Son captures WOGA Junior Championship at Southern Hills

By Ken MacLeod

Photos by Rip Stell

Perhaps fittingly, the two young women who will be representing Oklahoma in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship next week at Tulsa Country Club also finished 1-2 in the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association Junior Girls Championship Wednesday at Southern Hills Country Club.
 
Yujeong Son, one of the top-ranked juniors nationally in her age group, followed a 3-under 69 with a 2-over 74 for a 1-under 143 to win by seven shots over Kaitlin Milligan, who will be a junior at Norman North.
 
Milligan bounced back from an opening 78 with the day’s low round of even-par 72 to finish at 6-over 150. Sydney Youngblood of Durant took third at 153 (74-79) followed by Taylor Dobson of Broken Arrow at 155 (73-82).
 

Son would have prevailed by an even-more comfortable margin if not for four three-putts. The 14-year-old native of South Korea who will be a freshman this fall at Norman High School said that is one area she will be working on between now and when practice rounds begin for the national junior championship Saturday.
 
"Overall I played well and hit it good except for my putting," Son said. "I had five birdies today but a lot of three-putts. I was seeing the lines all right but couldn’t get the speed down at all."
 
Both Son and Milligan said they were thrilled to have qualified for their first USGA Junior event, which they did June 23 in blustery conditions at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater.

"I’m so excited," said Milligan. "I hit it much better here today after a pretty shaky opening round. It was amazing to get to play Southern Hills."   Son made the turn at 1-over and three-putted the par-3 11th before rebounding with birdies on the par-5 13th and 16th holes. She took a double bogey on the par-4 14th when she hit her approach long, pitched on and three-putted again.
 

In addition to playing in the USGA event, Son will defend her title she won at age 13 in the WOGA State Amateur Championship July 27-29 at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, and will also play in the Junior PGA Championship Aug. 3-6 at Miramont Country Club in Bryan, Texas. She also might play in the American Junior Golf Association Girls Championship, giving her an opportunity at championships in three major national events before starting her freshman year.
 
In other age groups, Lilly Whitley prevailed in the 12-13 age group at 173 (84-89), Jenni Roller at ages 10-11 at 78 (39-39) and Beans Factor in the 8-9 age group (62-53).

The Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association reported that, helped by the venue at historic Southern Hills, its field was the largest of any state junior girls tournament in the nation this summer. More than 100 girls participated.

