West Linn, OR – The Tournament of Major Champions, hosted by The Oregon Golf Club, showcased some of the best junior golf talent from Oregon and Southern Washington. The one-day event brought together the champions in each division from all nine Oregon Junior Golf Majors in the 2015 schedule. The day was designed as a way to celebrate the accomplishments of the 32-player field, as well as a way to bring the juniors together to compete one more time as the summer season draws to an end. The end of the day brought about the presentation of the champions of the Tournament of Major Champions, as well as the announcement of Oregon Junior Golf Player of the Year awards.

 In the Junior Boys 16-17 division, Bryce Wortman took home the Champion of Major Champions trophy after shooting a round of 75 (+3).

Ellie Slama took home honors as the Champion of Major Champions in the Girls 15-17 division with a round of 75 (+3).

Jackson Kennon won the Boys 14-15 division by shooting the low score of the day at 74 (+2).

Olivia Venderby posted a round of 79 (+7) to win the Intermediate Girls 12-14 division.

Scotty Kennon won the Intermediate Boys division by posting a round of 76 (+4).

The PeeWee Boys 10-11 played 18 holes as well, where Graham Moody took home Champion of Major Champions honors with a round of 75 (+3).

In the 9-hole divisions, Jade Gruher won the PeeWee Girls 10-11 division, Alex Tseng won the PeeWee Boys 8-9 division, and Natalie Yen won the PeeWee Girls 8-9 division.

A big announcement for the day was the awarding of the Oregon Junior Golf Player of the Year. Every year, Oregon Junior Golf recognizes one boy and one girl as Player of the Year. The award is voted on by the Oregon Junior Golf Committee, who takes into consideration an entire year of golf accomplishments for each junior golfer.

This year’s award winner for the boys is Spencer Tibbits. Tibbits was the winner of two OJG Majors, including the Peter Jacobsen Junior Challenge and the 18th Oregon Junior Stroke Play. Tibbits was also runner-up at the 85th Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur. Tibbits was the Champion of the PNW PGA Junior Championship, which earned him a spot in the PGA Junior Championship in Texas. Tibbits tied for 7th in the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships. He also represented Oregon as a team member at both the Junior America’s Cup and the 47th Hogan Cup, the latter of which he finished 2nd individually and lead the team to a 2nd place finish as well. Along with his many accomplishments in his junior events, Tibbits qualified for and competed in the US Open Sectional Qualifier. Most recently, Tibbits paired with PGA Professional and Champions Tour member Paul Goydos in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where the team finished the tournament T-17 with a total of 10-under-par. When asked about his motivation throughout the year, Tibbits attributed his success to the competition he faced in his many Oregon Junior Golf events. He credits those players for always pushing him to play better as they continuously competed for top spots at many competitions.

This year’s award winner for the girls is Ellie Slama. In a clean sweep, Slama won or tied for first in every Oregon Junior Golf event she played in 2015. Slama was the champion of the 85th Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur, the 18th Oregon Junior Stroke Play, the Centennial Junior Championship, the Peter Jacobsen Junior Challenge, and many OJG Sanctioned Events. Slama Tied for 1st at the US Girls’ Junior Qualifying. Due to her impressive play at the US Girls’ Junior, where she made the cut to match play and made it to the Round of 32, Slama received a special invitation to participate in the PGA Junior Championship in Texas. Slama qualified for the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships. Slama also represented Oregon as a member of Team Oregon at the Girls’ Junior America’s Cup, where the team finished 4th. Most recently, Slama was the champion of both Charlotte’s Tournament of Champions and the Tournament of Major Champions. Slama attributes her success to the many sacrifices made by her family to allow her to play in so many events around the country.