Thunderbird International Junior event at Grayhawk Golf Club

Boys Champion Max Orrin of Kent, United Kingdom and Girls Champion Laura Sojo of Barranguilla, Columbia

Max Orrin of Kent, United Kingdom, carded a final-round 69 and posted a 10-under-par total to become the first international boy champion at the Thunderbird International Junior.

Ariya Jutanugarn of Bangkok, Thailand, prevailed in a sudden-death playoff to become the fourth international girl champion in the event’s 13-year history, and first since 2008 (Jessica Wallace of Langley, British Columbia).

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Thunderbird International Junior was a 54-hole stroke play competition played on the par-72, Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. The event featured 48 boys and 30 girls, ages 12-18, from 18 states and 15 countries. The Boys Division played the course at 7,112 yards while the Girls Division played the course at 6,275 yards.

A birdie barrage kept the front nine lively, as AJ McInerney of Henderson, NV., birdied Nos. 4-6 to take a one-shot lead. McInerney made four consecutive birdies on No. 7, but Orrin pulled even after making a four-foot eagle putt on the par 5.

Orrin took a four-shot lead after a birdie on No. 12, and six pars coming in resulted in a 10-under-par total and a five-shot victory.

McInerney finished second at 5-under-par 211, while Tae Wan Lee of Orlando, FL., finished third at 4-under-par 212. Beau Hossler of Mission Viejo, CA., finished fourth at 3-under-par 213, and Juan Cerda of Santiago, Chile, finished fifth at 2-under-par 212.

In the Girls Division, Ariya made birdies on Nos. 3-7 en route to a bogey-free front-nine 31. Laura Sojo of Barranquilla, Colombia, also turned in a bogey-free front nine, and her 2-under-par 34 left her just one shot behind with nine holes to go.

Facing the same one-shot deficit on the par-5 18th, Sojo took dead aim and stuck her 60-yard approach to within a foot of the front-right hole location. After Ariya two-putted for par and posted 5-under-par 211, Sojo’s tap-in birdie sent the Girls Division to a playoff for the third time in the last four years. Then in a playoff at the 2011 Rolex Tournament of Champions.

Playing the par-4 10th, Sojo was forced to take an unplayable lie after her drive flew through the fairway and finished in a bush. Ariya found the fairway and green, and the ensuing par resulted in her fourth career national junior golf victory. For Sojo, the runner-up finish was her fourth top 10 in five AJGA events. Sierra Sims of Austin, TX., and second-round leader Shannon Aubert of Reunion, FL., finished tied for third at 1-under-par 215.

For more information about the Thunderbird International Junior, contact Tournament Headquarters at 678.644.4258.

Final Results from the Thunderbird International Junior conducted by the American Junior Golf Association at Grayhawk Golf Club.

Boys Par: 36-36--72. Yardage: 7112. Rating: 74.4. Slope: 143
Boys Division - Raptor Course

Max Orrin, Kent, United Kingdom (2012) 70-67-69–206 -10
AJ McInerney, Henderson, NV. (2012) 71-68-72–211 -5
Tae Wan Lee, Orlando, FlL. (2013) 68-71-73–212 -4
Beau Hossler, Mission Viejo, CA. (2013) 70-72-71–213 -3
Juan Cerda, Santiago, Chile (2012) 73-69-72–214 -2

Girls Par: 36-36--72. Yardage: 6275. Rating: 76.7. Slope: 138
Girls Division - Raptor Course

Laura Sojo, Barranquilla, Colombia (2014) 71-71-69–211 -5
Ariya Jutanugarn, Bangkok, Thailand (2014) 72-72-67–211 -5
Sierra Sims, Austin, TX (2013) 76-71-68–215 -1
Shannon Aubert, Reunion, FF. (2014) 71-70-74–215 -1
Gabriella Then, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. (2013) 71-75-71–217 +1
Esther Lee, Los Alamitos, CA. (2013) 74-75-69–218 +2