PREVIEW: 2019 NYS Boys' & Girls' Junior Amateur Championships

July 18, 2019

HAMILTON, N.Y. – The best junior golfers around New York State will gather at Seven Oaks Golf Club next week for the 2019 New York State Boys’ & Girls’ Junior Amateur Championships, July 23 – 24.

The Championship returns to Colgate University’s Seven Oaks Golf Club for the fourth consecutive year, the sixth time overall for the Boys’ Junior and Sub-Junior and the seventh time for the Girls’ Junior. The field is set at 137 players, with 76 competing in the Junior Boys’ division, 29 in the Boys’ Sub-Junior and 32 in the Girls’ Junior. 

Related: Championship Home / Pairings / Scoring / Past Winners

Championship Quick Facts

Dates: July 23 – 24, 2018

Host Site: Seven Oaks Golf Club, Hamilton, N.Y. 

Course Yardage:

78th NYS Boys’ Junior Amateur

HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
YARDAGE 424 142 389  379   519 443   525  185 441 
PAR  4  4  5  5  3  4

 

HOLE 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
YARDAGE 371   212 521  358   178 416  436  357  538 
PAR  3


Out: 3,447 yards / In: 3,387 yards

Total: 6,834 yards, Par 36-36-72 (74.2/139)

 

63rd NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Amateur

HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
YARDAGE  335  126  345  363 466   292  510 161   381
PAR  4  4  4  4  3  4

 

HOLE 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
YARDAGE 337   192  507  337 148  393   324 329  466 
PAR  3  5  4

 

Out: 2,979 yards / In: 3,033 yards

Total: 6,012 yards, Par 36-36-72 (69.3/125)

 

57th NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur

HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
YARDAGE  335 123  334  232   403 292  450  150   381
PAR  4  5  4  5  3  4

 

HOLE 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
YARDAGE  337 167  431   326 130  365  324  310  466 
PAR  4  3  5  4  4  4  4  5

 

Out: 2,700 yards / In: 2,856 yards

Total: 5,556 yards, Par 36-36—72 (72.7/130)

 

Defending Champions: Luke Sample (Boys’ Junior), Bailey Shoemaker (Girls’ Junior), Anthony Maglisco (Sub-Junior)

Format: 36 holes of stroke play, played over two days. There will be no cut in these championships.

Eligibility: Open to male and female amateur junior golfers (18 & under) who are residents of New York State or, if not a resident, are dues paying members of an NYSGA member club. Entrants must have an active USGA Handicap Index (provided free by the NYSGA to all juniors). 

Schedule of Events

Monday, July 22

8:00am – 4:00pm // Player Registration

11:00am – 3:00pm // Players Lunch

9:00am – 3:30pm // Practice Rounds 

Tuesday, July 23

7:30am – 9:30am // Round 1 (Girls’ & Boys’ Sub-Junior) 

11:00am – 3:00pm // Players Lunch

12:30pm – 2:30pm // Round 1 (Boys’ Junior) 

Wednesday, July 24

7:30am – 9:30am // Round 2 (Boys’ Junior)

11:30am – 3:00pm // Players Lunch

1:00pm – 2:30pm // Round 2 (Girls’ & Boys’ Sub-Junior)

 

The Field 

The 78th NYS Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship field contains four past champions including:

Luke Sample, 16, of NYSGA eClub - NYC, birdied the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff to claim the 2018 NYS Boys’ Junior Championship. He also captured the NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Championship in 2017 by four strokes making him the third player in NYSGA history to win a Sub-Junior and Junior back-to-back. More recently, Sample captured medalist honors at the local qualifying round for the U.S. Open. He did not advance through sectional qualifying. The NYC native recently made a verbal commitment to Duke University. 

Anthony Maglisco, 15, of Bellevue Country Club, cruised to victory at the 2018 Boys’ Sub-Junior Championship, winning by six strokes and finishing at 108. He also won the 2018 Syracuse District Golf Association’s Junior Classic Boys’ Sub-Junior Championship. Now too old to defend his Sub-Junior title, he'll make his first appearance in the Junior Am.

