There was drama last month at Asheboro Municipal Golf Course for the North Carolina Junior Boys’ 14-and-under championship.
That’s because it took John John Santospago of Charlotte seven playoff holes in order to secure the championship. Hank Johnson of Newland settled for second place. They played Nos. 1 and 9 repeatedly during the playoff for five holes until moving to No. 2, with both golfers making par. Then at par-4 No. 3, Santospago used a par to claim the title.
Santospago and Johnson shot two-round totals of 4-over 144, while Jackson Bryce of Cary was third at 145 in the 46-golfer field. Caedmon Albertyn of Monroe was fourth with 147.
Santospago, 13, was the 2021 runner-up. This year’s result gave him his first Carolinas Golf Association victory.
Archdale holds big tourney
At Archdale, Connor Warren of Spruce Pin won the 18th annual Dogwood State Junior Boys Championship, which was a three-round event contested last month at Holly Ridge Golf Links. Warren shot 12-under 204 and ended up with a two-shot victory on Waxhaw’s Matthew McDougall in the 163-golfer field.
Among the entrants was Eastern Randolph standout Connor Carter. He shot 80 in the first round followed by 72, so he missed the cut by six shots.
Area entrants contend
At Holly Springs, the team of Peyton Wyatt of Kernersville and Brock Elder of Randleman placed in a fifth-place tie last week in the Carolinas Pro-Junior Championship at Club at 12 Oaks.
The Wyatt/Elder team had a 3-under-par score of 69.
The winning tandem was Cameron Harvey of Kernersville and Chris Haarlow of Greensboro with 64.
U.S. Am qualifier held
At Thomasville, three out-of-state entrants gained spots among the four slots available in the U.S. Amateur based on the two-round qualifying at Colonial Country Club. Those spots went to Cade Russell (136) of Knoxville, Tenn.; Jet Tickle (136) of Bristol, Tenn.; Walker Isley (137) of Oak Island; and Jacob Tarkany (138) of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Trinity’s Jake Clodfelter, a Wheatmore graduate, shot 146. Sam Davidson of Asheboro shot 148.
