Missigman wins in playoff; Summerhays by two.
The 39th annual Desert Mashie Spring Championship teed off at Encanto Golf Course March 9-10. Hosted by the Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA), the field featured 230 junior golfers – boys and girls – ages 8-18 competing in five age groups.
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- (left to right) Zachary Missigman, Joseph Lloyd, Preston Summerhays
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- (left to right) Desert Mashie: Michael Battle, Grace Summerhays, Madeleine Laux, Kailani Deedon
In the Boys Championship division, Zachary Missigman of Goodyear edged out Joseph Lloyd of Scottsdale on the second playoff hole with an up-and-down par save at the 9th hole. Both players turned in identical 67-67—134 performances to finish regulation play at 6-under par. The win marks Missigman’s first in five JGAA events entered and Lloyd’s best finish after six starts. Preston Summerhays of Scottsdale came in third place, one stroke off the pace at 5-under par (67-68—135). And Ben Lorenz (70-67—137) of Peoria, who won the tournament two years ago, finished in fourth place.
Grace Summerhays of Scottsdale took top honors in the Girls Championship division by a two-stroke margin over Madeleine Laux (71-74—145) of Goodyear with a steady 3-over-par, 72-71—143 final score. Both Summerhays and Laux have notched two wins so far this season with Laux holding onto a 75-point lead over Summerhays in the race for JGAA Player of the Year award in the Girls Championship division. Kailani Deedon of Mesa (76-73—149) came in third place at 9-over par.
Robbie Herzig of New York won the Boys 15-18 division at 4-over par (73-71—144). Carlos Astiazaran of Tucson played extraordinary golf to take the Boys 13-14 division at 11-under par (63-68—131), a whopping 15 strokes better than the next competitor. Brennan Korn of Phoenix took top honors in the Boys 11-12 Division at 5-over par (63-62—125), and Dominic Bustos from Scottsdale won the Boys 10 and Under Division at 26-over par (44-42—86).
Talia Gutman, Scottsdale, won in the Girls 15-18 Division at 12-over par (75-77—152). Ailis Tribolet, Chandler, won the Girls 13-14 Division at 3-over par (72-73—145). Natalia Lamadrid of Avondale won the Girls 11-12 Division at 11-over par (68-63—131), and Ashley Shaw of Litchfield Park won in the Girls 10 and Under Division at 10-over par (37-33—70).
“The Desert Mashie has been giving our juniors a place to compete and have fun for nearly 40 years,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA. “It’s an honor for us to carry on the tradition of this tournament started by a group of people with a common passion for golf and the desire to see more kids grow up with the game.”
The Desert Mashie Golf Club – formed by a group of Phoenix-area golf enthusiasts in 1946 – first held the Desert Mashie Spring Championship in 1981 at Encanto Golf Course, and it became a JGAA-sanctioned event in 1992. The founding fathers of the club were Dr. Thomas A. Crump, Aubrey C. Aldridge, Earl Le Near, Earnest S. Bartlett, Dr. Lowell C. Wormley, Curtis “Dock” Earl, William Robbie” Robinson, Ray Mercado and Densil Perdue. Today the Desert Mashie is the oldest public golf club in Arizona.
