Woods Wins USGA Junior Amateur Title

Despite a bogey on the first playoff hole, 15-year-old Tiger Woods of Cypress became the youngest winner in the 44-year history of the USGA Junior Amateur Championship.

Woods, who will be a sophomore at Western High School in September, trailed 16-year-old Brad Zwetschke of Kankakee, Ill., by two holes after seven in the match-play format Sunday on the 7,027-yard Bay Hill Club course in Orlando, Fla. Woods won the next five holes before faltering at the end, losing a one-hole lead at the 18th.

Zwetschke had a double bogey on the playoff hole.

Last year, Woods advanced to the semifinals of the tournament before losing. This time, he made the final with an easy 5 and 4 victory over Kevin Mihailoff of Naples, Fla., Saturday. After leading the competition with a four-under 140 in 36 holes of stroke play earlier in the week, Woods was rarely pushed in match play. He won his first-round match by eight holes.

The victory continued Woods’ recent string of successes in major events. This spring as a freshman on the Western golf team, he won the Southern Section and CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. individual championships, becoming the first player to win both titles in a season.

This month, Woods won his record sixth title at the Optimist Junior World Championships in San Diego.