|
Maine Junior Amateur Championship The 74th annual Maine Junior Amateur Championship got off to a great start Tuesday at Val Halla G.C. Golfers were up with the birds to begin the qualifying round of the tournament. The top 16 of the 13 and 14, 15-17 divisions went on to play in Wednesday’s math play. All 7 girls and 12 and unders guaranteed themselves a spot in Wednesday’s matches. Seth Sweet, 15 years old, from Madison, ME, qualified with a 68 to set the bar as the first group of the day. Defending champion, Henry Fall, came in with a 71, sharing a tie for 3nd place with Jordan Jones and Mike Arsenault Jr. Just within the first group out there were 16 birdies between the three of them. For the 13 and 14 year old division, Reese McFarlane matched Seth Sweet’s score for a 68. The range of qualifying scores went from 68-94. Reese had just returned back to Maine from a USGA event at PGA Nationals in Florida, placing 6th overall with at least one round under par. Will Kannegeiser, son of the 2010 Maine Women’s Amateur champion, Kristin Kannegeiser, qualified with the 2nd low round of his age bracket with a 77. He was closely followed by 13 year old Daulton Wickenden with a 79. The 12 and under division was led by Drew Powell. After spending some time overseas in China, he had returned in time to be the top seed with a 44. Himself, Ryan Chasse and Eric Dugas received a bye for their qualifying performances. The Girls’ division had fewer numbers this year with only 7 participants. Laura Grant, the defending champion, is not in the running, leaving a new champion to be crowned. Meghan Bickford, 17 year old from Val Halla, was top seed with an 84 along with Karli Soracco from Turner Highlands. Meghan received the bye through a tie breaker.
Wednesday’s match play will consist of a morning match with the winners
advancing to an afternoon match. On Thursday, depending on the division, there
will be morning and afternoon matches. The championship matches will be played
Thursday afternoon. We wish our competitors the best of luck in the upcoming
days. May the best golfer win! Jones and Line tie at Biddeford-Saco CC It was a beautiful Monday at Biddeford Saco Country Club. The tournament kicked off the last week of tournament play before the championship at Val Halla Golf Course. Jordan Jones and James Line set the bar high when they came in with a couple of 73's. The closest competitors came in with 75's. Chris Billings posted an 84 to win the 13 and 14 year-old division. Emma Seymour, in her first tournament of the year, won the girl's division with a 95. Matthew Prokey picks up his first 12 and under win with a 49 on the front nine. The season is ending but that's when these juniors are playing their best golf! Karli tames Gorham CC The juniors ended a full week at Gorham Country Club on Thursday. Playing from the tips, Andrew Campbell fired a +1 over par, 73, to have low of the day and win the 15 to 17 year old division. Russell Barnard and J. Seward Matel tied fro first place for the 13 and 14 division with an 82. Karli Soracco shot an impressive 80 to win the girl's division. 12 and under Matt Roy added another victory to his name with a 46 on the front nine! Members Triumph at Riverside GC The MSGA Juniors tournament at Riverside was a highlight day for 16-year-old Joe Walp. On his home course he went 4 under to win the overall low score of the day and also the 15-17 year old division. Will Kannegesier came in with a 76 to win the 13-14 year old division. Meghan Bickford for the second straight tournament won the girl’s division with a 85. Returning golfer Matt Roy goes undefeated in the 12 and under division by winning with a 41 at his home course. Looks like today was full of member’s luck! Toddy Brook GC Challenges Juniors On Monday, the Juniors were hosted by Toddybrook Golf Course in North Yarmouth. 15-17 year olds were put to the challenge playing from the tips from 6,214 yds. Joe Walp and Jordan Jones tied for 1st in the 15-17 year old division each with a 75. Reese McFarlane also shot a 75 to tie for 1st overall and win his own 13-14 year old division. Despite a difficult back, Meghan Bickford rallied an 86 to win the girls division. Nathan Gervais, a first time player of the MSGA, won the 12 and under division with a 48 on Toddybrook’s front 9. Next tournament will be at Riverside on Wednesday. Tournament at Bangor Municipal GC On Thursday, The MSGA Juniors were hosted by Bangor Municipal Golf Course. The Golf course saw action in the sky as well as on the course. President Barack Obama is expected to fly into Bar Harbor, Maine for a visit. Not only were the jets around Bangor flying high, but also Thomas Murray at his home course. Murray shot a 75 to win the 15-17 division and also low round of the day. Daulton Wickenden again won the 13-14 division with a 75. Eric Dugas won’t settle for anything less than a 1st place finish in the 12 and under division. Next week’s tournaments will start off at Toddybrook Golf Course in North Yarmouth. First Ever MSGA Event at Clinton GC Hosted by the beautiful 9 hole Clinton Golf course, over 40 Junior golfers tested their abilities to stay focus that is challeneged when playing the same course twice. The course was beautifully built on old farm land and was in excellent playing conditions. The biggest obstacles were the water ponds placed strategically on the course. Henry Fall played in the first group off, and held the low round of the day with a 74. Four of the top junior golfers of Maine went out in the group and not a single one could rack up a birdie. 