SPRINGFIELD, OH (August 14, 2021) – Congratulations to the Columbus 1 League All-Star Team and Captain Chad Middaugh, PGA on their victory at the Southern Ohio PGA Jr. League Sectional Championship!
“I think it’s one of the best things that you can see in golf,” noted Columbus 1 League All-Star Captain from Muirfield Village Golf Club Chad Middaugh, PGA. “Golf is typically an individual sport, you play your own ball and it’s a great game that can teach you a lot of lessons but seeing the kids come together competing as a team after playing against each other during the season, it’s great.”
The PGA Jr. League Summer Season has officially come to an end for junior golfers in Southern Ohio. 72 All-Star players from 29 facilities gathered at Locust Hills Golf Course on Friday, August 13 ready for a fun day of competition on the Locust course. Eight All-Star junior golfers made up the teams representing nine leagues from around the Section. Players competed in a nine-hole two-player best ball scramble with three of the best scores contributing to the team score at the end of the round. Five teams competed on the front nine while four teams competed on the back nine. The top two teams from each side advanced to Saturday’s semi-final match play rounds.
“That would be pretty sweet! To have the chance to go to Arizona and be away from school,” laughed the Columbus 1 League All-Star team when asked how exciting it would be to win the Southern Ohio Championship.
With a team score of 97 on Locust’s back nine, the Columbus 1 League All-Star team were the first to secure their spot in the semi-final matches. The Cincinnati 4 League All-Star team punched their ticket into the matches by one stroke after posting a team score of 116 on Locust’s back nine. On Locust’s front nine, the Columbus 2 League All-Star team earned a top seed in the semi-final matches with a team score of 110. The final team to earn their spot was the Belmont Hills Country Club All-Star team.
Players returned on Saturday, August 14 for the semi-final matches. The Columbus 1 League All-Star team advanced to the afternoon championship match with a three point victory over the Belmont Hills Country Club All-Star team. The Columbus 2 League All-Star team came out of their semi-final match victorious by two points against the Cincinnati 4 League All-Star team. It was a battle of the Columbus leagues in the final match where the Columbus 1 League All-Star team claimed their third consecutive Championship by three points.
“It’s a huge incentive for all of our kids,” noted Columbus 2 League All-Star Captain from Northstar Golf Club Ryne Kitchen, PGA when asked how important it is to host the All-Star Championship. “It’s the goal to get to the end of the year. Not just based on how they play but how they are as teammates, how positive they are, interacting in practices, coming to practice, coming to matches, just being involved. It’s a good reward & it’s fun to see them compete against other teams and other places.”
Southern Ohio junior golfers competed on 87 teams during the 2021 PGA Jr. League Season. 54 facilities hosted these teams as part of either a traveling league or in-house league. The Columbus 1 League All-Star Team is made up of players from Muirfield Village Golf Club, Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club, York Golf Club, The Medallion Club, Columbus Country Club, Jefferson Country Club and Tartan Fields Golf Club. They will compete in the PGA Jr. League Regional Championship September 4-5 at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center, OH hosted by the Northern Ohio PGA Section. The top team at the Regional Championship will advance to the PGA Jr. League National Championship set to be played at Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ in October.
To view the Southern Ohio PGA Jr. League Championship photo gallery, click here.
Thank you to all of our Southern Ohio PGA Jr. League Captains and Coaches this year. Also, thank you to Andrew Kitchen, PGA and his staff at Locust Hills Golf Club for hosting the 2021 Southern Ohio PGA Jr. League Championship!