Six Champions Crowned in 2019 RDGA Junior, Sub-Junior and Pee Wee Championships at Blue Heron Hills
Philip Minnehan of Locust Hill Country Club captured the 2019 RDGA Junior Championship title at The Golf Club at Blue Heron Hills on July 11 by a 4-and-3 margin over fellow Locust Hill golfer Jude Cummings in the championship match.
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CLICK HERE for the FINAL RESULTS from the 2019 RDGA Boys Junior Championships
CLICK HERE for the FINAL RESULTS from the 2019 RDGA Girls & Pee Wee Championships
CLICK HERE for a PHOTO GALLERY from the 2019 RDGA Junior Championships
CLICK HERE for a feature article on tournament host BLUE HERON HILLS
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The 2019 RDGA Junior Championships concluded on July 11 at The Golf Club at Blue Heron Hills. The three-day Junior, Sub-Junior and Pee Wee Championships featured six sepatate competitions - including individual championships for Junior (ages 15 to 18), Sub-Junior (12 to 14) and Pee Wee (7 to 11) divisions for both boys and girls.
Winning the overall RDGA Boys Junior title (ages 15-18) was Philip Minnehan, 16, from Locust Hill Country Club who defeated fellow Locust Hill golfer Jude Cummings, 17, by a 4-and-3 decision in the championship final match.
The two finalists - Minnehan and Cummings - are both products of the Locust Hill Country Club junior program and have played with and against each other many times.
Minnehan took a 2-up lead through the first three holes but Cummings fought back, trading two holes with Minnehan over the next six in a see-saw battle. On 12, Minnehan turned the corner with another birdie to go 3-up - then closed out his opponent with another birdie at 15 to win the match and the title, 4-and-3.
For Minnehan, the Junior Championship title also includes a voucher for a future appearance in a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event as well as a spot in the 2019 North & South Junior Amateur in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
CLICK HERE for the match play bracket results from the 2019 RDGA Boys Junior Championship.
 2019 RDGA Boys Sub Junior Champion Tyler Fink.
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In the RDGA Boys Sub Junior Championship, (12-14), featured the No. 2-seeded Tyler Fink from Cobblestone Creek Country Club and the No. 1-seeded Ethan Provino from Silver Lake Golf Club for the 2019 RDGA Sub Junior Championship title.
Provino built a 2-up lead through 5 holes before Fink battled back and the pair traded three holes each over the next 5.
Fink birdied No. 11 to take his first 1-up lead of the match. He then built on his lead with wins at 14 and 16 to close out a 3-and-2 victory in the match as well as the 2019 RDGA Sub Junior Championship.
With the title, Fink also earned an exemption into a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour tournament.
CLICK HERE for the match play bracket results from
the 2019 RDGA Boys Sub Junior Championship.
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Although the 2019 RDGA Girls Junior Championship (15-18) featured 36 holes of stroke play competition over two days - that wasn't enough to decide the title.
Jayde Ford of Irondequoit Country Club and Julia Zigrossi of Ridgemont Country Club finished 36 holes of play even at 162, forcing a playoff. On the first hole of the playoff, Ford posted a par-4, while Zigrossi struggled with a lost ball on her second shot, giving Ford the title.
Ford backed up a first round 83 with a final round 79 to claim her first RDGA Championship.
With her victory, Ford also earned a spot in the 2019 North & South Junior Amateur in Pinehurst, North Carolina, as well as an exemption into a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour open event.
CLICK HERE for final results from the
2018 RDGA Girls Junior Championship.
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 2019 RDGA Girls Junior Champion Jayde Ford.
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 2019 RDGA Girls Sub Junior Champion Sophia Cellura.
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In the RDGA Girls Sub Junior Championship (12-14) - which featured 27 holes of stroke play competition over three days - Sophia Cellura of Brook-Lea Country Club won the title with scores of 42-45-42 for a 129 total.
Cellura, 13, was the runner-up in the Sub Junior division a year ago, as well as the runner-up in the Pee Wee division three years ago. This year's title was her break-through victory in RDGA competition.
CLICK HERE for final results from the
2019 RDGA Girls Sub Junior Championship.
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In the RDGA Girls Pee Wee Championship (7-11) - which featured 18 holes of stroke play over two days - Emily Zigrossi of Ridgemont posted scores of 52-48 for a 100 total to win the Championship.
Finishing in second place for the second consecutive year was Tatiana Tutko, an RDGA Junior eClub member, who psted 9-hole scores of 63-52 for a 115 total.
CLICK HERE for complete results from the
2019 RDGA Girls Pee Wee Championship.
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 2019 RDGA Girls Pee Wee Champion Emily Zigrossi.
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 2019 Boys Pee Wee Champion Ethan Domajnko.
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And, in the RDGA Boys Pee Wee Championship - which featured 18 holes of stroke play over two days - Junior eClub member Ethan Domajnko, 10, followed a first-round 37 with a 1-under-par 35 to post an even-par 72 total to win the Championship.
Finishing runner-up was last year's runner-up, Tacoma Ames from the RDGA Junior Membership, with scores of 42-40 for a total of 82.
CLICK HERE for complete results from the
2019 RDGA Boys Pee Wee Championship.
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The Rochester District Golf Association thanks The Golf Club at Blue Heron Hills owner Tom and Debbie Mayberry, as well as PGA Professional Jim Edmister and his staff and membership for their hospitality to the RDGA and Junior Championship competitors all week - and a special thanks to Blue Heron Hills event planner Barb Morrill and superintendent Mark Montebella for their assistence throughout the Championship.
The RDGA also thanks The Golf Academy of Rochester and the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour for their support throughout the 2019 RDGA Junior tournament schedule.
With most of the 2019 RDGA Junior tournament schedule now complete, the final performance points for the season will be tallied - with the top 6 point winners in both the Boys and Girls Junior and Boys and Girls Sub-Junior divisions earning invitations to compete in the annual Interdistrict Junior Championship, to be hosted by Terry Hills Golf Club on August 18. The Interdistrict features 18 holes of stroke play between teams from the Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo Districts.
CLICK HERE for the 2019 points schedule for the RDGA Junior and Sub-Junior divisions
CLICK HERE for more information about the 2019 Interdistrict Junior Championship