13 year old Daulton Wickenden won his division with a 76, however, he was disappointed with his score. Eric Dugas earns another victory with a 44 for the 12 and under. If any of the juniors were disappointed with their round, the hospitality of the Golf Course changed that instantly. The day was a piece of cake….. cupcake to be exact! Junior Tour Returns to Lakewood GC Tuesday’s junior golf tournament was hosted by Lakewood Golf Course in Madison, Maine. Roughly 30 junior golfers came up for the tournament from all over Maine as far as Arundel. Reese McFarlane, playing in the first group, held the lead with a 71 for the whole day winning the 13-14 Boy’s division and low score. Gregory Martin from Trenton, carded a even par, 72, to win the 15-17 Boy’s division. Bradford Smith went eagle, birdie on the 4th and 5th hole contributing to his round of a 76. Kelsie Dessent picked up a victory in the Girl’s division with a 95. Eric Dugas had the lowest recorded round of the season by a 12 and under with a 41 to win his division. Just another beautiful day out on the Golf Course! Busy July schedule gets under way at Prospect Hill After a week of no tournaments due to the holiday, the juniors opened the busy month of July at Prospect Hill in Auburn, Maine. With soft putting surfaces and green fairways, the players were striving to make their birdie putts and tap in pars. Daulton Wickenden shot a 69 to bear out Reese McFarlane’s 71 for top contender of the day and also the win in the 13-14 Boy’s division. Bradford Smith came in with a 72 to capture the 15-17 Boy’s division for the first time this season. 12 and under’s Matt Roy won again with a 48, beating Alexander Spiller and Tyler, who both came in with a 55. These juniors know how to put the pro in Prospect Hill! Rainy Day at Val Halla Event Despite the rain showers on Thursday, 65 juniors were hosted by Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland, Maine. It was certainly a day to bring an umbrella and rain gloves, however, that did not stop the quality of performance. Cape Elizabeth’s Reese McFarlane carded a 75 to win the 13-14 year old Boy’s division and also the day’s low score. Matt Roy enjoyed yet another victory with a 45 in the 12 and under division. Andrew Campbell won the 15-17 year old Boy’s division with a 77 having 6 bogies and 1 birdie. The juniors will be kicking off the July schedule on Monday the 12th at Prospect Hill. Tounament at Woodlands Club The Junior’s second tournament of the year was hosted on
Thursday by The Woodlands Club. The course was playing in great conditions, and
the only obstacle was the fast approaching thunderstorms in the middle afternoon
forecast. 12-year-old Matt Roy picked up his first victory with a 9 hole score
of 47. Daulton Wickenden goes 2 for
2 in the 13-14 boys division with a low score of 79. After a rain delay, Megan
Bickford, Sarah Hansen and Emily Lunt returned out after a half hour rain delay
to finish their round and Megan came out on top with a round of 96. The weather
held off for Woodlands member Connor Burfeind to finish with the day’s low round
of a 75. For Connor, home really is where the heart (and game) is.
Kit Bartlett Memorial
Tounament at Belgrade Lakes Maine State Golf Association Junior Tour For several decades, the junior program of the Maine State Golf Association has produced some of the top golfers in New England. Now under the tutelage of Dan Sweet – who’s mentor was longtime MSGA Junior Director Tom Kimball, the Maine Junior Golf Tour is continuing to produce some of the best golfers in New England. Maine Junior Champion Henry Fall and New England Junior Individual Champion Seth Sweet lead this year’s class of junior. As they’ve found out, playing in the Maine Junior Golf Tour is a great way to get them ready for the high school fall golf season. In fact, nearly all the All-State golfers in the state have been participants in the Junior program. The program stresses sportsmanship, etiquette, and friendship in a tournament environment, and focus on the positive values that golf brings its followers. We encourage juniors to become involved. We offer a comprehensive tournament schedule and have made it easier than ever to participate by going to an on-line registration process. We encourage players to sign up and manage their own tournament schedules on line. Players should also be aware of our cancellation policy, and parents are asked to make sure they educate themselves as to the rules surrounding the junior tour. All information about the program is located on the MSGA’s web site at www.mesga.org The season will culminate with the Junior Championship on August 3-5 at the MSGA’s home, Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland. The event will start with the Junior Scholarship Banquet, held in the MSGA’s Banquet Center at Val Halla on Monday, August 2 prior to the first round. Juniors are encouraged to play a practice round in the afternoon and stay for the banquet, which is free for tournament participants and scholarship recipients. Parents and friends can attend for a nominal fee, but must RSVP in advance. Check out the Maine Junior Golf Tour and get the most out of your summer golfing experience.
The MSGA is delighted to announce that Dan Sweet of Madison is joining
the staff in the position of Junior Director. As Junior Director, Dan will be
responsible for handling all aspects of the Maine Junior Golf Program and for
teaching golf's values to the hundreds of players who take part. With Dan on
board and Emily Bouchard returning, the junior program is in excellent hands.
Parental Expectations for
As parents and
guardians for our young golfers, we know that you want to help the players
succeed at this sport. We have some basic rules for all spectators to follow
while watch-ing the golfers on the Maine Junior Golf tour. Please note that
breach of these rules could cause a spectator to be asked to leave the golf
course, and could also cause the player to be disqualified, so your cooperation
is greatly appreciated. All spectators must stay 50 feet from players; | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||