JOHNSON -- Noah Goodwin had no equal at the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational on Thursday.
Goodwin took a four-stroke lead into the final round of the American Junior Golf Association event, and he opened the final round with three birdies over the first four holes to run away with the boys championship at The Blessings Golf Club.
AJGA KPMG Stacy Lewis All-Star Invitational
At The Blessings Golf Club, Johnson
Par 72-216
Boys
Team Total^16-over*
Noah Goodwin^68-71-64 203
Mason Nome^70-74-73 217
Ryan Gerard^73-74-71 218
Yuxin Lin^71-79-70 220
Varun Chopra^70-73-78 221
Ahmed Ali^72-75-74 221
Canon Claycomb^70-74-77 221
Devondeep Bling^73-73-223
Crosby Guercio^75-74-74 223
Grant Smith^75-76-72 223
Girls
Team Total^63-over
Hailee Cooper^71-71-75-217
Gina Kim^72-75-75 222
Erica Shepherd^74-72-77 223
Rachel Heck^79-71-75 225
Michaela Morard^76-75-74 225
Chandler Rosholt^78-72-76 226
Youngin Chun^78-73-75 226
Madasyn Pettersen^77-73-77 227
Yealimi Noh^79-76-72 227
Calista Reyes^74-81-72 227
*Top eight scores figure in team standings
Goodwin fired an 8-under 64 in the final round to finish with a 13-under 203 for the three days of play. He was 9-under after 16 holes Thursday and won by 14 strokes.
In the girls division, Hailee Cooper overcame a string of early bogeys to earn a five-stroke victory with a 1-over 217. Cooper finished her final round with a 3-over 75.
Goodwin had five birdies and a bogey on the front side to make the turn at 4-under 33 on the day. Goodwin, of Corinth, Texas, then started the back nine with back-to-back birdies to go to 7-under for the day and 12-under for the tournament. Over his 54 holes, Goodwin, 15, had 18 birdies, four bogeys and one eagle.
"I made birdies on the first few holes and that got me off to a really good start," he said. "I came into this week with a lot of confidence and to be able to finish strong means a lot."
Cooper took a four-stroke lead at 2-under into the final but she was 5-over after her first five holes Thursday while moving to 1-over for the tournament. Cooper, 15, closed out the front side with two birdies for a 3-over 40.
Cooper then had back-to-back birdies at No. 15 and No. 16 to pull away from second-place finisher Gina Kim, who finished at 6-over 222.
"I was 5-over after five, so I knew I needed to make some birdies," Cooper said. "I made five birdies the first day, so I knew I could get it back. I knew I really had to radio in. I got a little jump start with birdies on eight and nine."
Mason Nome, of Houston, Texas, finished second in the boys division after carding a 1-over 73.
Tournament officials expect that the Lewis event will return to The Blessings next year, possibly with a few minor changes. But the format of two boys and two girls playing in each foursome was popular with most of the golfers and is expected to remain. In the team battle, the boys shot a 16-over and the girls finished 63-over giving the boys the title in the head-to-head team race.
Kim said the mixed format helped her game over the three-day tournament.
"It helps me focus better when I am playing with the boys," Kim said. "I think Stacy Lewis was smart about this one, and I really like the format. I hope they keep it."
Paul Nielsen can be reached at pnielsen@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAPaul.
Sports on 06/26/2015