Junior Golf Recap: Results for 36th Annual Kenny Novak Tour Championship at Club Walden
July 12th marked the official end of our 2019 Regular Season events. Amidst a season filled with Rain Delays, we managed to complete Twenty-Two 18-Hole Tour Events, Eight 9-Hole Tour Events, and we are in the process of completing the last Three of Six Collegiate Preview Events in August.
Each year we have two very special days at Club Walden to sum up our season with the Northern Ohio PGA Tour Championship in Memory of Kenny Novak, a young Junior Golfer who risked his life to save others and ultimately lost his life doing so. In memory of Kenny Novak, Club Walden Staff and Members came together and began the Kenny Novak Memorial Tournament with its Inaugural year in 1984. Fast forwarding 36 years later, we have completed another Kenny Novak Tour Championship!
On Day one of the Championship, we invited both Boys and Girls 16-19 to play round one of two, to inch closer to the 2019 Kenny Novak Champion and to receive a $500 Scholarship that goes directly to their University from Long-Time Sponsors, Al and Sharon O’Neil. The O’Neil Family has been offering scholarships to the Boys and Girls 16-19 Age division winners for all 36 years of the Kenny Novak Tournament. The Northern Ohio PGA is beyond grateful for their continued contribution to Junior Golfers in Northern Ohio.
After Round 1 for the 16-19 year old divisions, the Top 10 Players from each age division are invited to compete in the Merrill-Lynch Shootout. The shootout consists of the top 10 players all teeing off on the first hole and subsequently eliminating two players with the highest scores from each hole until only two players remain in contention going into the last hole. Congratulations to our 2019 Merrill-Lynch Shootout Winners, Mark Dilling (Canton, OH) and Sophia Canale (Fairlawn, OH)!
On Day 2, the 16-19 age divisions continued into their second round with Jay Magyari (Sagamore Hills. OH) and Madison Ardelean (North Canton, OH) coming in as the Round One Leaders. Following the 16-19 divisions in a late morning wave is the Boys and Girls 11-15 age division with the 9-Hole Futures Tour players teeing off right behind them early afternoon.
On top of players competing for a Kenny Novak trophy, we handed out Long Drive Award for each 18-hole age division.
Congratulations to our Long Drive Winners:
Caden Scarborough
Anastasia Nikolaidis
Samantha DeMuesy
Matthew Stephan
After an action-packed day of golf throughout Club Walden with galleries of Parents, Family Members, and Club Members following almost every group, we eventually crowned our 36th Annual Kenny Novak Tour Championship Winners!
The Boys 16-19 Champion, Justin Atkinson (Brookfield, OH), was all about consistency over the two days shooting 35-38 for a 73 on both days! Justin had a phenomenal season finishing Third in the Jackson Dieken Player of the Year Points list from winning Four out of the Five Junior Tour Events he played in. His Wins include his 2-Under, 70, win at the NOPGA Section Championship at Shady Hollow Country Club. His win at the Section Championship gave him an exemption into the National Junior PGA Championship.
The Girls 16-19 Champion, Madison Ardelean (North Canton, OH), held the outright lead for both days and showed no signs of pressure during round 2. On the second day, Madison turned in a score that was Eight Strokes better than her first round to give her a 2 shot victory over Sophia Canale (Fairlawn, OH) who went into round 2 only one shot back. Madison also had a spectacular year winning Three out of Six Junior Tour Events. Madison was also our Girls NOPGA Section Championship winner and earned her exemption into the National Junior PGA Championship.
The Boys 11-15 Champion, Matthew Stephan (Green, OH), was the first clubhouse leader for the Boys and remained the clubhouse leader throughout the rest of the day with many other Boys inching closer and closer as each group turned in their scores. Matthew shot a consistent 38-38, 76, to take First Place by one stroke over Preston Trumpler (Medina, OH) and Andrew Yard (Hudson, OH) who were both tied for second with 77’s. Preston shot 36-41 and Andrew Shot 38-39 to tie each other. John A Thompson (Avon, OH) took Fourth place only Two Shots back from the lead shooting a 40-38, 78.
The Girls 11-15 Champion, Kaitlin Kormuth (Solon, OH), went 37-38, 75, to take home the trophy with a 4-shot victory over the Girls 11-15 Player of the Year Points leader, Isabella Goyette (Medina, OH), who shot 40-39, 79. Kaitlin placed in the top 5 in four out of the five events she played. The Girls 11-15 competition throughout the season has been the closest out of every age division with many young and talented Girls all around the same, advanced, skill level so Kaitlin’s 4-shot victory is not only impressive but also something to be proud of in comparison to the strength of her age division.
The NOPGA 9-Hole Futures Tour is meant to be a developmental tour that can help young golfers grow up in tournament golf from the beginning and better understand the demand and pressure that tournament golf brings to the sport.
Congratulations to all of our 9-Hole Futures Tour Competitors!
Boys 8-11
Champion – Dylan Phillips – 35 (-1)
T2nd Place – Dexter James – 37 (+1)
T2nd Place – Angelo Rinaldi – 37 (+1)
4th Place – Jacob Rainieri – 41 (+5)
T5th Place – Dante Turner – 44 (+8)
T5th Place – Cameron Stafford – 44 (+8)
Girls 8-11
Champion – Ashtyn Spooner – 53 (+17)
2nd Place – Natalie Barnes – 54 (+18)
3rd Place – Samantha Morgan – 63 (+27)
Boys 12-15
Champion – Mica Thirion – 41 (+5)
2nd Place – Matthew Kittle – 47 (+11)
3rd Place – Sam Fauver – 52 (+16)
Girls 12-15
Champion – Emily Burling – 50 (+14)
2nd Place – Ashlyn Leavery – 57 (+21)
3rd Place – Emily Pierce – 61 (+25)
Northern Ohio PGA Junior Golf - 36th KENNY NOVAK TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP @ CLUB WALDEN Results - Powered by BlueGolf Click here for complete tournament results Dates: Jul 24 - Jul 25 Course:Club Walden(Aurora, OH) Par and Total Yardage By Age Division NOPGA Series Boys 16-19 - Club Walden (Par: 72 Distance: 6901 Rating: 75.0 Slope: 138) NOPGA Series Boys 11-15 - Club Walden (Par: 72 Distance: 6339 Rating: 72.5 Slope: 133) NOPGA Series Girls 11-15 - Club Walden (Par: 72 Distance: 5427 Rating: 71.5 Slope: 123) NOPGA Series Girls 16-19 - Club Walden (Par: 72 Distance: 6069 Rating: 70.0 Slope: 127)
Northern Ohio PGA Junior Golf - 36th 9-HOLE FUTURES TOUR CHAMP AT CLUB WALDEN Results - Powered by BlueGolf Click here for complete tournament results Date: Jul 25 Course:Club Walden(Aurora, OH) Par and Total Yardage By Age Division 9 Hole Futures Girls 8-11 - Club Walden (Par: 36 Distance: 2027 Rating: 71.5 Slope: 123) 9 Hole Futures Boys 12-15 - Club Walden (Par: 36 Distance: 2492 Rating: 71.5 Slope: 123) 9 Hole Futures Boys 8-11 - Club Walden (Par: 36 Distance: 2027 Rating: 71.5 Slope: 123) 9 Hole Future Girls 12 to 15 - Club Walden (Par: 36 Distance: 2492 Rating: 71.5 Slope: 123)