Metropolitan Junior Amateur

The 24th Metropolitan Junior Amateur Championship at Sunset Country Club was held on June 21st and 22nd. With the first group teeing off at 7:30am, all players were able to make their way around the course by 4:15pm. There were four divisions totalling 66 players : Boys 13 and under, Boys 15 and under, Overall Boys, and Overall Girls. It was a warm sunny day in the area with a few clouds later in the afternoon.

In the Overall Boys division, fierce competition ensued with only two players finishing at even par or better. Bubba Chapman from Bellerive Country Club showcased exceptional skill, securing a solo first-place finish by carding an impressive two-under (-2) par. William Bomkamp of Forest Hills Country Club closely followed Chapman on the leaderboard, ending the day at an even (E) par. Augie Johnson of Whitmoor Country Club, Dominic Mazzola of Forest Hills Country Club, and Clayton Becher of Persimmon Woods Golf Club all shared the third spot, each scoring four-over (+4) par.

In the Overall Girls’ division, Reese Reinhardt of Fox Run Golf Club sits seven strokes above the competition at four-over (+4) par. After a rough start to her round, Reinhardt was able to fight back mid-round to earn three birdies that would keep her score lower than her competitors. Avery McLaughlin of Bellerive Country Club sits in solo second at eleven-over (+11) par. In her first year in the overall Girls’ Division, the 2022 Girls’ 13 and under winner Morgan Nute of the Metropolitan eClub put together a round that would place her in solo third at fourteen-over (+14) par.

In Round 1, the Boys’ age divisions took to the course, showcasing remarkable talent. In the Boys’ 13 and Under Division, John Deluca of Forest Hills Country Club demonstrated a commanding lead with a solid round of six-over (+6) par. Deluca’s exceptional performance placed him an impressive nineteen strokes ahead of Subaru Kikuchi from The Quarry at Crystal Springs, who currently holds second place at twenty-five-over (+25) par. Meanwhile, in the Boys’ 15 and Under Division, Hudson Shy from Bogey Hills Country Club

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claimed the top spot with a score of five-over (+5) par, while Caden Fehr of the Country Club of St. Albans follows closely behind, three strokes back at eight-over (+8) par. Shivom Korgaonkar of the USGA/Met Amateur Golf Club secured the third position at ten-over (+10) par.

After another beautiful day at Sunset Country Club, four juniors came out triumphant after Round 2 of the 24th Metropolitan Junior Amateur. The Boys’ 13 and Under Division kicked things off at 7:30am, followed by the Boys’ 15 and Under Division. Rounding out the tee times were the Girls’ Division followed by the Overall Boys’ Division. After Round 1, Bubba Chapman, John DeLuca, Hudson Shy, and Reese Reinhardt were each the leaders in their respective divisions.

John ‘Bubba’ Chapman of Bellerive Country Club entered the Final Round at two-under (-2) par. Looking to put together another good round, Chapman started his day with a birdie on Hole 1. Adding two more birdies and enduring two bogeys on the front nine, he concluded the first half of the day at one-under, accumulating a commendable three-under (-3) score in total. The back nine proved to be more challenging for Bubba, but he skillfully maintained control over his game, concluding the championship at one-over (+1) par. This outstanding display secured the championship title for Chapman. Augie Johnson of Whitmoor Country Club sat at four-over (+4) par after Round 1, and was ready to put the pressure on his competitors in Round 2. Though his round was back-and-forth, Johnson was able to come into the clubhouse at even (E) par for the day and remain at four-over (+4) par to finish in solo second place. After putting together an even (E) par performance on day one, William Bomkamp of Forest Hills Country Club had a rougher day two to finish in solo third place at six-over (+6) par.

Reese Reinhardt of Fox Run Golf Club was able to shoot just four-over (+4) par in Round 1, but Round 2 proved more difficult. A few hiccups in her round left Reinhardt finishing the championship twenty-twoover (+22) par and in solo second place. Avery McLaughlin of Bellerive Country Club started the day at eleven-Over (+11) par. McLaughlin came ready for the Final Round and improved upon her Round 1 score by one-stroke. With a ten-over (+10) par Round 2 score, McLaughlin beat Reinhardt by one-stroke with a total of twenty-one over (+21) par to be the Girls’ Division Champion. Peyton Cusick of the Metropolitan eClub had a difficult Round 1, but made a ten-stroke improvement in Round 2 to finish in solo third place at thirty-over (+30) par. John DeLuca of Forest Hills Country Club came into the Final Round with a nineteen stroke lead in the Boys’ 13 and Under Division. Though he was unable to duplicate his performance of six-over (+6) par, DeLuca still held the two lowest rounds in the division. Totalling seventeen-over (+17) par, DeLuca was the 13 and Under Division Champion. Following behind in solo second place, Subaru Kikuchi of The Quarry at Crystal Springs finished the championship at fifty-four-over (+54) par. In the Boys’ 15 and Under Division, Hudson Shy of Bogey Hills Country Club led the way after Round 1, but a tough Round 2 left him finishing in fourth place. Caden Fehr of the Country Club of St. Albans sat in second place following his first round, and he capitalized on his position in the Final Round. Improving by eight strokes, Fehr finished the day at even (E) par and the tournament at eight-over (+8) par to be the 15 and Under Division Cham pion. Shota Tiger Kikuchi of The Quarry at Crystal Springs also made improvements to his scorecard for Round 2 by returning a five-over (+5) par for the day and sixteen-over (+16) par for the championship. Kikuchi, much like his younger brother, also finished solo second in his division.

Throughout the Championship, Bubba Chapman was the only player to return a score under par with his Round 1 score of two-under par. Only three players posted even-par rounds: Augie Johnson, William Bomkamp, and Caden Fehr. Hole 12 seemed to rank as the hardest hole based on field performance, while Hole 10 ranked as the easiest. Mack Freeman of Forest Hills Country Club made the only eagle of the championship during his first round on Hole 16.

Out of a field of 66 players, four came out triumphant. Bubba Chapman (Overall Boys’), Avery McLaughlin (Girls’), Caden Fehr (Boys’ 15 and Under), and John DeLuca (Boys’ 13 and Under) are the 2023 Metropolitan Junior Amateur Champions.

It was a warm one out at Ruth Park Golf Course for the 9-Hole Championship. Players across four divisions competed to win with both gross and net scores. In the Junior Division, John DeLuca of Forest Hills Country Club went home with the hardware with a score of even par (E). Emma Hill of the Metropolitan eClub took the trophy with her gross score of three-over (+3) par in the Women’s Division. Eileen Love of the St. Louis Women’s Golf Association walked away with the Women’s Net trophy with a net score of one-under (-1) par. Jim McLaughlin of Norwood Hills Country Club came in with a score of two-over (+2) par to win the trophy for the Senior Men’s gross scores. Vincent Featherson of the Metropolitan eClub at one-under (-1) par to take home the Senior Men’s Net trophy. Robert Hogan of Gateway National Golf Links came in with a bogey-free four-under (-4) par and the Men’s Division gross score title. Jackson Unteriner of the USGA/MetAmateur GC let those strokes help him out in the Men’s Net Division and carry him to victory with a net score of two-under (-2) par.