ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 11, 2014 – Rachel Dai of Milton, Ga., and Keenan Huskey of Greenville, S.C., won the girls and boys divisions, respectively, at the recent 46nd Annual Trusted Choice® Big "I" National Championship in Bridgeport, W.V.
The tournament featured 160 players from 40 states with girls and boys under the age of 19 and was played at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W.V. The girls division was played at par 72 and 6,073 yards, while the boys played the course at par 72 and 7,045 yards.
Each summer more than 2,500 junior boys and girls nationally vie to earn a place in the final tournament. Approximately 100 state and local qualifying events determine the final roster.
“For 46 years now, the Trusted Choice® Big ‘I’ National Championship tournament has provided teenage golfers a wonderful opportunity to compete at a national level in an atmosphere that cultivates sportsmanship,” says Tom Minkler, Big “I” chairman. “We are proud of the tournament’s long-standing success and congratulate Rachel, Keenan, the finalists and the thousands of boys and girls across the country who participated in the local and state tournaments this year.”
Dai shot even-par 288 for the tournament, to claim the girls’ division title and win the Mayerstein Trophy. Huskey won first place in the boys division by shooting 4-under 284 for the tournament and bested the second place winner by six strokes to win the Robert Trent Jones Trophy. Huskey was last year’s third place winner.
In the girls division, Alice Chen of Princeton, N.J., came in second finishing at 2-over 290 for the tournament. Siranon Shoomee of Sanford, N.C., finished third at 3-over 291.
In the boys division, the second place winner was Joshua Gliege of Eagle, Idaho, with a final round 4-over 76 to finish even-par for the tournament. Garrett May of Hope, Ark., Tyson Reeder of Edmond, Okla., Alex Smalley of Wake Forest, N.C., and D J Vogt of Louisville, Ky., tied for third place at 4-over 292.
The Trusted Choice® Big "I" National Championship has proven to be a critical test for many of today’s golf professionals. PGA and LPGA fields include numerous past champions and participants, including: Billy Andrade, David Duval, Charles Howell III, Cristie Kerr, Candie Kung, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Grace Park, Craig Stadler, Bob Tway, Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods and Fuzzy Zoeller.
The annual tournament is sponsored and supported by Trusted Choice®. The tournament began in 1969 and every year, more than 400 agents help organize and administer the qualifying tournaments that lead to the national championship. Independent agents donate valuable time, effort, and in many cases, personal resources to conduct successful local events.
Trusted Choice® educates consumers about the benefits of using independent agents and brokers for their insurance needs: choice of companies, customized policies and advocacy support. Trusted Choice® is the consumer marketing identity for almost 25,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerage firms and 70 leading insurance companies. For more information, go to www.TrustedChoice.com.
Founded in 1896, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”), is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of approximately a quarter of a million independent insurance agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.