Philip Francis

Philip Francis, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., punctuated an already impressive run of victories in 2006 with a 3and-2 decision over 15-year-old Richard Lee of nearby Chandler, Ariz., to win the 36-hole final match of the U.S. Junior Amateur at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

"I've dreamed of winning this tournament since I was a little kid," Francis said. "To join Tiger Woods and the other great players who have won it, it's awesome."

Francis, who earlier stated that winning would be based on consistency and lack of mistakes, looked more in control of his distance than the long -hitting and stocky Lee.

"My distance control this whole week with my short irons and even my long irons and my ability to control what the shot was going to do on my ball flight was phenomenal," said the reed-thin Francis. "It was probably the best I've ever had."

Francis, who also won the Rolex Tournament of Champions and the Thunderbird Invitational earlier in 2006, fashioned a -t-up lead through 11 holes, highlighted by a 104-yard 54-degree wedge shot that flew into the hole for an eagle on No. 9. He also birdied the par-5 fifth and eighth holes for wins.

The Canadian-born Lee, who won the 13-14-year old division of the junior Worlds, reduced his deficit to just two holes through the first 18 when Francis made his sole morning bogey on the 16th and the Arizona 10th grader birdied the par-5 18th.

"I wasn't thinking so much," Lee said of his morning deficit. "I was just trying to hit the ball straight and make the putts out there."

After lunch, Francis, a junior golf All-American, won the 21 st hole with a par after Lee bogeyed and moved his lead to 4 up with a birdie on the par-4 sixth (24th hole).

Lee responded with a birdie on the short, par-4 10th but lost the 13th (28th) when Francis hit the flagstick with a 6-iron and then sank a 12-foot putt for a winning birdie to again move his lead to 4 up. Lee won the par-3 14th (32nd) with an 8-foot, par-saving putt when Francis could not get up and down from a greenside bunker.

On the 16th hole (34th), both players hit their approach shots close on the green. Francis, playing first, holed his 9-foot birdie putt for the victory.

During the course of 34 holes, Francis, who will attend UCLA in 2007, posted nine birdies, an eagle and two bogeys, the stroke play equivalent of nine under par with the usual match play concessions. Lee, who qualified for the 2005 U.S. Amateur as a 14-year-old, logged six birdies and just two bogeys.

Francis and Lee, who play golf together on a regular basis, comprised what is believed to be the first all-Arizona final in the 59 years of the junior Amateur. The last Arizona champion was Charlie Beljan, who won in 2002.

"I'm really happy with runner-up," Lee said. "Philip was such good competition out there. He's my really good friend in Arizona and we know what we are doing out there together.

"I'm really proud of myself coming in second in the U.S. Junior Am. In my second round, the putts didn't go in. That's unfortunate, I'll try to get that fixed. It was a little struggle out there with putting but the shots were pretty good."

En route to the final, both players defeated a past Junior Amateur champion: Francis over 2004 winner Sihwan Kim, in 20 holes in the quarterfinals; and Lee over 2005 titlist Kevin Tway, 1 up, in the semifinals.