NeSmith captures win at FJ Invitational:Eighteen-year-old earns sponsor’s exemption into the Wyndham Championship

NeSmith captures win at FJ Invitational
Eighteen-year-old earns sponsor’s exemption into the Wyndham Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. Matthew NeSmith of North Augusta, S.C., carded an even-par
70 and a tournament total of 4-under-par 276 to win the FJ Invitational, earning a
sponsor’s exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship. Motin Yeung of
Orlando, Fla., shot a final-round 67 and finished one shot behind in second with a
tournament total of 3-under-par 277.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the FJ Invitational was a 72-hole
stroke play competition played on the par-70, 6,909-yard Cardinal Golf & Country
Club. The 84-player field featured boys from 21 states and 9 foreign countries. For
the fifth consecutive year, the winner of the FJ Invitational will receive a
sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship in August. Following
the third round the field was cut to the top-50 and ties.

NeSmith and Yeung fought for the top of the leaderboard through all four rounds. In
the final round, NeSmith came off the front nine with the advantage over Yeung,
carding three birdies for 2-under-par 33 and a four-stroke lead. Yeung rallied at
the turn, recording birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 to cut his deficit to one with seven
holes remaining.

“I figured before I teed off today that if I could shoot even-par, I’d make
him come and get me,” NeSmith said. “All of a sudden I had a one-shot
lead going into 12. It was just mind-blowing honestly.”

Yeung birdied No. 15 to match NeSmith’s score heading to the final holes. Both
players felt the pressure on No. 18 with a chance to play in the Wyndham
Championship on the line. NeSmith left the door open for Yeung to force a playoff as
he parred, missing a birdie putt from 10 feet.

“You want to win and you know he wants to beat you, and I want to beat
him,” NeSmith said. “It’s definitely tough and not a position I’d want
to be in, but I’ll take it.”

Yeung missed the green with his approach and failed to save par, finishing the
tournament at 3-under-par and one shot shy. This sealed NeSmith as the winner and he
will return to Greensboro, N.C., in August to play in the Wyndham Championship.

“I can’t wait. It was my No. 1 goal starting this entire season,”
NeSmith said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a little kid,
play in a TOUR event.”

Michael Pisciotta of Alpharetta, Ga., Dylan Wu of Medford, Ore., and Sam Burns of
Shreveport, La., placed in third at 3-over-par 283.

For more information about the FJ Invitational, please contact Chris Richards at
678-644-4258.

About the AJGA

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated
to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn
college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides
valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership
(boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,500 junior golfers from 49 states and
more than 40 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers
who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE)
Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.

Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force
behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex, which is in its third decade of
AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12
years of support, Ralph Lauren became the AJGA’s second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf.
Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours.
AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger
Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

#AJGA#

#AJGA#

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Final results from the FJ Invitational conducted by the American
Junior Golf Association at Cardinal Golf & Country Club.
Boys Par: 35-35–70. Yardage: 6909. Rating: 74.3. Slope: 141

