[July 22, 2011] Oakdale teen second at Maroney Memorial Tweet Jul 22, 2011 (The Modesto Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- If not for golf, Mabel Wong would spend more time on her No. 2 fun activity -- guitar. She's good at both, but golf wins in a landslide. "I found out that this (golf) is something I'm good at," she said. "I don't want to waste the opportunity." Wong, 14, wastes nothing whether she's strumming for her school jazz band or grinding out 7-irons on the practice range. The incoming freshman at Oakdale High does not mind beating players three years older than her. Alas, she topped all except one, Roseville's Madelin Gedeon, Wednesday at the George Maroney Junior Memorial. Wong shot 72 Monday at Creekside and followed it up with a 74 at Dryden Park. Gedeon, 16, a junior at Oakmont High who generates major clubhead speed, blitzed the front nine and was 5-under par after 11 holes at Dryden but settled for a 72 and a two-stroke overall girls win over Wong. "I've never been 5-under before," Gedeon said. "It was a little uncomfortable." Wong, not tall but nearly as long off the tee as Gedeon, came to the Maroney on a tear. She's grown into one of the stars of the Junior Golf Association of Northern California circuit, thanks to five straight overall wins: --The Kings River CC Junior (71-72--143). --The Eric Leeworthy Memorial at Lockeford Springs (69). --The Rancho Murieta Junior Classic (74). --The JGANC-NCGA Northern California Championship at Rancho Canada (Stableford scoring). --The Oakdale Country Club Rotary Junior Classic on Monday (75). Wong even added a tie for ninth in her age group last week at the prestigious Junior World at Torrey Pines. No wonder she's the current points leader on the JGANC list. Only a few missed putts and some off-target shots with her fairway metals cost her a sixth straight win. Her reaction probably will be even more hours of work at McHenry Golf Center, her home away from home. "Madelin had a great round," Wong said. "I'm proud of myself, but I'm trying to get better." So were many in the field of 93 at the Maroney, named for the Modesto Junior College coach who led the Pirates to state titles in 1954, '55 and '56. Players rotated from Creekside to the almost shadeless fairways at Dryden, the scene for the much warmer second round. Finding Modesto to his liking was Salinas' Sergio Rios (73-69--142), bound soon for San Jose State, who birdied the par-5 18th to clip Andrew Leung of Burlingame (75-68--143) and Hughson's Teo Chiesa 74-69--143) by a stroke. Leung, locked in the same group as Rios, threw himself into the fight by driving the 305-yard first and holing a 5-footer for eagle. Ceres' Anthony Bonales (72-72--144) placed fourth overall. The fast-improving Chiesa, a sophomore at Turlock High, dipped into the 60s for the first time with a solid 15 pars and birdies at the first, second and 16th. "The most consistent round I've ever had," said Chiesa, the 14-15 flight winner who will play next week at the Bumgardner Junior Memorial at Del Rio CC. "I can go into the low 70s, but I couldn't get into the 60s until today." The last contestants on the course were Modestans Angela Nuccio and Laura Arellano, who matched 81s both days. Nuccio, a Beyer senior, parred the third playoff hole to edge Arellano, a Downey senior, for the 15-17 title. Modesto's Christopher Ebster (76-81--157), who joined Wong last week at the Junior World, enjoyed a seven-stroke win over runner-up Chinmay Joshi of Modesto in the 12-13 division. Ty Griggs of Manteca (47-46--93) won the 7-9. To see more of The Modesto Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.modbee.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Modesto Bee, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]