(left to right) Charlie Palmer, WA Golf/USGA Volunteer John Schroeder, and Max Herendeen (image via WA Golf Association)
Paradise Valley’s Charlie Palmer qualified for the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, set to take place July 25-30 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. To get there, the two-time 2021 winner in JGAA competition fired 3-under-par 69 at the June 1 qualifier hosted by Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley, Idaho – and survived a three-for-two playoff – to tie for first place alongside Bellevue, Washington’s Max Herendeen. Palmer dominated the par 5s, making birdie on all four. He did give two back on par 3s, but still managed to snatch one of two qualifying spots up for grabs.
Over the years, Palmer has logged nearly 80 JGAA tournaments since his first in 2014 at age 10. Most recently, in 2021 he won the Phoenix Metro Jr. Championship and Winter Classic with rounds 65-69 (-10). The same year Palmer picked up a pair of second place finishes at two of the more competitive JGAA tournaments on the schedule: State Junior Golf Championship and Willie Low Invitational, one of five PING Junior Masters Series tournaments.
