Walden Ponds Golf Club welcomed SOPGA Juniors looking to earn coveted Player of the Year and March to Muirfield points.
The Boys 16-19 division had plenty of familiar faces find their way up the leaderboard Saturday. Andy Steed finished his round with back-to-back birdies en route to an even-par 72 to claim the top spot in the division. Steed has yet to find himself outside of the top 5 this season, with two wins, a second, and a fourth in four starts this season. Gavin Augenstein has gotten very comfortable at the top of the leaderboard after a one-over-par 73 saw him finish second in his first start since winning the Urbana Jr. Classic two weeks prior. Three players tied for third place in their first event of the season. Bradley Hinkel, Logan Spagnuolo, and Jack Ward all posted scores of three-over-par 75 to share third place.
The Boys 13-15 division saw some spectacular rounds on Saturday. Owen Sedgwick led the way, making six birdies on his way to a three-under-par 69 and his first win of the SOPGA Jr. Tour season. Closely behind Sedgwick was Vincent Fesenmeier who capped off his round with back-to-back birdies on his way to an even par 72 and a second place finish. Carter Adkins continued his climb up the Player of the Year points list with a tie for third after a two-over-par 74. Tied with Adkins was Rohan Reddy, who posted his best score of the season at Walden Ponds Golf Club.
The Girls 16-19 division was a battle for the top spot. Sophie Rush and Elaina Seeley battled it out at the top of the leaderboard. In the end, Rush would finish with a one stroke victory over Seeley with the girls posting scores of five-over-par 77 and six-over-par 78 respectively. Danielle Stinson and Jenna DeJonckheere teed it up for their first tournaments of the season and finished third and fourth to start the year strong.
Familiar faces were all around the Girls 13-15 leaderboard. Aubrey Arnold claimed her second consecutive victory of the season with a score of nine-over-par 81. Finishing in a tie for second were Mackenzie Blankenship and Ava Snow at sixteen-over-par 88. This round marked the second consecutive top three finish for Snow and was her new career low round. Cadence Monroe-McCoy continued her strong start to the SOPGA Jr. Tour season with a fourth place finish, and Elizabeth Haas rounded out the top five.
The Girls 9-12 division saw two players match each other shot for shot. Madeline Donovan and Savanna Blackmore ended the day in a tie for first place after scores of eighteen-over-par 90.
Eight boys in the 9-12 division teed it up for 9 holes on Saturday. Scrib Dailey claimed the top spot in the division in his first event of the year with a round of two-over-par 38. Jordan Hurst and Savir Grover started their seasons off with a tie for second at the Hamilton Jr. Open.
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Click here for current points standings.
Thank you to Walden Ponds Golf Club for hosting the SOPGA Jr. Tour and thank you to all who came out to compete on the SOPGA Jr. Tour for the Hamilton Jr. Open!
Next on the tee: Groveport Jr. Open.