Both prevail in playoffs.
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- (left to right) Brasen Briones, Jaylen Choi, Sam Alboy (Conquistador)
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- (left to right) Haram Lee, Caroline Chung, Sam Alboy (Conquistador)
The 28th Tucson Conquistadores Spring Classic teed off April 9-10 under gusty conditions at Silverbell and El Rio Golf Courses, where local resident Brasen Briones made the best of home-field advantage by winning the Boys Championship division in a playoff.
Starting the final round two strokes off the pace, Briones covered up three bogeys with three birdies to shoot even-par 70 on Silverbell for a share of the lead alongside four others tied at 3-over-par 143 – Jaylen Choi (73-70) of Chandler, defending champion Carlos Astiazaran (74-69) of Tucson, Alec Hilgers (73-70) of Litchfield Park and Ellis Koagedal (71-71) of Scottsdale. Briones then made birdies on the first two playoff holes (Nos. 10 and 11) to win the title.
In the Girls Championship division, Haram Lee of Henderson, Nevada fired a first round 71 at Silverbell to lead the pack by two strokes. She improved by one the next day, shooting a wild even-par 70 that included an eagle-2, four birdies and six bogeys to finish at 1-over par. Caroline Chung (73-68) of Placentia, California evened the score with Lee after a second round 2-under 68. The two decided the Girls Championship division in a playoff, with Lee prevailing after a par on the first extra hole. Gracie McGovern (75-69) of Scottsdale came in third place at 4-over par. She and Chung were the only two girls to shoot rounds in red numbers.
In addition to the championship divisions, Jake Walden of Queen Creek (71-74) won the Boys 15-18 division at 5-over-par 145 at Silverbell. At El Rio Golf Course Landon Ashcraft of Scottsdale won the Boys 13-14 division at 1-over par (72-69—141). Another home win, Parker Servoss of Tucson won the Boys 11-12 Division at 1-under par (35-34—69), contested at El Rio Golf Courss. And Rydder Erbach of Scottsdale won the Boys 10 and Under division at 11-over par (40-41—81).
In the Girls 15-18 division contested at Silverbell, Zaida Wise (72-74) of Tucson placed first at 6-over-par 146. At El Rio in the Girls 13-14 division Peyton DeCosta of Glendale (81-76) took first place at 15-over-par 157. Tucson’s Ariela Renee Trejo, who won the Girls 10 and Under division last year, won the Girls 11-12 division at 21-over par (48-43—91). And Beau Ellington of Paradise Valley won in the Girls 10 and Under Division 3-over par (36-37—73).
