The JGAA family has another champion to celebrate.
Former JGAA member Brody Leid of Phoenix etched his name into Arizona golf history on June 13, capturing the 102nd Arizona Amateur at Tucson Country Club with a 3 & 1 victory over Victor Larsson in the championship match. The 19-year-old University of Wyoming junior navigated eight rounds of golf over six days at one of Arizona’s most demanding championship venues — and never blinked.
The victory is the most prestigious amateur title in the state, and it came the hard way. Tucson Country Club played true to its reputation as a stern test throughout the week, yielding 189 rounds over par across stroke play. Leid weathered it all, staying composed under pressure, trusting his game, and finding his footing when the championship match was on the line.
The turning point came on the par-4 sixth hole, where a well-struck iron shot set up a birdie and gave Leid a 1-up advantage he would never relinquish. He extended his lead to 3-up through holes 10 and 11, and a clutch putt on the 14th sealed the deal.
“I’m super proud but it hasn’t really set in yet,” Leid said. “I blacked out a little bit. I was focused on playing good golf.”
That focus has been building all season. In May, Leid recorded a career-best 64 (-8) at the National Golf Invitational at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. A performance that signaled he was playing the best golf of his young career heading into Tucson.
What makes the story even more compelling is how recently golf entered his life at all. Leid grew up as a baseball player and didn’t pick up the game seriously until age 13, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down his baseball season. Just six years later, he holds Arizona’s most coveted amateur title.
“I really fell in love with the individual aspect,” Leid said. “It’s just you out there. I’ve loved it ever since.”
The win carries significant hardware beyond the trophy. Leid has earned an exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues in American golf, along with exemptions into the next 10 Arizona Amateur Championships. Merion bound.
From the fairways of the JGAA to the championship match at Tucson Country Club to the first tee at Merion: Brody Leid’s journey is a reminder of what this association is built to produce. The JGAA couldn’t be prouder.
Congratulations, Brody. Arizona is watching.
