There was good-natured roughhousing among some of the boys, plenty of laughing and giggling by both the girls and boys, and pretty good golf along the way too.
Such is the nature of the CJGA 10 & Under Junior Series Championship. While there’s certainly a competitive tournament going on, there was no lack of youthful playfulness Wednesday at the Fowler Par-3 Course at Boulder Country Club.
“These tournaments are fun, and I play with all my friends,” noted 9-year-old Anna Jordaan from Cherry Hills Country Club.
Among some of the highlights of the day:
— In addition to sharing some laughs with some of her young golf buddies, Jordaan (left) won the girls 10 & Under Junior Series title two years after older sister Marie claimed the same championship.
Asked what Marie’s reaction might be to Anna duplicating her feat, the younger Jordaan said, “I’m moving up and she would probably get mad. She’ll probably think (she still has bragging rights because) she won it first.”
Jordaan posted the victory Wednesday — her fourth of the CJGA season — by shooting a 76. Sofia Choi of Highlands Ranch Golf Club took second place at 78, while Katelyn Lehigh of the Olde Course at Loveland finished third at 84.
— After playing with Brayden Bozak the last two years as Bozak won back-to-back 10 & Under Junior Series titles, Traejan Andrews (left) of Boomerang Golf Links prevailed by five strokes in the boys competition Wednesday.
“I’ve always wanted to win this event,” said the 10-year-old Andrews, who notched his third win of the year on the CJGA circuit. “I played with Brayden Bozak the two years before this and he won both times, so I’m really happy I won this year. I’m just really proud of myself.”
And, for the record, the Windsor resident finished a stroke lower than Bozak’s totals each of the last two years.
Andrews claimed the boys championship by shooting a 7-over-par 61 at the Fowler Course. Gage Messingham of The Heritage at Westmoor and Jake Chesler of the CJGA Club tied for second at 66.
— One of the most successful players ever in the Junior Series Championship, three-time 14-18 winner Somin Lee, returned to the event, albeit as an interested observer. Lee had planned to caddie for Andrew Jang, who takes lessons from Lee’s dad, but when she learned that wasn’t allowed, she became a rapt spectator. In case you’re wondering, Jang (left, with Lee) shot 70 and finished seventh in the boys tournament.
Lee, a two-time CWGA Player of the Year, will soon depart for her senior season as a golfer at Pepperdine University.
Wednesday’s tournament marked the third and final CJGA Junior Series Championship of 2014. On Tuesday, Ross Macdonald of the Country Club at Castle Pines and Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course won the 14-18 championships. And last week, Jack Castiglia of Fossil Trace Golf Club and Amy Chitkoksoong of Murphy Creek Golf Course claimed the 11-13 titles.
CJGA 10 & Under Junior Series Championship
At Par-54 Fowler Par-3 Course at Boulder CC
BOYS
Traejan Andrews, Boomerang GL – 31-30–61
Gage Messingham, Heritage at Westmoor – 33-33–66
Jake Chesler, Cjga Club – 33-33–66
Maxwell Lange, Rolling Hills CC – 34-33–67
Alex Chitkoksoong, CommonGround GC – 33-35–68
Luke Olkowski, Bookcliff CC – 33-36–69
Andrew Jang, Family Sports GC – 34-36–70
Trey Kirschner, West Woods – 37-33–70
Camden Braidech, Lone Tree Golf Club – 34-37–71
Liam Wood, Cjga Club – 36-35–71
Mason Macias, Family Sports GC – 35-39–74
Jack Rottschafer, South Suburban GC – 34-42–76
Yusuke Ogi, Fox Hollow – 38-40–78
Bielly Phasay, Riverdale GC – 39-40–79
Greg Woodley, Cjga Club – 40-39–79
Trey Grube, Meridian GC – 42-41–83
Elijah Knudsen, Fox Hill CC – 44-40–84
Benjamin Chin, Meridian GC – 43-44–87
Zane Aiken, Cjga Club – 44-47–91
GIRLS
Anna Jordaan, Cherry Hills CC – 37-39–76
Sofia Choi, Highlands Ranch GC – 41-37–78
Katelyn Lehigh, Olde Course at Loveland – 44-40–84
Ashleigh Wilson, Highlands Ranch GC – 44-42–86
Chunya Bead Boonta, Commond Ground GC – 45-44–89
Sarah Murphy, Cjga Club – 45-45–90
Joie Chun, Lonetree GC – 52-60–112
