Fairborn, OH – 16 SOPGA Jr. Tour Members will take to Columbus Country Club for the 2nd annual Junior Ohio Cup presented by Cobra/Puma Golf! After a season-long race, these eight boys and 8 girls will look to bring the cup to Southern Ohio for the first time!
Let’s meet the team!
Captain: Ben Chandler, PGA
Ben is the Director of Instruction with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and is entering his second year of captaincy for Team SOPGA . He was the 2023 Youth Player Development award winner for the Southern Ohio PGA.
Vice-Captain: Chris Yoder, PGA
Chris is the Director of Youth Player Development at Scioto Country Club. He was awarded the 2024 Southern Ohio PGA Youth Player Development award and will start his two year term as captain in 2024.
The girls representing Team SOPGA:
Meadow Tian earned the first spot for Team SOPGA with her win at the Junior PGA Championship. Tian fired a second round five-under-par 67 to cruise to a three stroke victory.
Katelyn Miley earned the Girls 16-19 Player of the Year after finishing in second in 2023. This will be Miley’s second appearance on Team SOPGA!
Grace Boone makes her return to Team SOPGA this season thanks to another strong showing this summer! Boone started to hit her stride at the end of the season and is looking to use that momentum heading to Columbus Country Club.
Caroline Zeiger had an impressive season in 2024! Five wins to go with four runner up finishes saw her claim her spot on Team SOPGA for the first time.
Aubrey Arnold is another Junior Ohio Cup Rookie in 2024. Arnold only finished outside the top-10 one time in 2024 to earn her spot.
Ava Bressler is the final Girls 16-19 player on the team. Bressler finished the season strong to earn her spot on Team SOPGA for the second time.
Cadence Monroe-McCoy also makes her return after claiming the Girls 13-15 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Taylor Stringfield saw plenty of success in her first season with the SOPGA Jr. Tour. Her consistent play all summer earned her the final qualifying spot from the Girls 13-15 division.
The boys representing Team SOPGA are:
Peyton Lawley earned the first spot on Team SOPGA for the year thanks to his victory at the 2024 Junior PGA Championship. A two-round total of two-under-par 142 secured his place.
Braylen Haney was the 2024 Boys 16-19 Player of the Year, only finishing outside the top-10 one time all year long.
Jack Hutcheson claimed four wins on the season, including three in a row to end the year to earn his place on Team SOPGA.
Casey Colton was the pinnacle of consistency all year long. After a slow start, Colton finished inside the top-5 four times on his way to a strong summer.
Aidan Fischer saw success in his first year on the SOPGA Jr. Tour. His steady play all summer earned him the fourth spot in the Boys 16-19 Player of the Year race.
Israel Coblentz rounds out the Boys 16-19 qualifiers. In only six events, he was able to earn a qualifying spot thanks to a win at the Heatherwoode Jr. Championship
Lucas Massa is the only returning boy to Team SOPGA. After an impressive 2-0 record last year, Massa is looking to make another impact to bring the cup to Southern Ohio.
Jakob Allen rounds out the boys on the roster. Two wins and six top-5 finishers allowed Allen to climb the rankings and earn his spot on Team SOPGA.
Team SOPGA will head to Columbus Country Club October 19 and 20 to take on Team NOPGA and try to bring the cup to Southern Ohio!