July 9, 2019
Sam Sommerhauser and Grace Bettis held on to early leads to pick up a pair of victories.
Sommerhauser, a senior at Whitney High School, completed his wire-to-wire victory in the Boys’ Championship with a final-round 2-over-par 73. The Catta Verdara CC member played steady golf throughout the day, with four bogeys and two birdies, which was all he needed to cruise to a four-shot win.
Finishing behind Sommerhauser in the Boys’ Championship was Granite Bay GC’s Dylan McDermott, who posted a final-round 1-under-par 70 to claim solo second. McDermott faltered in his afternoon round on day one with a 6-over-par 77, but bookended it nicely with a 71 and 70.
In a tie for third, William Bensch of Stockton G&CC and Travis Miller of YOC East Bay finished at 6-over par for the tournament.
The low round of the day in the Boys’ Championship belonged to Scout McNealy, a recent commit to Baylor University, who shot a 3-under 68 to move into a tie for fifth.
In the Girls’ Championship, Bettis posted her second-consecutive 77 to win the title by two shots. An Olympic Club member, Bettis had to battle back early in her round after posting a double-bogey on the par-4 No. 5, but followed it immediately with her round’s lone birdie, and managed to hold on with a 39 on the back-nine.
Following Bettis in a tie for second place was the duo of Kiana Riggs and Natalie Vo, both by way of final-round 77s.
Low round in the Girls’ Championship belonged to Kaylyn Noh who posted a 4-over-par 75 to move into eighth place.
July 8, 2019
Grace Bettis and Sam Sommerhauser are the players to chase after opening day of the annual NCGA Junior Championship.
Bettis, playing out of the Olympic Club, took the lead in the Girls’ Championship by opening with a 36-hole score of 18-over 160 at par-71 Green Hills CC in Millbrae.
In the morning round, Bettis shot 83. Later in the afternoon she’d card a 77 thanks in part to birdies on the 8th and 13th holes.
Three players–Kiana Briggs, Carissa Wu and Natalie Vo—are just two shots behind Bettis after opening with matching 36-hole scores of 162. Madison Wu is only three shots off the pace after carding a 163.
Sommerhauser, a senior at Whitney High in Rocklin and a regular on the Junior Tour of Northern California, made his big move in the morning round, carding a solid 3-under 68. He’d open with a bogey, but followed that up with back-to-back birdies on holes No.2 and No.3.
Later, he’d again bounce back. Following a bogey on the 13th, Sommerhauer reeled off a birdie on the 14th before closing with three straight birdies from holes Nos. 16-18.
In the afternoon round, Sommerhauser had two more birdies but had to settle for a 73 to put him at 1-under 141.
Just two shots behind Sommerhauser is Youth on Course member Dean Cavanna. Still a sophomore, Cavanna also opened strong, posting a 69 in the morning that featured four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th. He’d card a 74 in the afternoon.
In third place at 146 (74-72) is YOC East Bay member Travis Miller.
Tuesday’s final round action will consist of only 18 holes in both divisions.
Former Boys’ champions of the Junior include Ken Venturi (1949) and Johnny Miller (1963). Former Girls’ champions are Dorothy Delasin (1998) and Yealimi Noh (2017), who finished T-6 on the LPGA Tour this past weekend.
July 7, 2019
The NCGA Junior Championship began in 1930 and carries with it a rich history of young champions including eventual PGA Tour players. Notable winners include Ken Venturi in 1949, Bobby Clampett in 1976 and Joel Kribel in 1993. Johnny Miller triumphed at The Olympic Club in 1963 and when Todd Miller claimed the title at Orinda in 1996 they became the only father-son champions. Eddie Fry holds the most wins, after claiming victories in 1941, 1942 and 1943. In 1983 the championship changed from match play to 54-holes stroke play. Since the format changed, the only player to win back-to-back championships is 1998 and 1999 winner Tom Johnson. Patrick Nagle holds the scoring record of 13-under-par 203 set in 2002 at Brookside CC. The only players to win back-to-back tournaments since the girls’ division began in 1982 are Jamille Jose (1988-1989) and Sabrina Iqbal (2015-2016). Haley Andreas holds the girls’ championship record with three-under-par 143 at Spyglass Hill in 2009. With his Boys’ win in 2016, Thomas Hutchison joined sister Samantha (2013) as a champion. The two are the only siblings to have won.