Jude Cummings, 17, of Locust Hill Country Club, took home the 2017 NYS Boys’ Junior in a four-hole playoff. He also captured the 2016 NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Championship, becoming the second player in NYSGA history to win a Sub-Junior and Junior back-to-back since Ron Philo set the mark in 1961-62. 

Jeremy Summerson, 18, of Cobblestone Country Club, won the 2015 NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Amateur championship at Cedar Lake Club. The Rochester native took home the 2017 Rochester District Golf Association Boys Junior Championship in 19 holes (match play). Summerson also won the 2017 & 2018 RDGA Boys' Junior Player of the Year.

The 57th NYS Girls’ Junior has one past champion in the field, Bailey Shoemaker of Seven Oaks.

Shoemaker, 14, of Seven Oaks, will be competing in her fifth NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur. At last year’s championship, the West Edmeston native captured the title by three strokes at one-over 109. In 2017, she routed the field with a seven-stroke victory, finishing at even par 144. In 2015, she finished in the top-10 at age 10. Shoemaker has competed across the national stage multiple times, including at the 2018 & 2019 PGA Girls’ Junior National Championship, 2018 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, as well as the 2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Capturing the 2017 title at the age of 12, she was more than likely the youngest winner ever to claim the Betty Deeley Cup. Shoemaker recently made a verbal commit to the University of Southern California.  

The 63rd NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior field contains no past champions this year. Last year’s champ, Maglisco and 2017 champ, Sample, are both competing in the Boys’ Junior Amateur field.

Others to Watch

In the Boys’ Junior 

Stephen Bicks, 17, of Skaneateles Country Club, finished T-4 at last year’s NYS Boys’ Junior. He carded a three-over 147, two strokes behind winner Sample.

Shawn Colella, 16, of Bellevue Country Club, was the runner-up at the 2016 & 2017 NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior Championships. Collela, who regularly competes in Syracuse District events, was named SDGA Boys Player of the Year in 2016. He also won the three consecutive Syracuse District Junior Championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Nolan Forsman, 18, of Winged Foot Golf Club, competed in the 2018 IMG Junior Worlds and won the IMG Stone Creek Junior World Qualifier. The Larchmont native recently committed to Santa Clara University.

Austin Fox, 18, of Normanside Country Club, recently wrapped up his first season on the University of Rhode Island men’s golf team. Fox became the first-ever golfer to win the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Section II Champion three straight years (2015-17). He qualified for the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur where he missed the two-round cut with a 157 (+15). He also finished second at the 2017 NY State PGA Junior Championship. Fox was named Northeastern New York PGA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. 

Johnny Gruninger, 16, of Bellevue Country Club, is a top junior in Central New York, winning both the 2017 & 2018 Syracuse District Junior Classics held by the Syracuse District Golf Association. 

Ryan Hart, 17, of Country Club of Buffalo, recently competed at the U.S. Junior Amateur last week. He did not advance through the first two-rounds of stroke play after carding a 13-over 155. Last year, Hart finished T-4 at the NYS Boys’ Junior Championship. The Naples, Fla. Resident is the son of PGA Tour professional Dudley Hart.

Jimin Jung, 17, of Trump National Westchester, competed in the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Jud Langille. The duo missed the two-round cut, finishing at 139. They were among the youngest in this year’s championship field, with 16-year-old Langille being the fourth youngest, and Jung the fifth. Jung was the runner-up at the 2018 New York State Association of Independent Schools tournament, losing by a shot. The Briarcliff Manor native also earned runner-up honors at the 2017 MGA Boys Championship after losing Langille in 20 holes.

Jud Langille, 17, of Trump National Westchester, competed alongside Jung at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball earlier this year. Langille also played at the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur but failed to make the stroke play cut. He was the 2017 MGA Boys Champion, defeating last year’s NYS Boys’ Junior Champion Sample in the semifinals, 1 up, and Jung in 20 holes during the championship match. Langille was also the 2017 Westchester Golf Association Boys Champion at Knollwood Country Club.

