End of Season

WINTERNATIONAL JUNIOR SERIESAT PINEHURST NAMES 2007-2008 PLAYERS of the YEAR and 14th ANNUAL ALL-AMERICAN TEAM

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA

The 14th Annual Winternational Junior Series at Pinehurst concluded its season today at the Donald Ross masterpiece, Pinehurst No. 2.  One hundred and eighty two high school boys and girls were members during the 2007-2008 season.  The Winternationals, a seven tournament series, has been based in Pinehurst since its inception and conducts championships on seven of the eight Pinehurst Championship layouts.  Competition is held in three separate divisions, Junior/Senior Boys, Freshman/Sophomore Boys, and Girls.

In the Junior/Senior Division, John Conners of Apex, NC claimed Player of the Year honors by winning the last event of the season to vault into the top position.  Points are awarded for the top-3 finishes of each participant.  Conners, currently an Apex High School Junior, came from fourth place in the season-long point race to capture his Player of the Year Award with a slim 1-shot win on the famed Donald Ross designed Pinehurst No. 2 course.  Conners won the point race by a total of 5 points over Troy Spencer, of Archdale, NC.

In the Freshman/Sophomore Division, Beau Cutts, of Henderson, NC capped off a busy season with divisional Player of the Year honors.  Cutts, who played in every tournament, won three of the last four series events to claim the title.  Cutts, a sophomore at Kerr Vance Academy, dominated the division with back-to-back wins in Events #4 and #5 and capped off his season with a series-ending victory which gave him the maximum number of points.

Brianna Clemmons and Brooke Kochevar were declared the Girl’s Division co-Players of the Year when Kochevar came from 8-shots back in the final round of the final event of the series.  Clemmons and Kochevar each won 2 events coupled with a runner-up finish to end the season equal in points.  Clemmons, an Oak Ridge, NC junior, and Kochevar, an 8th grader from Glen Ellyn, IL will return next year.

For the third time in its fourteen-year history, The Winternational Junior Series Committee named a Bud Shulby Memorial Sportsmanship Award winner.  The late Bud Shulby, former ten-year rules official for the Winternational Junior Series and husband to current fourteen-year rules official, Ellen Shulby, displayed the morals and ethics intertwined in the game of golf.  This year’s recipient, was Charles Valluzzo, of Mt. Pleasant, SC.   Valluzzo’s attitude and demeanor during competition this season demonstrated the qualities exemplified by this award.

The Series also named its 14th Annual Winternational Junior Series All-American team.  Twelve high school boys and girls were awarded All-American status because of their tournament results for the seven events.  The point system is based on the three top finishes of each individual.  The Winternational All-Americans, their hometown and year of school are listed below:

Photo Gallery

Beau Cutts and John Conners, Players of the Year in the Freshman/Sophomore and Junior/Senior Divisions

John Conners, Junior/Senior Player of the Year won the final event of the season

Beau Cutts, Freshman/Sophomore Player of the Year won the final event of the year.