Bagga opens a new Junior Tour season with a victory at LuLu

   Ajeet Bagga of Blue Bell got the wraparound 2019-2020 Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour season off to a winning start as his 2-over-par 73 at LuLu Country Club in Glenside was the best score of the day Wednesday and gave him a victory in the younger 13-to-15 division.

   Bagga had three birdies and had a stretch of nine straight holes of par or better in a solid showing over the classic Donald Ross layout at LuLu. Scott Hughes of Ambler closed his round with a birdie to claim runnerup honors with a 4-over 75.

   Liam Buckley of Media had a pair of birdies on LuLu’s back nine on his way to a 78 that left him alone in third place. George Deming of Philadelphia was a shot behind Buckley in fourth place with a 79.

   Matthew Buckley of Media’s Team Buckley took fifth place with a 90, Michael Dignazio of Wilmington, Del. was sixth with a 91 and Shane Powelson of Kennett Square was seventh with a 96.

Owen Tilsner of Warminster finished in eighth place with a 97 and Jacob French of Doylestown was ninth with a 115.

   Christian Strohl of Reading finished strong with birdies on three of his last four holes to card a 6-over 77 that gave him a win in the 16-to-18 division. Logan Hay of Bordentown, N.J. kept the heat on Strohl as he finished his round with five straight pars for a 78 that left him a shot behind Strohl in second place.

   Jack Kearns of Princeton, N.J. opened his round with back-to-back birdies and registered another birdie on his back nine as he posted a 79 to take third place. Carter Gates of Rydal was a shot behind Kearns in fourth place as he signed for an 80.

   Malvern Prep senior Ryan Kennedy and Justin Dougherty of Wyndmoor shared fifth place, each posting an 82. Ty Thornton of Warminster took seventh with an 84, Patrick Traynor of Villanova was eighth with an 86 and Samuel Giordano of Jenkintown was ninth with a 96.

   Rhianna Gooneratne of Plymouth Meeting opened her round with back-to-back pars and finished it the same way as she carded a solid 81 to finish atop the girls 13-to-15 division. Chaela Bennett of Hatboro had seven pars on her way to an 87 that gave her runnerup honors.

   Lola Bennett of Hatboro’s Team Bennett and Elle Overly of Lititz shared third place as each carded a 90.

   Frankie Boensch of Coopersburg and Jake Grossman of Elkins Park were ahead of the pack among the nine-holers as they shared first place, each posting a 9-over 45. Boensch had three pars in his round while Grossman made a birdie at the par-3 15^th hole and also had three pars.

   Kiran Bagga of Blue Bell’s Team Bagga also registered a birdie at the 15^th hole to finish in third place with a 49. Colin Somoski of Coopersburg and Nick Linkchorst of Glen Mills finished in a tie for fourth place, each carding a 50.

   Alex Fessler of Jamison took sixth with a 51, Reagan Gamsey of Dover, Del. was seventh with a 54 and Brady Kelly of Warrington was eighth with a 62.