Clark shoots first round 64; Olson accelerates through the finish line.
McDowell Mountain Golf Club hosted Arizona’s top 49 boys and 31 girls April 2-3 at the fourth PING Junior Masters Series tournament of the 2022 JGAA season – Bryce Molder Invitational – sponsored by No Mow Grass and Greens.
Mesa’s Johnnie Clark earned the win in the Boys Championship division thanks to a first-round 8-under 64, which included five birdies over six holes, 11-16. Jack DeCesare of Gilbert and Anawin Pikulthong of Phoenix gave chase with first round 67s to sit three strokes back entering the final round.
Clark kept up the pressure, posting five more birdies through 15 holes of his final round 69 before cruising to victory by four strokes at -11 for the championship. DeCesare and Pikulthong again matched scores, this time 2-under 70s, to finish tied for second place at -7.
In the Girls Championship division, Mattison Frick of Peoria – bound for University of Illinois in the fall – fired a 6-under 66, which included a wild stretch on the back nine highlighted by three birdies in a row and an eagle-2. Meanwhile, Olson finished nearby at 2-under 70. She then improve by three strokes the next day to shoot a final round 5-under 68, with two birdies on the front and three on the back. Olson’s 7-under 137 topped second place finisher Brynn Kort (72-69, -3) of Henderson, Nevada by four strokes and third place finisher Gracie McGovern (73-69, -2) of Scottsdale by five.
The JGAA’s PING Junior Masters Series is made up of five 36-hole, invitation-only, events where 84 top-ranked Arizona junior golfers compete locally against their peers. Due to the strength of the field, players earn more national-level points. This helps Arizona’s best enter national junior golf tournaments as well as better prepares them for college golf and securing college golf scholarships.
The field is made up of the JGAA’s Boys and Girls Championship Divisions who were invited to compete by virtue of their national ranking on Junior Golf Scoreboard – boys must be in the top 3,500 and girls in the top 1,500.
“Our goal is to provide a competitive place for up-and-coming players to test their abilities,” said Alex Clark, Chairman of the Board of the JGAA. “This tournament series will allow junior athletes to earn national-level points and will serve as a launching pad into nationally chartered events. We enjoy seeing athletes improve over the season and rise in standings throughout the years with this event.”
