Elisha Yim (left) and Daniel Park (right) stand as the new champions of the 102nd Maryland Junior Amateur and 52nd Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur.
Rockville, Md. – The 102nd Maryland Junior Amateur and 52nd Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur came to a close at Lakewood Country Club on Wednesday, June 24. The three-day event was defined by unfavorable weather conditions and a field of hopeful and resilient juniors.
Round One
In the boys’ event, Jack Kelley of Congressional Country Club came out with a strong start and carded a three-under-par 69. Kelley completed his first round with four consecutive birdies on the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th holes to keep the leading spot heading into day two. Daniel Park of Argyle Country Club finished round one with a one-under-par 71, just two strokes behind Kelley. Landon Tudor of The Club at P.B. Dye, Vidur Rajagopalan of USGA/Maryland-DC GC, and Ryan Hoffner of Hunt Valley Country Club finished round one in a tie for third at even-par 72.
In the girls’ event, Elisha Yim of Youth on Course Maryland took control of the lead with a one-under-par 71. Malaya Johnson of Youth on Course Maryland finished her round just a stroke behind Yim at even-par 72. 2023 champion Abigail Avallone of Congressional Country Club finished round one in third with a one-over-par 73.
Play was suspended for the day at 6:49 p.m. due to weather and resumed at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, June 23. On Tuesday, the remaining groups finished their rounds to finalize the leaderboard.
Round Two
Cut day was full of steady rain, unpredictable winds, and another pause in play, creating additional obstacles for the field of promising junior golfers.
On the girls’ side, Yim maintained her lead despite the challenging conditions and fired off a round of two-over-par 74. Johnson sustained her position at the conclusion of round two after posting a six-over-par 78. Avallone maintained her third-place position after carding a seven-over-par 79.
In the boys’ event, after an early bogey in his second round, Park rebounded to claim the top spot on the leaderboard with a two-under-par 70, the low scorer for round two. Kelley stumbled during his second round, losing the lead position after a double bogey on the final hole to finish the round at two-over-par 74. Tudor and Hoffner remained tied for third after each shot three-over-par 75 for their second rounds. Harrison Tindall of the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club joined Tudor and Hoffner at T3 after carding a two-over-par 74.
Round two proved a grind, with only three players across the two events shooting even-par or better, but better forecasts promised a rewarding final day of competition.
Round Three
Yim concluded her strong performance in the tournament with an even-par 70, finishing at one-over-par and earning the 52nd Maryland Girls’ Junior Amateur title. Yim’s win also awarded her an exemption into the 77th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship set to be held at Old Chatham Golf Club beginning July 13.
In her post-round interview regarding the U.S. Girls’ Junior exemption and her victory, Yim shared, “This means so much to me. I’m proud of how hard I worked to get here, and it just feels unreal for me to get all the way there.” See Elisha Yim’s full interview here
Yim’s strong performance awarded her medalist honors in the Girls 12-14 division, with Malaya Johnson claiming the Girls 15-18 division after shooting a tournament total nine-over-par.
Park entered the final round of the Junior Amateur with a two-stroke lead over the rest of the field. Three birdies on the front nine gave him the momentum he needed to secure the win. After making the turn, Park was able to fire off four consecutive birdies on the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th holes to complete his final round at three-under-par 69. Park finished the tournament at six-under-par and seven strokes ahead of the field to claim victory in the 102nd Maryland Junior Amateur.
Park reflected on his win, “Lots of good thoughts. I’m super proud of myself. I’m glad to see that all my hard work paid off today.” See Daniel Park’s full interview here
Davis Balderston of Chartwell Golf and Country Club won the Boys 12-14 division after shooting seven-over-par at the conclusion of the tournament. Park’s strong performance throughout the week helped him claim top honors in the Boys 15-18 division as well.
The MSGA would like to thank Lakewood Country Club membership and staff for their hospitality this week.
MSGA Mission
To serve, grow, and advance the game of golf in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
