MURRELS INLET, S.C. (March 16, 2008)--After thunderstorms pounded the South Carolina coastline and tornado warnings threatened the area Saturday night, the team of American juniors served up a storm of their own to their Canadian counterparts. On the second day of the Can-Am Junior Team Matches, the American team earned 107 of 168 possible points to defeat the Canadian squad 152 ½ - 99 ½.

Sunday’s format featured singles match play with the South Carolina junior golfers facing off against junior golfers from the Canadian Province of Ontario. Twenty-one points were available per match – one per each hole, one for the front nine, one for the back nine and one for the overall 18 holes. In the event of a tie, each team gets ½ of a point.

The first match of the day paired up Columbia’s Thomas Bradshaw against Luke Ovenden. Cooler and windier conditions didn’t deter either player, however, Bradshaw made a strong move, winning three consecutive holes and never looked back. He closed out his match five up and earned 15 points. Will Ovenden of Spartanburg followed Bradshaw’s lead winning the front nine and then claiming four consecutive holes on the back to also earn a nine point margin of victory, six up over Brian Churchill-Smith. Florence’s Mitch Gray and Richard Jung of Ontario swapped pars all day long until the long par 4 sixteenth hole when Gray took the lead and never let it go. He proceeded to claim the beautiful 18th and win his Match two up, earning 12 ½ points to win by a margin of four. Corbin Mills of Easley didn’t have as much success but made a strong push on the back nine only to fall short on 18 to lose one down and allow Albin Choi a four point win.

The remaining matches were all U.S. Greenville’s Crawford Reeves had three birdies and an eagle to win one up and take home 11 ½ points over Mitch Sutton. Sophomore Austin Cody of North Charleston won both sides of his Match with Scott Landreth and took a 13 ½ point tally. Wesley Bryan of Chapin dominated his Match versus 14 year-old Brandon Ng and finished three-up to claim another 13 ½ points. Canada’s Michael Gligic never got it going and the ever consistent and 2007 SCJGA Junior Player of the Year, Orangeburg’s Jacob Burger, took advantage winning his Match up 11 and brining in a whopping 17 ½ points to end the day.

Overall, the 2008 Can Am Junior Team Matches were a success in terms of growing the game and strengthening the relationship between neighboring countries. The American team tallied a total of 152 ½ points to Canada’s 99 ½ to win the 10th annual edition of the Matches and extend America’s lead to 8-2 in the events ten year history. The matches were contested over the 6,853 yard par 72 Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, SC. Wachesaw Plantation has hosted the matches since 2002 and has agreed to host the event through 2009.

Day 2 Results

USA – 107, Canada – 61

Thomas Bradshaw – 15, Luke Ovenden – 6

Will Ovenden – 15, Brian Churchill-Smith – 6

Mitchell Gray – 12 ½, Richard Jung – 8 ½ Corbin Mills – 8 ½,

Albin Choi – 12 ½ Crawford Reeves – 11 ½, Mitch Sutton – 9 ½

Austin Cody – 13 ½, Scott Landreth – 7 ½

Wesley Bryan – 13 ½, Brandon Ng – 7 ½

Jacob Burger – 17 ½, Michael Gligic – 3 ½

Day 1 Results

USA – 45 ½ Canada – 38 ½

Bradshaw/Ovenden – 10 ½, Ovenden/Churchill-Smith – 10 ½

Gray/Mills – 10 ½, Jung/Choi– 10 ½

Reeves/Cody– 11 ½, Sutton/Landreth – 9 ½

Bryan/Burger – 13, Ng/Gligic – 8