Clark shoots final round 66; Tribolet wins by one.
Johnnie Clark and Ailis Tribolet
The JGAA’s State Junior Golf Championship teed off June 13-14 at Peoria’s Blackstone Country Club, with Chandler’s Camden Kunkel jumping out to the first round lead after a 5-under 67. Charlie Palmer of Phoenix sat three back, with a 70, after 18 holes, and eventual champion, Johnnie Clark, fired even-par 72, which was anything but “even” in the first round to sit five back. Clark made a 10 on the par-5 11th hole, his second of the day, before amazingly clawing back all five extra strokes to finish at level par.
Clark then closed the gap – plus one – in the second round, shooting 6-under 66 to prevail by one stroke over Palmer, who came in second place at -5 for the championship after a final round 69. Three players finished tied for third place at 3-under par: Ben Carr (74-67) of Gilbert; Tyler Spielman (72-69) of Cave Creek and Tucson’s Carlos Astiazaran (71-70).
In the Girls Championship division, Ailis Tribolet of Chandler set the first round pace. She made the turn at -1 and stayed there to post a 1-under-par 71. Tribolet then cruised to victory with a second round 2-over-par 74 to edge-out two players tied for second place at 2-over par: Sammie Olson (77-69) of Phoenix and Raegan Capizzi (74-72) of Scottsdale. Ashley Shaw (74-73) of Litchfield Park came in fourth place at +3, and Mattison Frick shot 76-72, +4 to take fifth place.
