Agnes Irwin senior Kaitlyn Lees has had a pretty good summer
on the golf course.
She capped it Wednesday with a runnerup finish in the
American Junior Golf Association’s Junior Golf Hub Championship at Saucon
Valley Country Club’s Weyhill Course. Lees fired an even-par 72 over the
Weyhill Course, which measures 6,067 yards for the girls, to catch Cory Lopez
of Mexico at 8-over 224, but the 15-yeaar-old Lopez defeated Lees in a
sudden-death playoff to claim the title.
Lees, who won the Inter-Ac League title for a second time
last spring, had opened with rounds of 78 and 74 in Tuesday’s double round that
had to be played in some tough conditions, including rain and temperatures in
the chilly 60s.
Lees had four birdies in her final-round 72. Lopez, who had
posted rounds of 72 and 76 Tuesday, also had four birdies in a final-round 76.
The Junior Golf Hub Championship is the successor to the PDQ
/ Philadelphia Runner Junior that has held this spot on the AJGA calendar for
more than a decade. It was played at White Manor Country Club in the early
years of its existence before moving to the Lehigh Valley in 2015.
It’s been a frustrating summer at times for Lees, a Bryn
Mawr resident who plays out of Philadelphia Country Club. Bidding for a third straight
Pennsylvania Girls’ Junior Championship, she settled for a tie for fifth. She
ended up as the first alternate at qualifiers for the U.S. Girls’ Junior
Championship and the U.S. Women’s Amateur and never got the call to join either
field.
Off the course, the AJGA website reported Wednesday that
Lees will continue her academic and golf pursuits at Dartmouth College. Two
former Inter-Ac standouts, The Haverford School’s Scott Jaster and Episcopal
Academy’s Sean Fahey, and Jamie Susanin, the leader on a Radnor team that
captured the 2012 PIAA girls team title, wrapped up solid careers with the Big
Green last spring.
Yoona Kim of Fair Lawn, N.J. via South Korea was alone in
third, two shots behind Lopez and Lees at 226. Kim had a final-round 75 after
rounds of 76 and 75 Tuesday.
Ami Gianchandani, the Pingry School senior from Wachtung,
N.J. who reached the quarterfinals of this summer’s U.S. Girls’ Junior at Boone
Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo., finished tied for 12th at Saucon
Valley. Gianchandani had a final-round 80 after rounds of 78 and 81 Tuesday for
a 240 total.
Another Inter-Ac League individual champion was also in the
field as Notre Dame senior Olivia Traynor finished 17th at 244.
Traynor had a final-round 84 after rounds of 78 and 82 Tuesday.
Traynor, the 2015 Inter-Ac champion as a freshman, earned
her spot in the field with an 80 in Monday’s qualifying round.
On the boys side, Doug Ergood of Mount Laurel, N.J., fired a
4-under 68 over a Weyhill course that measured 6,980 yards for the guys, to claim
a one-shot victory over Kyle Cardenas of Stafford, Va.
Ergood, who teed it up earlier this summer in the U.S.
Junior Amateur at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kan., had six
birdies in his final round to finish with a 6-under 210 total. Ergood had
opened up with a pair of 1-under 71s in Tuesday’s double round.
He had to hold off a big run by Cardenas, who rattled off
three straight birdies at 11, 12 and 13 in a final-round 70 that left him a
5-under 211. Cardenas had fired a 3-under 69 in the second round after matching
par with a 72 in the opening round.
Adam Xiao of Manhassat, N.Y. was another shot behind
Cardenas at 4-under 212 after a final-round 71.
Central York sophomore Carson Bacha, who took fifth in the
PIAA Class AAA Championship as a freshman last fall, finished tied for 11th
at 220. After opening with an 80, Bacha bounced back with a sizzling 4-under 68
before matching par in the final round with a 72.
Bacha had a strong showing at this summer’s Boys Junior PGA
Championship, finishing tied for 23rd at The Country Club of St.
Albans’ Lewis & Clark Course in St. Albans, Mo.
Malvern Prep junior John Updike finished tied for 21st
at 227 after a final-round 79. Updike had opened with rounds of 75 and 73
Tuesday. Also in the group at 227 was Austin Barbin of Elkton, Md., who bounced
back from an opening-round 82 with solid rounds of 72 and 73.
Central Bucks East junior Patrick Sheehan capped a strong
summer with a 2-under 70 in Wednesday’s final round to finish tied for 25th
at 228. Sheehan had a pair of 79s in the first two rounds. Sheehan earned his
spot in the field with a 2-under 70 in Monday’s qualifying round.
Haverford School junior David Hurly of Newtown Square via
South Africa finished tied for 31st at 229 after a final-round 77.
Hurly opened up with rounds of 74 and 78 Tuesday.
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