2015 WOGA Girl’s Junior State Championship
Southern Hills Country Club

12-17 year old division
1  Yujeong Son, Norman         69-74-143
2  Kaitlin Milligan, Norman    78-72-150
3  Sydney Youngblood, Durant   74-79-153
4  Taylor Dobson, Broken Arrow 73-82-155
5  Stephanie Royer, Tulsa      76-81-157
T6 Peighton Walker, Purcell    77-81-158
   Ashton Nemecek, Purcell     82-76-158
T8 Shaebug Scarberry, Purcell  81-79-160
   Bailey Blake, Edmond        82-78-160
   Heidi Stafford, Eufaula      78-82-160
11 Natalie Gough, Bixby         78-83-161
T12Bayleigh Johnson, Lawton     80-83-163
   Madison Smith, Norman        86-77-163
14 Taylor Towers, Owasso        81-83-164
15 Nina Lee, Collinsville       83-82-165
16 Korena Aills, Broken Arrow   83-84-167
T17Faith Stewart, Edmond        80-88-168
   Melissa Eldredge, Eufaula    87-81-168
19 Madison O’Dell, Owasso       85-84-169
T20Faith Belmear, Owasso        86-84-170
   Trudy Allen, Broken Arrow    85-85-170
   Alyssa Wilson, Yukon         85-85-170
   Katie Finley, Ardmore        86-84-170
24 Faith Hopkins, Bartlesville  89-82-171
T25Ashlea Mahan, Moore          90-83-173
   Lilly Whitley, Edmond        84-89-173
T27Olivia Schmidt, Edmond       95-80-175
   Alesia Gonzales, Tulsa       92-83-175
T29Mika Ramos, Broken Arrow     92-85-177
   Sydney Hermann, Ponca City   88-89-177
31 Taylor Boylan, Tulsa         91-87-178
32 Emilee Jackson, Edmond       93-86-179
33 Jordan Leonard, Owasso       93-88-181
34 Mikaela Rindermann, Norman   92-90-182
T35Hannah Moesinger, OKC        89-94-183
   Shelby Palmour, Tulsa        94-89-183
   Summer Marshall, Norman      97-86-183
   Samantha Dennison, Stillwater90-93-183
39 McKenzie McCoy, Okmulgee     97-87-184
T40Katherine Horne, Owasso      93-92-185
   Cheyenne Musser, Sapulpa    101-84-185
42 Meg Medders, Tulsa          101-85-186
T43Chloe Black, Newcastle       98-89-187
   Samantha Peters, Ardmore     98-89-187
T45Natalie Igo, Edmond          94-94-188
   Kailee McCrary,Broken Arrow  96-92-188
47 Jordan Clayborn, Tahlequah   90-99-189
48 Alexis Dake, Claremore      101-89-190
49 Vi N Hoang, Oklahoma City    98-97-195
T50Meagan Brady, Bixby         103-94-197
   Jordyn Rogers, Bixby        105-92-197
52 Gail Young, Collinsville    105-95-200
T53Journey Perdu, Heavener     97-104-201
   Madison LaValle, Owasso     100-101-201
   Hadley Walters, Edmond      105-96-201
56 Gabriella Echevarria, BA    102-100-202
57 Lauren Behnken, Tulsa       106-97-203
58 Mia Solheim, Edmond         101-104-205
59 Hayden Meiser, Norman       102-104-206
T60Madison Foster, Owasso      109-98-207
   Lauren Evans, Newcastle     108-99-207
   Paisley Skeith, Tulsa       108-99-207
63 Sarah Sherrard, Moore       101-109-210
T64Nicole Anderson, Bixby      108-103-211
   Chloe McKinney, Durant      113-98-211
T66Kylee Johnson, Bixby        109-103-212
   Campbell Payne, Broken Arrow115-97-212
68 Caylee Rollins, Edmond      107-107-214
69 Kaeley Wilson, Jenks        115-101-216
70 Sara Armstrong, Guthrie     119-100-219
71 Isabel Vela, Bixby          114-107-221
72 Paige Clinton, Durant       120-106-126
73 Karina Parmley, Coleman     116-111-227
74 Kacie Ashing, Muskogee      114-118-232
T75Erika Dinkel, Broken Arrow  116-117-233
   Jade Kuykendall, Muskogee   118-115-233
77 Rachel Eckert, Bixby        123-111-234
78 Wallis Hatch, Tulsa         114-121-235
79 Addie Sanders, Muskogee     130-119-249
80 Sophie Sallee, Collinsville 130-121-251
81 Zoe Ruley, Tulsa            124-133-257

11 and under (9 hole division)

1,Jenni Roller, Jenks, Oklahoma |39-39–78
2, Aubrey House, McAlester, OK |41-38–79
3, Brooklyn Benn, Edmond, OK |38-44–82
4, Amanda Lee, Collinsville, OK |42-41–83
5, Jayce Blake, Howe, OK |48-41–89
T6, MaKaylee Cowan, Yukon, OK |44-50–94
Malia Vang, Oologah, Oklahoma |46-48–94
8, Emily Vang, Tulsa, OK |52-49–101
9, Mimi N Hoang, Oklahoma City, OK |50-54–104
T10, Olivia Coit, Edmond, OK |49-58–107
Riley Beeler, Jenks, OK |55-52–107
12, Emma Fields, Broken Arrow, OK |52-57–109
13, Beans Factor, Ada, OK |62-53–115
T14, Erin Gray, Wynnewood, Ok |63-55–118
Amera Williamson, Sulphur, OK |61-57–118
16, Anya Tillman, Edmond, OK |64-58–122
17, Ella Barbush, Edmond, Oklahoma |65-72–137
T18, Reese Peters, Ardmore, Ok |78-67–145
 Allison Turner, Tulsa, Ok |72-73–145

Trophy Flight
1 Lauren Sieh      121-56-177
2 Darci Scott      122-59-181
3 Ryleigh Jones    133-66-199
4 Kalie Coit       135-68-203
5 Bradi McLemore   171-81-252