Boys Division

Matthew NeSmith, North Augusta, S.C. (2012) 70-67-69-70–276 -4
Motin Yeung, Orlando, Fla. (2012) 66-74-70-67–277 -3
Dylan Wu, Medford, Ore. (2014) 71-71-74-67–283 +3
Sam Burns, Shreveport, La. (2015) 69-73-72-69–283 +3
Michael Pisciotta, Alpharetta, Ga. (2014) 69-71-71-72–283 +3
Jordan Niebrugge, Mequon, Wis. (2012) 72-69-73-71–285 +5
Andy Shim, Duluth, Ga. (2013) 71-74-68-72–285 +5
Jack Maguire, St Petersburg, Fla. (2013) 73-69-71-72–285 +5
Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, Ill. (2014) 73-69-74-70–286 +6
Corey Carlson, Green Cove Springs, Fla. (2015) 73-69-71-73–286 +6
Jonathan Garrick, Atherton, Calif. (2012) 71-72-71-72–286 +6
Scott Scheffler, Dallas, Texas (2014) 74-75-69-70–288 +8
Benjamin Griffin, Chapel Hill, N.C. (2014) 72-72-72-72–288 +8
Shun Yat Hak, Lake Mary, Fla. (2012) 69-71-79-70–289 +9
Rigel Fernandes, Bradenton, Fla. (2013) 75-73-71-70–289 +9
Tae Wan Lee, Orlando, Fla. (2013) 70-71-72-76–289 +9
Jake McBride, Hartville, Ohio (2013) 75-70-74-71–290 +10
Peter Kim, Metuchen, N.J. (2013) 72-75-71-72–290 +10
Nicolo Galletti, Pleasanton, Calif. (2013) 74-75-71-71–291 +11
Kyle Kochevar, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2012) 73-72-75-72–292 +12
Henry Do, Ypsilanti, Mich. (2013) 70-73-75-74–292 +12
Tyler McDaniel, Manchester, Ky. (2015) 72-72-72-76–292 +12
Henry Davis, Queretaro, Mexico (2013) 73-68-74-77–292 +12
Chad Merzbacher, Dublin, Ohio (2012) 74-76-72-71–293 +13
Zachary Herr, New Hope, Pa. (2013) 74-75-72-72–293 +13
Thomas Walsh, High Point, N.C. (2015) 72-76-71-74–293 +13
Zachary Olsen, Cordova, Tenn. (2013) 76-70-72-75–293 +13
Zachary Bauchou, Forest, Va. (2015) 71-73-70-79–293 +13
Tanner Owen, High Point, N.C. (2014) 78-70-74-72–294 +14
Ryan Burgess, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2012) 77-73-72-72–294 +14
Greyson Sigg, Augusta, Ga. (2013) 74-72-75-73–294 +14
Jared Carver, Weston, Fla. (2012) 71-77-73-73–294 +14
Anthony Alex, Wayne, N.J. (2013) 74-71-74-75–294 +14
Zecheng Dou, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (2015) 73-71-75-75–294 +14
Vincent Martino, Southlake, Texas (2012) 71-74-74-75–294 +14
Woody Woodward, Fairmont, W.Va. (2013) 75-73-70-76–294 +14
Stanhope Johnson, Jr., Greensboro, N.C. (2012) 76-72-74-73–295 +15
Tee-k Kelly, Wheaton, Ill. (2012) 73-79-70-73–295 +15
Connor Black, Humble, Texas (2014) 72-77-72-74–295 +15
Jake Shuman, Needham, Mass. (2014) 70-78-74-74–296 +16
William Register, Burlington, N.C. (2014) 75-76-71-75–297 +17
Will Long, Gastonia, N.C. (2013) 72-71-78-76–297 +17
Jin Zhang, Beijing, China (2015) 70-78-71-78–297 +17
Austin Padova, Hudson, Fla. (2012) 75-72-72-80–299 +19
Chad Cox, Charlotte, N.C. (2012) 76-72-73-79–300 +20
Harrison Shih, Saddle River, N.J. (2012) 71-74-77-79–301 +21
James Yoon, Bradenton, Fla. (2012) 72-77-73-79–301 +21
Davis Womble, High Point, N.C. (2012) 75-74-72-80–301 +21
Taichi Nabetani, Osaka, Japan (2015) 71-74-77-83–305 +25

Missed Cut

Eric Ricard, Shreveport, La. (2013) 74-74-75–223 +13
Juan Yumar, Miami, Fla. (2014) 72-82-70–224 +14
Max Donohue, Sioux Falls, S.D. (2014) 73-80-71–224 +14
William Starke, Chapin, S.C. (2012) 71-74-79–224 +14
Grant Daugherty, Alcoa, Tenn. (2012) 71-78-75–224 +14
Will Zalatoris, Plano, Texas (2014) 76-75-73–224 +14
KK Limbhasut, Loma Linda , Calif. (2014) 81-71-72–224 +14
Taylor Montgomery, Henderson, Nev. (2013) 76-75-73–224 +14
Zack Jaworski, Alpharetta, Ga. (2012) 79-75-72–226 +16
Matt Gilchrest, Southlake, Texas (2013) 81-73-72–226 +16
Michael Decker, Pebble Beach, Calif. (2013) 76-74-76–226 +16
Thomas Lim, Moorpark, Calif. (2013) 80-74-73–227 +17
DJ Loypur, Melbourne, Australia (2013) 74-75-78–227 +17
Nick Rodriguez, Shrewsbury, Mass. (2013) 72-76-79–227 +17
Skyler Finnell, Carmel, Calif. (2012) 79-74-74–227 +17
Brad Dalke, McKinney, Texas (2016) 83-73-72–228 +18
Ben Dietrich, Bluffton, S.C. (2013) 75-73-80–228 +18
Clancy Waugh, North Palm Beach, Fla. (2013) 75-77-76–228 +18
Grayson Murray, Raleigh, N.C. (2012) 75-72-81–228 +18
Parker Derby, Columbus, Ga. (2013) 76-78-76–230 +20
John Lee, Los Alamitos, Calif. (2012) 75-79-76–230 +20
Corey Shaun, Encinitas, Calif. (2014) 83-73-77–233 +23
Papito Gonzalez, McAllen, Texas (2013) 77-77-80–234 +24
Cody Cox, Milford, Pa. (2013) 84-77-76–237 +27
Kristian Caparros, Miami Lakes, Fla. (2015) 82-78-77–237 +27
Jose Montano, Miami, Fla. (2014) 80-78-79–237 +27
Jake Goodman, San Antonio, Texas (2013) 83-83-72–238 +28
Diego Gudino, Queretaro, Mexico (2013) 77-77-85–239 +29
Nick Duffield, Chesapeake, Ohio (2013) 80-88-77–245 +35
Luke Park, Fullerton, Calif. (2013) 82-78-85–245 +35
Conor Richardson, West Palm Beach, Fla. (2012) 85-81-79–245 +35
David Pompey, Clarks Summit, Pa. (2013) 77-85-85–247 +37
Maclain Huge (2012), Lovettsville, Va. 72-75-72-JWD
Lee McCoy (2012), Clarkesville, Ga. 71-JWD
Cody Proveaux (2012), Leesville, S.C. 75-75-71-QWD