Co-Medalists Shine: AJGA Weekend Recap

This weekend in the American Junior Golf Association world, four tournaments took place across four states and co-medalists shined. The tournaments were the AJGA Preview at The Seagate, the AJGA Preview at The Republic, the Tathata Golf Junior All-Star Championship and the AJGA Preview at La Purisma presented by Explore Lompoc.

The AJGA Preview at The Seagate was held in Delray Beach, Florida. Andie Smith (2022) of Hobe Sound, Florida took the Girl’s Division title. A second-round one-under-par 71 helped her win with a tournament total of one-over-par 145, finishing one stroke over Luisamariana Mesones (2022) of (Peru) Wesley Chapel, Florida. The Boy’s Division ended with co-medalists Shoichiro Sakamoto (2021) of Saitama, Japan and Jackson Kustin (2021) of Plantation, Florida. Sakamoto shot scores of 75-77 for a tournament total of eight-over-par 152 while Kustin shot scores of 78-74.

The class of 2022 dominated the field at the AJGA Preview at The Republic that took place in San Antonio, Texas. In the Boy’s Division, Keaton Vo (2022) of Austin, Texas won after carding a bogey-free 68 in his second round. Ashley Yen (2022) won the event after shooting 73-76 for a tournament total of 149.

Makenzie Niblett (2021) of Austin, Texas was crowned champion of the Tathata Golf Junior All-Star Championship after a sudden-death playoff with Charlotte Hillary (2020) of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Niblett shot 73-73 while Hillary shot 75-71 to enter the playoff. J. Holland Humphries (2021) of Austin, Texas finished six-under-par for the tournament after shooting 69-69. He finished two strokes ahead of Matthew Spaulding (2022) of Spring Texas.

La Purisma, the site of the AJGA Preview at La Purisma presented by Explore Lompoc, is consistently ranked one of the hardest courses in the U.S. The tournament finished with co-medalists in the Girl’s Division. Riana Mission (2021) of Las Vegas, Nevada and Selena Tang (2023) of Freemont, California shot mirroring pairs of 77-77 for a tournament total of 154. Austin Greaser (2019) of Vandalia, Ohio shot 69-71 for an impressive tournament total of four-under-par 140. He finished eight shots ahead of second place finisher Brian Arnold (2020) of La Canada, California, shooting 73-75 for a tournament total of 148.

Next weekend will feature the Strategic Communications / Justin Thomas Junior Championship presented by Phocus, the AJGA Junior at Yolo Fliers, the AJGA Preview at River Ridge (Ages 12-15) and the AJGA Preview at Carolina Trace.