Jason Lohwater, 18, of Brook-Lea Country Club, won the 2016 Rochester District Golf Association Junior Championship and was named the 2016 WNYPGA Player of the Year. He won four WNYPGA events in 2016, including the Tour Championship. He finished T-7 at last year’s NYS Junior Championship. The Rochester native recently wrapped up his first season on the Bucknell Men’s Golf team.

Zachary Ong, 14, of The Golf Club of Purchase, carded a nine-under 133 at his sectional quailfer to advance to the 2019 U.S. Amateur. At just 14, Ong is the youngest Singaporen golfer to qualify for the championship. Ong won the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Junior Amateur with a score of seven-under 137. He also finished second at 2017 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. 

Aidan Shaw, 17, of Orchard Park Country Club, recently captured the 2019 Section VI Boys’ Golf Title in a playoff. 

Evan Sitts, 18, of Ouleout Golf Course, recently placed T-2 at the 2019 NYSPHSAA Boy’s Golf Championship. He finished tenth at last year’s NYS Boys’ Junior Championship.

Aiden Spampinato, 16, of Locust Hill Country Club, took home the 2018 RDGA Junior Championship title.

Alex Zurat, 18, of Oak Hill Country Club, recently competed at the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur. He missed the two-round cut after carding a 11-over 153. In his junior career, Zurat has won both the U.S. Challenge Cup Granite State Junior Classic and the New York State Junior PGA Championship. Zurat will begin his college career this fall at Old Dominion University. 

In the Girls’ Junior 

Isabella Diaz, 18, of NYSGA eClub – Capital District, finished in the Top-15 at the NYS Women’s Amateur earlier this month. She also won the NENY PGA JGT Summer Major/Jr Champ this summer. Diaz finished eighth at last year’s Girls’ Junior. She will join the Siena College Women’s Golf team in the fall.

Lauren Chen, 16, of Met PGA Junior Golf Club, won the 2018 MET PGA Match Play Championship. She finished T-14 at the 2018 NYS Girls’ Junior Championship. 

Mikah McDonnell, 17, of Locust Hill Country Club, finished third at last year’s NYS Girls’ Junior Am, four strokes behind champ Shoemaker. She also finished top-15 at the 2018 & 2019 NYS Women’s Amateur. McDonnell was named the All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year in 2017 & 2018. She recently committed to William & Mary.

Taylor Miano, 17, of Metropolis Country Club, finished second at the 2019 Girls Met Junior PGA Championship and the Future Series: Bethpage Spring Challenge. She was runner-up in the 2016 & 2017 NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur. She also finished top-ten in the field at the 2018 NYS Women’s Amateur.

Lily Zhang, 10, of Park Country Club, finished fifth in her age group at the 2018 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. The Williamsville native is coached by LPGA Professional Cindy Miller.

In the Boys’ Sub-Junior

Jacob Dantonio, 14, of Crag Burn Golf Club, finished in T-11 at last year’s NYS Sub-Junior championship and is the cousin of Chelsea, 2018 & 2019 NYS Women’s Amateur runner-up. Last summer, he claimed the Buffalo District Golf Association’s Sub-Junior Match Play Tournament title.

Charlie Fischer, 14, of East Aurora Country Club, finished runner-up at last year’s NYS Sub-Junior, six strokes behind champion Maglisco. Fischer also won the 2018 Duster Challenge. 

Sam O’Hara, 14, of Maidstone Club, competed at the 2016 Drive, Chip and Putt finals. More recently, the Rye native finished fifth at 2019 PGA National Junior Open. 

 

Seven Oaks Golf Club

In 1916, a group of faculty from Colgate University and other townspeople created the Hamilton Golf Club, a nine-hole course, located behind student dormitories near Colgate’s campus. In 1927, the course was redesigned by Thomas Winton and named Seven Oaks. Less than ten years later, William Reid proposed an 18-hole course to be constructed on the newly-acquired Dunn Farm. Gene Sarazen and Robert Trent Jones helped Reid create the “Augusta of the North.”