Carlos wins in Palm Springs; Piccio shares AJGA lead

Jobim Carlos primed up for the Junior World in San Diego next month as he topped the one-day O’Donnell Junior Championship in Palm Springs, California Monday.

Carlos, 15, shot down seven birdies at the par-70 O’Donnell Golf Club to negate his three-bogey mishaps en route to the victory in the 14-15 age division of event which served as part of the SCPGA (Southern California) Junior golf circuit.

The ICTSI-backed Carlos finished 11 shots clear of Joe Collings and Patrick Herling, who both had 77s.

Over in Georgia, Mia Piccio sizzled on the putting surface with a five-under 71 to gain a share of the lead with Anna Keith of Georgia at the start of the AJGA’s (American Junior Golf Association) Burgett Mooney Jr. Rome Classic in Georgia Tuesday.

Piccio, who posted a record 18-shot win in AJGA‘s Medicus Preseason Junior, also in Georgia, recently, birdied four of her last 12 holes to tame the par-71 Coosa Country Club layout with two 33s and pace the 54-hole competition for girls who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

“Putting was good for me,” said Piccio, one of the five golf scholars from the ICTSI golf stable. “I kept giving myself chances to make birdies and I’ll do the same thing tomorrow.”

Piccio, 16, made three back-to-back birdies from Nos. 3, 7 and 10 while dropping a stroke on the par-4 No. 5, enabling Keith, who turned in a bogey-free round of 34-32, to share the day’s scoring honors.

Kaite Burnett, also of Georgia, shot a one-under 70 for third while Kyung Kim and Laura Blanco of Columbia matched par 71s.

Piccio, who also won one event, placed twice and had two third place finishes in the FCWT (Future Collegians World Tour) Laura Diaz junior girls circuit, actually struggled off the mound, hitting just five fairways while missing the green seven times. But she made up for these with superb putting, making just 25 putts to find herself on a very familiar spot.