Previous Story
Joshua Atalig in Top 10 at Peach Tree
Joshua Atalig is seen prepping during the AJGA Junior qualifiers in the Peach Tree Golf & Country Club in Marysville, California. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
After being invited to not one but two golf tournaments by the American Junior Golf Association earlier this month, CNMI national golfer Joshua Atalig clubbed his way to the Top 10 at the qualifier for the AJGA Junior at the Peach Tree Golf & Country Club in Marysville, California.
The 15-year-old Marianas High School student and son of fellow national golfer J.J. Atalig once again showed off his golf skills after tying ninth place overall out of 52 junior golfers nationwide during the qualifier last July 18.
According to J.J. Atalig, Joshua made the cut on the qualifying round. “He [finished] with a birdie on hole No. 18 to tally a gross score of 74. He is tied for ninth place out [of] 52 players.”
“AJGA selects Top 5 players to advance. Joshua entered a five-players playoff. He made the cut after four holes when he split the fairway and hit his second shot to 4 feet and birdied to advance,” he added about his son’s performance during the tourney.
When asked how Joshua felt after placing the Top 10 in the nation, his father told Saipan Tribune that he was “amazed that he could compete with players outside the CNMI and be tied for ninth place. He still has a lot of work ahead of him as he plays the next 54 holes.”
Earlier this month on July 11, Joshua was also invited to the qualifier for the K.J. Choi Foundation Junior Championship presented by Overnight Printing Seattle at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie in Lacey, Washington.
During the Mini Games last month, Joshua finished with a score of 383 in four rounds at the Coral Ocean Resort Golf Course. He shot an 80 on Day 1 before firing an 82 and 83 in the next two rounds. Joshua then helped the CNMI to a bronze medal finish in the team event on the last day by carding a 78.
Today is the last day of the tourney in California with the final results to be published in the coming issues of Saipan Tribune.
