Courtesy: UGA Sports Communications
Release: 07/12/2006
2007 Player of the Year
2006 All-American 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year Three-time U.S. Women’s Open participant
2005-06 Season
Tabbed first-team All-America by Golfweek and a second-team choice by the NGCA.
The unanimous choice of league coaches for SEC Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-SEC selection as well.
Led the Bulldogs in virtually every statistic, including stroke average (73.24), par-or-better rounds (12), counting rounds (98.53), top-10s (7) and top-20s (10).
Georgia’s leader throughout most of the spring, posting the Bulldogs’ low tally of the day in nine of 22 rounds played.
Was in position to garner her first collegiate win at the Liz Murphey Collegiate before a disastrous 9 on a par-3 No. 16 pushed her from the lead to a tie for 10th.
Captured medalist honors a week later by three strokes over the field at the Bryan National, largely due to a closing 3-under 69.
Named National and SEC Golfer of the Week following her win at the Bryan National.
Carded a career-best 4-under 68 – also the low tally by any Bulldog during the season – in the second round of the SEC Championships.
Tied for the 16th at the NCAA Championships, her 10th top-20 in 11 events. FYI, her lone finish out of the top-20 was a tie for 22nd.
Selected by the USGA to represent the U.S. in the 2006 Curtis Cup.
Prep/Amateur
Named second-team Rolex Junior All-America by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) in both 2003 and 2004.
Won two major amateur events in during 2005 – the Ione D. Jones/Doherty Amateur in January and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s Women’s Amateur.
Defeated U.S. Amateur champion Morgan Pressel, 2-up, to win the Doherty Amateur in Fort Lauderdale in January. Leading 1-up, Leon chipped in for eagle from 45 yards on the par-5 18th to secure the victory.
Beat University of Washington All-American Paige MacKenzie, 2-and-1, in the championship match at the PNGA Women’s Amateur in July.
A two-time winner on the AJGA Tour, capturing medalist honors at the 2003 I.R.I. Golf Group Oakridge Junior and the 2004 AJGA Lubbock Junior.
Competed in the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships, with her best showing being the second round of match play in 2002.
Youngest competitor in the field at the U.S. Girls’ Junior field in 1999 when she was 12 years old.
Qualified for the last three U.S. Women’s Opens.
In 2004, shots consecutive 75s but missed the cut by three. In 2005, shot 82-75 and again missed the cut. In 2006, carded rounds of 76 and 78 and missed the cut by four strokes.
Represented the U.S. in the 2003 Junior Solheim Cup, eagling the last hole of her match on the last day to help the U.S. win that day’s competition.
Earned her Futures Tour card in December 2004. Made the cut in four of five 2005 Futures events played and posted an average of 74.21 in 14 rounds. Best finish was a tie for 14th at the Jalapeno Classic.
Personal
Born March 10, 1987, Taylor is the daughter of Art and Katie Leon.
Both her brothers, Trent and Tyler, are collegiate golfers at Oklahoma State.
Courtesy: Georgia Sports Communications
