Jack Trent and Emily Mahar post wins at the Phoenix Metro Junior Championship

Trent scorches the field by 11 strokes; Mahar finishes with two rounds in the 60s

Kelly Su, Ashley Menne & Emily Maha
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The Phoenix Metro Junior Championship sponsored by Van’s Golf Shops teed off February 20-21 with a field of 185 junior golfers – boys and girls – ages 8-18 competing in five age groups.  

In the Boys Championship Division, Jack Trent of Las Vegas turned in a spectacular performance with a first-round 68 followed by a second-round 63 to finish 11-under-par 131 for the tournament. His 63 at Bear Creek Golf Club would be the lowest score of the tournament and the 68 was the second lowest. Eleven strokes back, Chandler’s Matthew Schwab fired 69-73—142 to finish even par and tied for second place with Tucson’s Jacob Goode (68-74—142). Goode won second-place honors through a scorecard playoff.

Max Schwarz of Paradise Valley won the Boys 15-18 Division at 2-over par (71-73—144). Ethan Adam of Chandler won the Boys 13-14 Division contested at Superstition Springs Golf Club at 5-under par (69-70—139). Anawin Pikulthong of Gilbert took top honors in the Boys 11-12 Division held at Greenfield Lakes Golf Club at 2-under par (60-62—122), and Charlie Ward from Erlangen, Germany won the Boys 10 and Under Division at 5-over par (33-32—65).

In the Girls Championship Division, Emily Mahar of Scottsdale cruised to victory with two rounds in the 60s (66-69—135). She finished the tournament at 7-under par, four strokes ahead of Ashley Menne (69-70—139) of Surprise and five ahead of Kelly Su (68-72—140) of Scottsdale. This win marks Mahar’s second in the 2016 season to go along with four victories last year in the 2015.

Halley Hughes of Tucson won in the Girls 15-18 Division at 10-over par (76-76—152). Alexandra Quihuis of Tucson won the Girls 13-14 Division at 8-over par (79-73—152). Madeline Adam of Chandler won the Girls 11-12 Division at 17-over par (70-71—141), and Kalyn Doss won in the Girls 10 and Under Division at 26-over par (34-33—67).

“This is one of our first full-field tournaments of the year,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA. “It’s great to see so many juniors competing in these events. The experience along with the friends they make along the way will serve them well for years to come both on and off the golf course.”

For more information JGAA, visit www.jgaa.org or call 602.944.6168.