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- Boys Championship Division
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- Girls Championship Division
The 2025 PING Junior Masters Series kicked off in impressive fashion at the Warren Schutte Invitational presented by Hilgers Orthodontics, founded and hosted by Valley golf instructor Warren Schutte. Held January 24–25 at Wigwam Golf Resort, the annual event welcomed the top junior players in the state to compete in the opening tournament of the invitation-only series. Pristine weather and excellent course conditions set the stage for an action-packed weekend highlighted by low scores and elite competition.
Brophy College Preparatory sophomore Hank Miller of Phoenix burst out of the gates in the opening round, carding six birdies to post a 5-under-par 67 and share the clubhouse lead with Blake Brown of Utah. While the Wigwam Gold Course showed its teeth throughout the weekend, the field responded with aggressive play and flag-hunting approaches, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed heading into the final round. Three players began Sunday with realistic chances of hoisting the coveted Kachina trophy.
Miller elevated his game when it mattered most, recording another six birdies in the final round while limiting damage on key holes to separate himself from the field. Even after a costly double bogey briefly brought Brown and Chandler’s Ethan Butters back into contention, Miller remained composed down the stretch. He responded with a steady 2-under-par back nine to secure a three-shot victory and claim his first PING Junior Masters Series win of the 2025 season. Miller finished the tournament at 7-under par, followed by Brown in second place at 4-under par and Butters in solo third at 3-under par.
In the Girls Championship division, also contested on the Gold Course, Alyssa Rigby of Washington made the most of her trip south. Rigby took control of the tournament from the opening round, posting a 1-under-par 71 that featured three birdies and stood as the only under-par score in the field of 30 competitors. Despite the challenging layout—home to the prestigious Patriot All-America Invitational—Rigby maintained her composure throughout the weekend. A second-round 1-over-par 73 secured her a four-shot victory at even par, marking her first career JGAA win. Beau Ellington of Paradise Valley finished second at 4-over par, while Kaitlyn Moreland of Scottsdale and Ashley Shaw of Litchfield Park tied for third at 8-over par.
The PING Junior Masters Series consists of five tournaments hosted at premier courses across Arizona. Launched in 2015, the invitation-only series is designed for the state’s top-ranked junior golfers to compete against elite peers in a highly competitive environment. Entry is based on national rankings through Junior Golf Scoreboard, with limited openings for players from neighboring states depending on availability. The opening event featured 84 of the top junior golfers from across the country, all competing for the iconic Kachina trophy.
Qualified junior golfers interested in participating in the PING Junior Masters Series can visit www.jgaa.org for more information. To learn more about the Junior Golf Association of Arizona, visit jgaa.org or call 602-944-6168.
