Summerhays fires double 67s; Yadav shoots 33 on final nine to win by a stroke.
The Phoenix Metro Junior Championship sponsored by Van’s Golf Shops teed off February 10-11 with a field of 195 junior golfers – boys and girls – ages 8-18 competing in five age groups.
“This is one of our first full-field tournaments of the year,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA. “It’s great to see so many junior competing in these events. The experience along with the friends they make along the way will serve them well for years to come both on and off the golf course.”
In the Boys Championship Division, Preston Summerhays of Scottsdale had 14 birdies over two days to post two rounds of 4-under-par 67 on his way to a two-stroke victory over Damon Vilkauskas (68-68) of Mesa and Ethan Adam (66-70) of Chandler, who both finished tied for second place at 6-under-par 136. Summerhays’ 67s were highlighted by strong play on the back nine each day where he went 7-under par collectively, making only one bogey. He finished the tournament at 8-under-par 134.
In the Girls Championship Division, Sneha Yadav of Scottsdale erased a three-shot deficit in the second round to outlast defending champion, Jenny Bae, of Scottsdale by one stroke. Yadav notched three birdies on the final nine to finished the event at 2-under-par 140 (71-69), while Bae shot 1-under-par 141 (72-69) for the tournament. Kyla Wilde of Phoenix fired 74-69 to finish in third place at 1-over-par 143.
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- 10 & Under (left to right) Shravan Ramesh, Carter Moore, Cameron Summerhays, Jet Johnson, Gavin Ly
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- 11-12 (left to right) Isabelle Yang, Brantlee Howard, Natalia Lamadrid, Katherine Hauptman, Alexis Vakasiuola
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- 11-12 (left to right) Ryan Sefrioui, Kora Lee, Nicklas Nuez, Nero Nuez, Ben Carr
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- 13-14 (left to right) Kailani Deedon, Marley Moncada, Grace Summerhays, Mattison Frick, Banet Flores
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- 13-14 (left to right) Devon Sanders, Kyle Wandel, Charlie Palmer, Anawin Pikulthong
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- 15-18 (left to right) Kendall McBean, Leah Skaar, Hannah McGraw, Emily Shimkus, Ryan Moquin
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- 15-18 (left to right) Colby Gramhill, Jackson Wolfswinkel, Ethan Mesch, Alex Vekich
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- Championship (left to right) Kyla Wilde, Jenny Bae, Sneha Yadav
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- Championship (left to right) Ethan Adam, Damon Vilkauskas, Preston Summerhays
Alex Vekich of Scottsdale won the Boys 15-18 Division at 3-over par (71-74—145) at Bear Creek Golf Complex. Anawin Pikulthong, Gilbert, won the Boys 13-14 Division contested at Arizona Grand Resort 4-under par (71-71—142). On the Cub Course at Bear Creek, Ryan Sefrioui of Scottsdale took top honors in the Boys 11-12 Division at 4-over par (58-64—122) and Gavin Ly from Goodyear won the Boys 10 and Under Division at 3-over par (28-33—61).
At Arizona Golf Resort, Ryan Moquin of Buckeye won in the Girls 15-18 Division at 11-over par (78-79—157) and Banet Flores of Litchfield Park won the Girls 13-14 Division at 7-under par (68-71—139). On the Bear Creek Cub Course Alexis Vakasiuola of San Tan Valley won the Girls 11-12 Division at 17-over par (66-69—135).
