The JGAA headed south for the 32nd annual Tucson Conquistadores Spring Classic, which presented two spectacular days of junior golf action April 11–12 at Silverbell and El Rio Golf Courses. While the tour pros chased the green jacket at Augusta this week, JGAA junior golfers took center stage closer to home, with Owen Greenough and Abby Kelly emerging as champions in the marquee divisions.
In the Boys Championship division, future Pepperdine golfer Owen Greenough of Chandler went wire-to-wire. Heading into the second round with a one-stroke advantage, Greenough remained calm and steady, built on his first-round success and recorded seven birdies that propelled him to an imposing 8-under par for the weekend. A few fellow competitors attempted to get back into the mix, but none could match Greenough, who drained putts from all over the green. The cushion and his tenacious mentality proved enough as he cruised to medalist honors by four strokes, earning his first JGAA title of the season. Troy Stahl of Phoenix took solo second at 4-under-par 136 (68-68), while hometown kid AJ Ramos claimed third place at 2-under-par 138.
The Girls Championship division told a much different story. A tightly contested head-to-head showdown unfolded at Silverbell on Sunday between Abby Kelly of Mesa and Cynthia Lang of Chandler — and it came down to the very end. Kelly stood on the first tee holding a two-stroke lead atop the leaderboard, while Lang went on the offensive and turned it up a notch in hopes of catching the leader. It was a battle and a test of mental endurance as both players hit bogey patches and needed to channel their competitive spirit and short-term memory to shake off mistakes before they snowballed. Luckily for Kelly, a hot front nine of 1-under par gave her enough cushion to outlast Lang and stand alone at the top. She earned the hard-fought victory by two shots as the only golfer to finish the tournament under par. Lang finished second at 1-over par and Lauren Richardson of Gilbert wrapped up third at 5-over par.
In the additional divisions, Ary Mulick of Tucson won the Boys 15-18 division in his own backyard at 5-over par (73-72—145) at Silverbell. At El Rio, fellow Tucson native Jackson Caldwell won the Boys 13-14 division at 6-over par (75-71—146). Joey Morin of Gilbert won the Boys 11-12 division by a stroke at 2-over par (34-38—72) after a clutch par on the final hole. Jack Patel of Phoenix secured the Boys 10 & Under division title at 7-over par (38-39—77).
On the girls’ side, Scottsdale’s Yuer Li won the Girls 15-18 division by two strokes at 6-over par (73-73—146). At El Rio, Amy Xuan of Chandler defended her title and went back-to-back, repeating her dominant win from a year ago. Chun-Cing Shih of Peoria claimed the Girls 11-12 division by four strokes at 8-over par (40-38—78). Tucson’s own Paloma Barrios won the Girls 10 & Under division by a resounding 10 shots at 9-over par (38-41—79).
This year’s Spring Classic also served as a Local Qualifier for the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship. Top finishers will advance to the Regional Qualifier at Whirlwind Golf Club in September.
Hosted by the Tucson Conquistadores, this long-running tournament has been a staple of junior golf in Southern Arizona for decades. Founded in 1962 by Roy P. Drachman and 40 visionary businessmen and professionals, the Conquistadores have long supported youth participation in local athletics.
