British Open at Carnoustie Golf Links.

Lin boasts 7 top-10 AJGA finishes including a second-place finish at the 2016 PING Phoenix Junior at ASU Karsten and a T2 finish at the 2016 AJGA Junior at Oaktree. He has competed as an amateur on the Asian Tour, the European Tour, the Australian PGA, PGA Tour China and the European Challenge Tour. His best amateur finish was T7 at the European Challenge Tour’s Hainan Open after shooting scores of 71-68-66-71. In addition, Lin is a University of Southern California commit.

Six players of Amateur status are playing in the Masters in addition to Lin Including AJGA Alumi Doc Redman (U.S. Amateur Champion), Doug Ghim (U.S. Amateur runner-up), and Joaquin Niemann (Latin America Amateur Champion), as well as Matt Parziale (U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion), and Harry Ellis (8), England (British Amateur Champion).

Lin played his Monday practice round with Tony Finau & 2011 Masters runner-up Jason Day. He played his Tuesday practice round with Tony Finau and the current number one ranked player in the world, Dustin Johnson.

This year’s Masters Tournament is being acclaimed as the most anticipated since 2001, in which Tiger Woods took home the green jacket two strokes ahead of runner-up David Duval. Lin will join the ranks of those skilled and lucky enough to have the opportunity to compete at such a historic event. Good luck at the Masters, Yuxin!

Winners from the Philippines (Yuka Saso) and China emerged this week. An exciting weekend of golf included the Thunderbird International Junior, the ACDS Dominican Junior Open presented by the Puntacana Resort & Club, the Leadbetter Junior Golf Academy Junior All-Star, the AJGA Las Vegas Junior at Reflection Bay presented by Live View Golf, and the AJGA Preview at Château Élan.

Yuka Saso (2019) of Manila, Philippines has earned her first AJGA Invitational victory at Thunderbird International Junior. Saso made 14 birdies and an eagle over 54 holes in regulation, never lost the lead, and took the title by three strokes. She finished the tournament carding scores of 67-72-70 for a tournament total of seven-under-par 209. University of Texas commit Pierceson Coody (2018) of Plano, Texas bested James Song (2018) of (Canada) Rancho Santa Fe, California in a two-hole sudden-death playoff to take home the title. This is Coody’s second AJGA victory.

Amadeo Figus (2018) of (Italy) Port St Lucie, Florida won the ACDS Dominican Junior Open presented by Puntacana Resort & Club at four-under-par after firing scores of 70-72-70. This is Figus’ first AJGA victory. Kiko Francisco Coelho (2021) of Lisbon, Portugal finished behind Figus at two-under-par.

A playoff was in order to determine the champion of the Girl’s division at the Leadbetter Junior Golf Academy Junior All-Star. Karoline Tuttle (2022) Lake Mary, Florida out-played Juliana Camargo (2021) of (Colombia) Winter Garden, Florida to take home the title. Tuttle and Camargo separated themselves from the rest of the pack, finishing at one-over-par 217 through 54 holes in regulation. Josele Ballester (2021) of Castellon, Spain broke away from the Boy’s field and won by seven strokes. This was Ballester’s first AJGA event. Siyuan Lyu (2021) of Beijing, China, and Brendan Valdes (2021) of Orlando, Florida finished tied for second place.

Mika Jin (2020) of Fremont, California made four birdies on the back nine of her final round in route to her victory at the AJGA Las Vegas Junior at Reflection Bay presented by Live View Golf. She finished seven-under-par for the week after firing scores of 72-70-67. This is Jin’s seventh career AJGA top-10 finish and second victory. Harrison Kingsley (2018) of Murrieta, California and Mason Greene (2019) of Tustin, California finished tied at seven-under-par through 54 holes in regulation in the Boy’s division. Kingsley bested Greene to win the tournament. Kingsley made eight birdies in his final round to force the playoff with Greene.

Ainsley Cowart (2019) of Winston, Georgia won in the Girl’s division at the AJGA Preview at Château Élan after carding scores of 73-72. Jiewu Rao (2020) of Guangzhou, China won in the Boy’s division. Rao came out of the gate hot, firing a first-round three-under-par 68. He followed it up with a second-round three-over-par 74 and won the tournament by four strokes.

Next weekend the AJGA schedule includes the Evitt Foundation RTC Junior All-Star, the Daniel Berger Junior Championship, the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, the St. Francisville Area Foundation Junior at The Bluffs, and the Memorial Junior.