Will Gregware (left) and Zoe Cusack (right) stand as the newly crowned 101st Maryland Junior Amateur and 48th Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur champions.
Owings Mills, Md. — The 101st Maryland Junior Amateur and 48th Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur concluded Wednesday at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club. The three-day stretch was defined by extreme heat, steady nerves, and championship-caliber golf.
Round One: Scorching Temps and Red-Hot Starts
Monday’s opening round featured temperatures over 100 degrees, requiring players to manage both the course and the extreme heat.
In the boys’ event, George Matthew Aoun (Bethesda Country Club) started strong, posting a tournament-best 6-under-par 66, which included two eagles on a pair of par-5 holes. Three players finished round one with a 2-under-par 70 in a tie for second, which included Drew Klein (Green Spring Valley Hunt Club), Andrew Clark (Columbia Country Club), and Will Gregware (Crofton Country Club). Patrick Carl (The Links at Challedon) and Palmer Freed (Cattail Creek Country Club) each carded a 1-under-par 71 to round out the top six.
On the girls’ side, defending champion Zoe Cusack (Congressional Country Club) stormed out to the lead with a 4-under-par 68, tallying five birdies and an eagle. 2023 champion Abigail Avallone (Congressional Country Club) carded a solid 1-over-par 73, sitting alone in second place after round one. Bani Banwait (Youth on Course – Maryland) followed close behind with a 3-over-par 75.
Round Two: Shakeups and Setups
In the girls’ event, Cusack remained firmly in control. She posted her second straight under-par round with a 3-under-par 69, stretching her lead to 10 strokes and entering the final day at 7-under-par overall. Round two also saw another solid round from Avallone with a 4-over-par 76, which maintained her second-place spot.
Other notable round two scores include Claire Son (Worthington Manor Golf Club) with a 3-over-par 75, which put her in the third-place spot. Michelle Yeung (Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club) carded a 4-over-par 76 that would put her just four strokes back of the top three going into the third round.
Tuesday delivered plenty of action and a shakeup at the top of the leaderboard in the boys’ event. After posting the low score in round one, Aoun struggled, shooting an 11-over-par 83. This opened the door for the rest of the field, with Jack Kelly (Congressional Country Club) and Joseph Vartabedian (Argyle Country Club) vaulting themselves into the top four with solid play, each shooting a 1-under-par 71. However, it was Gregware and Carson Looney (Congressional Country Club) who took full advantage.
Gregware fired a second straight 2-under-par 70, which included four birdies, to move to 4-under-par total. Looney made his move with a bogey-free 3-under-par 69, bringing him to 3-under-par total. Championship Wednesday was set for a thriller.
Round Three: A Duel and a Statement
Cusack concluded a strong performance with another 3-under-par 69, finishing the tournament at 10-under-par and earning her second consecutive Girls’ Junior Amateur title. Cusack is the ninth girls’ junior to go back-to-back in the event, and the first since Irene Kim (2021 & 2022).
This victory was particularly significant as it marked the first year the championship awarded an exemption into the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur. In her post-round interview regarding the U.S. Girls’ Junior exemption, Cusack shared, “It’s super special. This event is always so great, so the fact that it’s a [USGA exemption event] now makes it even better. I am super lucky to be able to play here.”
The boys’ final round delivered high drama. With Gregware clinging to a one-shot lead entering round three, early bogeys gave Looney the opening he needed. By the 11th hole, the two were tied, and they would remain that way for the rest of their rounds. Things started to heat up on hole 16, where both players carded birdies. They would each repeat the feat on hole 17, continuing to match each other stroke for stroke.
Tied heading to hole 18, both players made par, forcing a playoff for the Maryland Junior Amateur title. The playoff started on hole one, looping with the neighboring par-3, hole 18. The two continued to match each other’s shots, stretching the playoff to four holes. Finally, on the fourth playoff hole, a missed putt from Looney, which gave him a bogey, created an opening for Gregware. Gregware capitalized, making a par, and claiming victory in the 101st Maryland Junior Amateur.
After the win, Gregware reflected on the moment, “I was honestly just grateful to get into a playoff [after] Carson hit it really close on 17 for eagle. I knew it was going to be a battle in the playoff.”
The MSGA would like to thank Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, its staff, and members for hosting a first-class championship week.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
