CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Junior Amateur Championship, for players under 18 and conducted by the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA), finished Tuesday at Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington.
Jack Michael of Huntington took the Boys Championship with a total of three under par 139 thanks, in part, to five birdies today and leaving him with a five-stroke advantage over the field. Carson Higginbotham of Clarksburg finished second with a two over par 144. Michael said of his Championship, “I’m happy to come out on top. Thanks go to the WVGA for a great event and to Guyan for being great hosts.”
Kerri-Anne Cook of Oceana came from a two-stroke deficit Monday to win the Girls Championship with a four-stroke lead over Taylor Sargent of Milton, Monday’s leader. Cook finished with a five over par 147. Cook said, “The weather held off and the course was beautiful.”
Parker O’Dell of Hurricane held onto his first-day lead to win the boys 13-14 division at eight over par 150. Audrey Kerr of Bridgeport won the girls 10-14 division with a 29 over par 171. Bentley Shirkey of Barboursville defeated Jude Walker of Mount Zion in the boys 12 and under division after a two-hole playoff; both finished at 21 over par 163.
“It’s nice to see one of our hometown boys win this event,” said Guyan’s General Manager Allan Thacker. “In addition to Cameron Jarvis winning the 2023 WVGA West Virginia Amateur, we have had some good young players the last few years. Congratulations to Kerri-Anne Cook, as well.”
“Great hosts and a great venue at Guyan Golf and Country Club provided an amazing championship experience for our junior golfers this week” said WVGA Tournament Manager – Youth Operations Lucas Ware. “Thanks to Head PGA Professional Rick Ellison and General Manager Allan Thacker for allowing us to host one of my favorite events at their Club.”
Click here for a complete list of today’s final scores.
For more information, please visit wvga.org.
About the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA): Founded in 1913, the West Virginia Golf Association is dedicated to promoting and preserving the game of golf in West Virginia. We introduce elementary school children to golf and safety, core values and healthy habits through the First Tee of West Virginia. We also focus on teaching fundamentals and developing young players through our Callaway Junior Rookie League and Callaway Junior Tour events for boys and girls under 18. We host one-day events and tournaments throughout the season for men, women, juniors and seniors. Our membership consists of 85 Member Clubs and over 11,000 individual golfers throughout the state of West Virginia. In addition, we serve as a central source of information for our Member Clubs and generally represent the United States Golf Association (USGA) through administering the USGA Handicap System and Course/Slope Rating System, conducting qualifying rounds and overseeing amateur status matters. It is also our privilege to protect and share the rich history of golf in West Virginia through the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.
