Youth Golfers Complete Successful Southern Oregon Junior
MEDFORD, ORE. – Andrew Watts (Springfield, Ore.) and Victoria Gailey (Tigard, Ore.) won their respective open division at the 2017 Southern Oregon Junior, held July 17-18 at Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford, Ore.
Watts fired round of 69-72 – 141 (-3) to win the Boys Open Division (ages 14-18) by two shots over Samuel Pyon (Happy Valley, Ore.), who finished at 1-under par. Jackson Kennon (Bandon, Ore.) earned third place with round of 71-75 – 146 (+2).
The Girls Open Division (ages 12-18) was won by Gailey, who improved her score from round one to round two by eight shots. Her two-day total of 148 (+4) earned her a five-shot win over May Wang (Portland, Ore.), the leader after the first round. Alexa Udom (Portland, Ore.) and Ashley Zhu (Salem, Ore.) tied for third at 13-over par for the event.
Thomas Gray (Portland, Ore.) earned first place in the Junior Boys Division (ages 16-18) by shooting scores of 79-81 – 160. In the Girls Division (ages 
15-18), Haley Brown won by 12 shots, finishing with round of 79-85 – 164. The Boys Division (ages 14-15) was won by Nate Beck (Klamath Falls, Ore.), after he finished at 160 for the 36-hole event.
Baylee Hammericksen (Medford, Ore.) won the Intermediate Girls Division (ages 12-14) on home turf by shooting two impressive rounds this week. She followed up an even-par 72 on Monday by firing a 2-under par 70 on Tuesday, winning her division by an astounding 33 shots.
The Intermediate Boys Division (ages 12-13) featured the only playoff of the tournament on Tuesday. Collin Hodgkinson (Beaverton, Ore.) and Arthur Venderby (West Linn, Ore.) had an epic six-hole playoff to determine the winner of the division, which eventually Hodgkinson won with a birdie. Venderby, for his part, shot a second-round 73 to force the playoff, including a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole.
In the Pee Wee Divisions, winners included Drew Woolworth (PW Boys 10-11), Jacinda Lee (PW Girls 10-11), and Carson Krauss (PW Boys 8-9).
The next Oregon Junior Golf major takes place next week, July 24-25 at the Central Oregon Junior – played at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville, Ore. and Juniper Golf Course in Redmond, Ore.
