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- Girls Championship division
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- Boys Championship division
The annual Thunderbird High School Senior Classic, sponsored by The Thunderbirds-hosts of the WM Phoenix Open, teed off at Gainey Ranch Golf Club on May 19, 2024.
Known as a classic golf event, it honors and shines a spotlight on the graduating seniors from high school golf teams across Arizona in 2024. Sixty seniors, comprising 45 boys and 15 girls, took part in the tournament.
“The High School Senior Classic, hosted by The Thunderbirds, serves as a heartfelt appreciation for the departing seniors, many of whom have been active participants in numerous JGAA events throughout their journey,” said Scott McNevin, executive director of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona. “We extend our sincere gratitude to The Thunderbirds for their sponsorship of this exceptional tournament. It was indeed a memorable day that will be cherished by all the graduating seniors.”
In the Girls division, future Utah Tech Trailblazer Riley Doherty from Cactus Shadows High School went neck and neck with future Arizona Wildcat Kate Hauptman from Xavier College Preparatory. Both finished at 1-over 73 to force a playoff. It was Doherty that prevailed on the second playoff hole after securing a par to seal the deal. The win marks her first JGAA victory since last year’s Betsy King IMG Academy Junior World Qualifier. Wrapping up the podium in third place was Reimi Bleyl from Xavier College Preparatory with a score of 76 (+4).
In the Boys division, future Auburn Tiger Tyler Spielman of Brophy College Preparatory came out of the gates firing on all cylinders with a bogey-free front nine. Spielman would continue to keep his foot on the gas pedal as he replicated his front-nine success heading to the back nine. The leaderboard had a lot of red figures as Peyton Segerstrom of Gilbert Christian High Schools stayed within striking distance for the entire round. However, Spielman found a way to maintain his momentum and squeeze past the rest of the field for a one-stroke victory. He concluded the tournament at 6-under-par 66 and captured his first JGAA win of 2024. Segerstrom took solo-second at 5-under-par 67 and Randy Weis of Gilbert High School finished solo-third at 4-under-par 68.
