Pierson Huyck and Asia Young Claim First Place at 2024 JGAA Winter Classic

The 2024 Winter Classic teed off December 7-8 with junior golfers ages 8-18 competing in five age groups at Sun City West-Grandview, Peoria Pines and Arizona Traditions Golf Club.

The leaderboard remained stacked after the first day of play in the Boys Championship division. Hank Hubbard of Phoenix led the charge after the first round; firing off a four-under 68 at Sun City West-Grandview. Twelve players were within arm’s reach for the top spot as they trailed by three or less strokes. The game of hot potato continued as rapid lead changes ensue between five players on the final day. Hubbard lost his stride in the final round, leaving the door wide open to the rest of the field. Pierson Hyuck of Phoenix, Chase Cesarek of Tucson and Caden Petersen of Scottsdale all concluded the event in a three-way tie for first at 6-under par. A playoff went down to determine the victor. After finishing runner up last year, Hyuck took care of business with a birdie on the first playoff hole to secure the win, his first of the 2024 JGAA season. Cesarek and Petersen each tied for second after falling short in the three-way playoff against Hyuck.

In the Girls Championship division, contested at Arizona Traditions Golf Club, four players rattled off rounds in the mid-60s to set the tone. Cindy Yang of California and Cynthia Lang of Chandler tied atop the leaderboard at 5-under 65. Asia Young of Oregon concluded round one just a stroke behind the leaders and within striking distance. Young manages to capitalize on the final day of play with a low round. The Oregonian put together two near identical rounds of 66-67 highlighted by a bogey-free 31 on the back nine to capture the top spot. She ran away from the rest of the competitors in the field, clinching the championship division by four strokes. Young ended the event at 7-under par (66-67) to earn her first-ever JGAA win. Cindy Yang at 3-under par secured solo-second, while Hana McGarry of California and Natalia Fox of Peoria tie for third overall at 2-under par.

Contested at Sun City West – Grandview, Jacob Eisenhour of Dewey shot 73-68 to win the Boys 15-18 division at three-under par. Eisenhour was the only player to card a total score under par. Troy Stahl of Phoenix won the Boys 13-14 division by two strokes, carding a score of 2-under par (69-69—138) at Arizona Traditions Golf Club. In the Boys 11-12 division at Peoria Pines, Cam Abood of Paradise Valley (62) claimed the title at 1-under par, and Ira Pate of Gilbert posted a victory in the Boys 10 and Under division at 8-over par (71).

In the Girls 15-18 division held at Arizona Traditions Golf Club, Izzy McGlone of Chandler finished at 73-74—147 to win by four strokes at 7-over par. Hayden Nguyen of Peoria posted 70-77—147 (+7) at Arizona Traditions Golf Club to capture the Girls 13-14 division. Scottsdale’s Malone Wall recorded a total score of 64 at Peoria Pines to take the Girls 11-12 division. Emmaline Dang of Mesa pulls off the victory by two strokes at 11-over par in the Girls 10 & Under division at Peoria Pines.

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