ASHLEY CHILDERS, MT VERNON
&
BRETT WINDSOR, BOONVILLE
CHAMPIONS
14th Annual Junior Match Play Championship
June 16-19, 2014
Columbia Country Club
2210 N Country Club Dr
Columbia MO 65201
573-449-4115
Pictured left to right Taylor Rose Hayes, Ashley Childers and Dee Sanders MGA Director
Brett Windsor, Tom McCutcheon, MGA Director, and Davis Soderberg
Article written by Cameron Backes, MGA Boatwright Intern
2014 Missouri Junior Match Play Championship
The 2014 Missouri Junior Match Play Championship kicked off Monday, June 16th at the beautiful Columbia Country Club in Columbia, Missouri. In the female division, all 18 ladies qualified for the 2nd round of match play. In the male division, we had 59 players compete for the 32 person 2nd round qualifier. After the men’s round concluded on Monday, 82 was the cutoff to qualify for the 2nd round.
Many of our junior players competing in match play had recently qualified for the 2014 Missouri Amateur Championship at Norwood Hills. From the men’s division, Baron Weaver of Springfield, MO, Bailey Woods of Warrensburg, Jack Litzelfelner III of Jackson, Brett Windsor of Boonville, Mark Martin of Rolla, Davis Soderberg of St. Charles, and Christopher Obert of Ozark all qualified. Among the women’s division, Pavin Jackson of Lebanon and Taylor Rose Hayes of Lake Ozark will be competing in the 2014 Women’s Missouri Amateur Championship. Ashley Childers was also the 2013 Match Play Champion after she defeated Elizabeth Leath 7 & 6. Alec Palen defeated Brett Windsor 8 & 7 for the 2013 Match Play Championship.
Tuesday’s play started the men’s first round (18 holes) of 32 players, and an afternoon round. The women 2nd round (18 holes) of 16 players started in the afternoon.
Hole by hole, players were competing to survive and advance to the quarterfinal round of match play. After play concluded Tuesday night, we had our elite bracket complete in both divisions and ready to begin competition first thing Wednesday morning. The quarterfinal match consisted of 8 of the top junior golfers in the state of Missouri.
In the men’s division, Walker Kesterson of Hartsburg, Bailey Woods of Warrensburg, Jack Litzelfelner III of Jackson, Brett Windsor of Boonville, Davis Soderberg of St. Charles, Gregory Watkins of Leawood, Isaac Burroughs of West Plains and Jackson Dubinski of Columbia were the among the 8 quarterfinalist. Our 8 quarterfinalist are swimming in familiar waters as each one of them had success in the 2014 MSHSAA State Golf Championship. Kesterson, a junior at Southern Boone County High School, finished 2nd in the Class 2 State Championship. Windsor,a senior at Boonville High School, tied for 1st as the Class 3 State Champion. Also in the Class 3 State Championship, Davis Soderberg, a junior at St. Charles West High School, tied for 5th, Jack Litzelfelner, Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) tied for 8th, Isaac Burroughs, West Plains High School, tied for 10th and Bailey Woods, Warrensburg High School finished 16th in the state tournament. Jackson Dubinski, a senior at Rock Bridge High School, was part of the 2014 Class 4 State Champions Rock Bridge Bruins. Gregory Watkins, a senior at Rockhurst High School, was also part of a Rockhurst team that finished 3rd in the Class 4 State Championship behind Rock Bridge and DeSmet High School.
In the Women’s division, Sarah Bell of Jackson, Bailey Yost of Warrensburg, Morgan Holmes of Chesterfield, Nicole Marquis of Moberly, Elise McDonough of St. Louis, Taylor Hayes of Laze Ozark, and Ashley Childers of Mt. Vernon make up the 8 Women’s quarterfinalist. Similar to the men, many of our junior women players had success in their MSHSAA state tournament. In the Class 1 State Championship, Childers, a senior at Mt. Vernon High School finished 2nd, Taylor Hayes, a ( ) from Osage High School finished 5th, Elise McDonough, a senior at Kirkwood High School finished 9th, and Nicole Marquis, a senior at Moberly High School finished 11th in the state tournament. Bailey Yost, Warrensburg High School, tied for 13th in the Class 2 State Tournament.
Wednesday mornings quarterfinal round began with the men’s division teeing it up first. Windsor defeated Dubinksi 4 & 3. Watkins defeated Litzfelner 3 & 2. Soderberg defeated Burroughs 2 up. Kesterson defeated Woods 3 & 2. In the women’s division, Childers defeated Holmes 2 up. McDonough defeated Marquis 2 up. Bell defeated Baker 1 up. Hayes defeated Yost 4 & 3.
The afternoon kicked off with our Men’s semi-finalist round. Our matched featured Windsor vs. Watkins and Kesterson vs. Soderberg. Windsor defeated Watkins 5 & 4 and Soderberg defeated Kesterson 1 up. In the women’s division, our semi-finalist consisted of Childers vs. McDonough and Hayes vs. Bell. Childers defeated McDonough 4 & 2 and Hayes defeated Bell 2 up.
The two final match play groups consisting of Childers and Hayes and Windsor and Soderberg got under way at 8 A.M. Thursday morning. An 18-hole match between the two final groups would claim the victor. In the men’s division, Windsor and Soderberg were up and down through 7 holes. Then Soderberg turned on the jets and won the next 4 holes to go 3 up through 11. With the thought of the end in near, Windsor stayed calm and knew it was now or never to turn it around. Windsor birdies the next two holes, stays mistake free and ends up winning holes 12-15 and going up 1 through 15 holes of play. Both birdie hole 16. Soderberg hooked his tee shot out of bounds on hole 17 and his next shot went left of the green while Windsor stuck his 2nd shot about 30 feet from the pin. Soderberg’s chip went left of the pin and the match had ended. Windsor defeated Soderberg 2 & 1 in a match that was a thriller from the beginning.
In the female division, both Childers and Hayes tied on the first 3 holes. We knew after these that it was going to be a close match. Hayes was 1 up after paring hole 4 and then the match went back to being equal on 5 and 6. The rest of the front nine was all Ashley Childers’s. She ended up being 2 up going onto hole 10. However, Hayes was not about to give up. