Junior Golf tourney brings youth to Sussex County courses
The Philadelphia Junior Professional Golf Association (PGA) spans parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the entire state of Delaware, and in that area is a wide array of well-known courses. But it was the links of Sussex County that were the focal point for the Junior Tour last week, as 44 young golfers teed off over three days as part of the Philadelphia Junior Tour in their Rehoboth Beach Series.
“This tournament is great,” said Brian Schulte, junior-golf director of the Philadelphia PGA. “We have such a broad region to cover, and it’s nice to give the Delaware juniors some love. We had a great turnout, and with our headquarters in Philadelphia, it was really nice to see that many kids travel all the way down to Sussex County.”
The tournament began on Tuesday, June 15, at Cripple Creek Country Club, just outside of Dagsboro. Davis Schaller of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., came out as the overall winner of the Boys 13-18 Division, shooting a 73 (+1). Mike Amole of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and Adam Birmingham of Avondale, Pa., finished one stroke off the lead, in a tie at second place, with an 18-hole score of 74. Notable performances by local athletes included Joshua Mohun, who scored an 89 (T22, +17) and Scott Gee, who shot 94 (T27, +22), both of Millsboro.
In the overall Girls 13-18 Division, there were some local, familiar faces that earned top spots. Christina Vosters of Bethany Beach, a student athlete at Worchester Prep, snagged the lead with a score of 81 (+8). Last summer, the Sussex County native secured the girls’ Junior PGA National Championship title at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, Mass. Last week, she continued to prove why she is among the nation’s top young golfers.
In second place was Taylor Lewis, a female golfer who earned a spot on Indian River High School’s varsity roster as a freshman this past year. Lewis shot a 90 on the opening day of the tournament at the course she calls home.
On Day 2, Wednesday, June 17, the golfers took to Peninsula Golf and Country Club in Millsboro. The second-round event was also a Junior PGA Championship qualifier, where a third of the field qualified for the Philadelphia Section Junior PGA Championship at French Creek Golf Club in Elverson, Pa., set for June 29.
Aaron Burton of Wilmington, Del., took off with an early lead and kept it through the end, winning the overall Boys 13-18 Division with a round of 72 (E). Schaller tied for second with Amole with scores of 75 (+3). Vosters continued her success, earning her second consecutive win in the tour, shooting 78 (+6). She led the Girls 13-18 Division at the end of the second round. All girls in the tour have been invited to partake in the Junior PGA Championship at French Creek Golf Club.
On Day 3, the golfers teed off at Bayside Resort Golf Club, a par 72 just outside of Fenwick Island. Again, Schaller captured the lead for the overall Boys 13-18 Division, after shooting 76. Amole grabbed second with 77 (+5) while fellow Huntingdon Valley native, Paul Carbone, Jr. picked up third with a 78 (+6). Vosters finished with a clean sweep of the overall Girls 13-18 Division in the Rehoboth Beach Series, winning the third round with a score of 76 (+4).
Overall in the 54-hole series at all three courses, Schaller, Amole and Carbone took first, second and third, respectively. Mohun finished at 14th in the three-day tournament, and Gee finished the series in 19th place.
Vosters was the girls’ champion in the series, besting Jane Hopkinson-Wood’s second-place score by 34 strokes over the three courses. Vosters recorded 235 on 54 holes. Lewis tied for third with a score of 280 over the series.
“A couple years back, we invited the Philadelphia Tour to play down here,” said Brian Trout, general manager and head golf pro at Cripple Creek Golf and Country Club. “It’s a great way to get golfers down here, both adults and kids. Hosting series like this is a great way of getting more exposure. The Philadelphia sector encompasses parts of two states and all of Delaware, and we’re all the way on cusp of it all. It’s a grey area down here that gets lost sometimes, and it’s nice to draw some attention down here.”
In addition to the series and providing a home course to the Indian River High School team, Cripple Creek also hosted this year’s Henlopen Conference Championship and was the site of this year’s state amateur tournament, which kicked off for the ladies earlier this week. The men’s amateur tournament begins this coming week, starting Monday, June 29.
“We’re very proud of the courses we have here,” Trout added. “They’re great for junior golf and amateur tournaments like these, and the kids can really play. It’s good for members to see some of the talent the young athletes have in this region.”
“The kids played great,” Schulte added. “It’s always fantastic to get back down to the courses in southern Delaware. We always feel welcomed when we arrive, and the holes are beautiful.”
The Philadelphia Junior PGA will pick up with another tournament later in July, around Dover’s Garrison Lake and Wild Quail courses.
“Golf is becoming more and more popular with the younger generations,” said Trout. “We have some players coming into the sport, and seeing talent like this is a good sign that golf plays a big part in this region. It’s also really nice to see young ladies out here swinging. It helps to grow the game.”
For more information about Cripple Creek Country Club, call (302) 539-1446.
