VALDOSTA —
The Southwest team won the Georgia State Golf Association’s Junior Sectional Challenge Match on Tuesday at the Valdosta Country Club.
The Southwest team earned 62.5 points, 8.9 points more than the second-place Southeast team (which had 53.6 points). The West team was third with 44.1 points, followed by the East (27.3 points), Northwest (14), Middle (12) and Northeast (10.3) teams.
The Southwest team included six golfers from Valdosta.
Two Southwest golfers won their age groups. Luukas Alakuulppi of Valdosta won the boys’ 12-13 year-old age group, while Taylor Marie Griner and Marin Hanna, both from Moultrie, tied for first in the girls’ 14-17 age group.
Alakuulppi shot a 71 on Tuesday and finished with an even-par 144 to win his age group by three shots. West’s Ben Womack finished second at 147, while teammate Daniel Davis was third with a 148. Jay Mobley of the East team was fourth (150), while Camden Collins of the Southwest was fifth (152).
Griner and Hanna tied for first with a 9-over-par 153. Griner shot a 75 and Hanna carded a 77 on Tuesday, the two lowest rounds of the day for their age group. Aaron Boyd of the Southeast was third with a 156. Karson Stone of the Southwest finished fourth (163) and West’s Brett Beavers was fifth with a 167.
William Jarrard of the Middle team shot a 73 on Tuesday and won the boys’ 16-17 age group by one stroke with a 149. Clay Peters of Valdosta, playing for the Southwest team, finished second with a 150. Middle’s Collin Baggett and Southeast’s Jake Minchew tied for third at 151. Drew Wagner of the Northwest was fifth with a 152.
West’s Stanton Schorr won the boys’ 14-15 age group with a 147. Northeast’s Wilton Rowland was second with a 150. Spencer Jordan of the Southeast and States Fort of the East tied for third at 151. Tyler Hanson of the Southwest and Chris Holt of the Southeast tied for fifth with scores of 152.
The GSGA Junior Sectional Challenge Match is a statewide competition that brings together the top performers from the summer-long GSGA Junior Sectional Program. The participants earned the opportunity to compete in the tournament by accumulating points in their section’s qualifying events.
Each of the seven geographic sections sends their top four point earners from each age division to the Challenge Match. The team winner is determined by cumulative points earned based on order of finish in the various age divisions during each round.
The first-place Southwest team included six golfers from Valdosta: Davis Mathis, Peters, Bryant Thagard, Alakuulppi, Jake Lastinger and Jake Parris.
The other members of the winning Southwest team were: Brock Allen (from Pelham), Lance Blanchett (Moultrie), Peyton Clark (Moultrie), Hanna (Moultrie), Karson Stone (Thomasville), Taylor Marie Griner (Moultrie), Alexis Griner (Moultrie), Grace Jarvis (Moultrie), Tyler Hanson (Albany), Jordan Walker (Tifton), Collins (Tifton), Elizabeth Funderburk (Moultrie), Kaysie Harrelson (Tifton), Tate Greer (Tifton), Ethan Davidson (Albany), Mason Harper (Douglas) and Chase McLain (Leesburg).
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Related Photos
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Clay Peters from Valdosta tees off during Tuesday’s round at the Valdosta Country Club. Peters finished second in his age group with a 150. Ed Hooper | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Members of the Southwest team pose for a photo after winning the Georgia State Golf Association’s Junior Sectional Challenge Match on Tuesday at the Valdosta Country Club. Front row (left to right): Brock Allen, Davis Mathis, Lance Blanchett, Peyton Clark, Marin Hanna, Karson Stone, Taylor Marie Griner and Grace Jarvis. Back row: Clay Peters, Bryant Thagard, Tyler Hanson, Jordan Walker, Camden Collins, Brian Colbert (Southwest Section Co-Chairperson), Elizabeth Funderburk, John Glenn (Southwest Section volunteer), Alexis Griner and Luukas Alakuulppi. Not pictured: team members Kaysie Harrelson, Tate Greer, Ethan Davidson, Jake Lastinger, Mason Harper, Chase McLain and Jake Parris. submitted photo
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Bryant Thagard hits an approach shot during Tuesday’s round. Ed Hooper | The Valdosta Daily Times
Discussion
Southwest team prevails at GSGA Junior Sectional Challenge Match
Winning team included golfers from Valdosta
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