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- Boys Championship Division
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- Girls Championship Division
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- Boys 15-18 Division
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- Girls 15-18 Division
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- Boys 13-14 Division
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- Girls 13-14 Division
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- Boys 11-12 Division
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- Girls 11-12 Division
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- Boys 8-10 Division
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- Girls 8-10 Division
The path to one of junior golf’s most renowned tournaments kicked off this weekend with our first Notah Begay III local qualifier of the year. A nationally ranked junior event, the Notah Begay III Junior Championship provides an elite platform for top junior players from across the country to showcase their game on national television at a young age.
Congratulations to all the players who qualified and advanced to Whirlwind GC at the Arizona Regional Final. The Phoenix Metro Junior Championship, proudly supported by Van’s Golf Shops, swung into play this past weekend, welcoming more than 320 kids from all age divisions to compete for coveted spots in the next qualifying event — one step closer to performing on one of the brightest stages in junior golf.
From local talent to out-of-state competitors aged 8–18, the action unfolded across Palm Valley Golf Club, Sun City Country Club, and Palmbrook Golf Club. The final round was highlighted by a maiden ace at Sun City Country Club; Lyla Hamid of Buckeye recorded a hole-in-one on Hole 17 (110 yards, 9 iron).
The Boys Championship Division, contested at Palm Valley GC, featured low scores and a barrage of birdie opportunities. After the opening round, six players crowded the leaderboard with sub-70 rounds. The race to the top remained razor-thin on the final day, which presented much more demanding conditions with strong wind gusts. New names emerged while others couldn’t sustain their opening-day momentum — but one player picked up right where he left off: Ryan Rasmussen of Surprise.
The West Valley standout delivered a composed two-day performance, minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on birdie chances whenever they appeared. Although Jack Langbein of Paradise Valley earned round-of-the-day honors with a 5-under-par performance, Rasmussen stayed steady, broke through the crowded leaderboard, and posted three birdies on the final day to claim victory by a single stroke at 5-under par. The narrow win marks his first victory of the 2026 season. Langbein and last year’s champion, Parker Servoss, finished tied for second.
Switching gears to the Girls Championship Division at Sun City Country Club, Washington’s Alyssa Rigby entered the weekend aiming to defend her title and extend her win streak to three straight. Scottsdale’s Kaitlyn Moreland had other plans.
A key member of the 2025 Girls Junior Americas Cup team, Moreland went head-to-head with Rigby in a dramatic final-round showdown, with both players tied atop the leaderboard heading into the closing stretch. Moreland lit up the front nine, recording four birdies and a spectacular eagle on the par-4 eighth hole to seize momentum and set the tone for the finish. Rigby stayed close behind, applying constant pressure.
A brief stumble on the back nine opened the door momentarily for Rigby, but she was unable to capitalize. Moreland quickly regrouped, closing with five pars and two birdies to create separation and secure an insurmountable lead. She carded a 5-under 67 to win by three strokes, capturing her second victory of the 2026 season. Sophia Miller of Iowa claimed third place at even par.
In other division highlights:
Quinn Kribel of Phoenix defeated Wesley Weitman of Tucson in a playoff to win the Boys 15–18 Division at Palm Valley GC.
Cam Abood of Paradise Valley edged the field by one stroke at 5-under par to claim the Boys 13–14 Division title at Palmbrook Golf Club.
Liam MacQueen of Phoenix outlasted Thomas Flancbaum of Surprise in a playoff to win the Boys 11–12 Division.
Emery Bingham of Glendale captured the Boys 8–10 Division with a one-shot victory at 5-over par (39–38—77).
On the girls’ side:
Lexi Blair of Canada won the Girls 15–18 Division at Sun City Country Club by two strokes with a 2-over-par total (74–72—146).
Leilani Herzberg of Gilbert secured a two-stroke victory in the Girls 13–14 Division at Palmbrook Golf Club with a 5-over-par performance (72–77—149).
Iliana Herzberg continued the family success by winning the Girls 11–12 Division with a 3-over-par round (40–35—75).
Julee Diaz of Phoenix claimed the Girls 8–10 Division title with a commanding win at 9-over par (41–40—81).
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the event and to all who helped make this incredible weekend possible.
