Gusting Winds Were No Match for Brubaker and DeJonckheere!

Hamilton, OH (May 11-12) – Sunny skies and gusting winds greeted players at Walden Ponds Golf Club for the Hamilton Jr. Classic!

Gusting winds met the players as they arrived at Walden Ponds Golf Club to start play for the opening round of the Hamilton Jr. Classic. Despite challenging conditions, a number of players in the boys 16-19 division found themselves fighting for the top spots. Leading the way after round one was Alexander Ritter. Ritter’s round was highlighted by four birdies en route to an impressive round of one-under-par 71. Sitting four strokes behind the lead was Alexander’s brother Huston Ritter. Huston matched his brother with four birdies on his way to a three-over-par 75. Casey Colton and Braylen Haney used some strong play to sit just five strokes off of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round.

With winds dying down, the course was primed for low scores on Sunday, and the boys 16-19 division did not disappoint. Starting the day six strokes behind the lead, Graham Brubaker would tie for the lowest round of the season on the SOPGA Jr. Tour thanks to a round of four-under-par 68. Five birdies propelled Burbaker to grab the gold medal as play concluded. Alexander Ritter would use another solid round to finish the event in second place. Huston Ritter made five birdies on day two to round out the podium for the division. 

The girls 16-19 division was a close race as play came to a close Saturday evening. Leading the way was Norah Zellen. Zellen played steady all day long to finish the day with a score of eleven-over-par 83 and a three stroke lead over second place. Two players were tied for second heading into Sunday’s final round. Jenna DeJonckheere and Sydney Dodds battled the challenging conditions to get within three of Zellen’s lead. 

Nine of the 11 competitors in the girls 16-19 division saw improvements during the final round of the Hamilton Jr. Classic.Trailing by three strokes, Jenna DeJonckheere needed a solid round on day two to earn her first win of the season, and she delivered! DeJonckheere improved by six strokes during the final round to grab the gold medal. Norah Zellen continued her steady play on the weekend to finish in second place while Sydney Dodds rounded out the top three. Samantha Spearman, Aubrey Arnold, Yebin Yun, Caylee Lattimer, Mary Claire Brunsman, Elizabeth Haas, and Laura Fritz all improved during Sunday’s final round.

The boys 13-15 division was full of familiar faces mixed with some new ones at the Hamilton Jr. Classic. Maxwell Olson teed it up for the first time on the SOPGA Jr. Tour for the year and he came out firing. Three birdies propelled him to the top spot in the division with a three-over-par 75. Two strokes behind Olson was Lucas Massa. Massa was looking for his second consecutive victory in the boys 13-15 division and was in a prime spot to contend after an opening round five-over-par 77. Maverik Malin continued to ride the momentum from his second place finish last week to get within striking distance of Olson’s lead.

The boys 13-15 division came down the wire as play concluded on Sunday afternoon. In the end, it was Lucas Massa who stood along atop the leaderboard after a round of six-over-par 78. Finishing just one stroke behind was Aaron Xu. Xu played steady all day long en route to a second round score of two-over-par 74 to jump into second place. Maverik Malin would round out the top three in the boys 13-15 division. 

The girls 13-15 division was the most closely contested division of the weekend. As play drew to a close, 5 players were within 11-strokes of the lead. That lead belonged to Cadence Monroe-McCoy. Monroe-McCoy finished the round with a one stroke lead over Mackenzie Blankenship thanks to a steady front nine score on her way to a thirteen-over-par 85. Blankenship’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-three second hole. Emma Lohman and Savanna Blackmore ended round one in a tie for third, eight strokes behind the lead. 

Coming down the wire on Sunday, the girls 13-15 division ended with a two-way tie atop the leaderboard between Cadence Monroe-McCoy and Emma Lohman. Thanks to a nine stroke improvement in the second round, Lohman was able to tie for first and earn the gold on a scorecard playoff. Monroe-McCoy would finish the tournament in second place, continuing to build momentum heading into the summer. Mackenzie Blankenship would round out the podium after solid play all weekend long. Taylor Stringfield and Sophie King both saw improvements on their scores on Sunday to end the weekend on a high note!

Click here for full leaderboard.

Click here to view SOPGA Jr. Tour Schedule.

Thank you to the staff at Walden Ponds Golf Club for hosting the Hamilton Jr. Classic on the SOPGA Jr. Tour! Next on the tee: Sharon Woods Jr. Open!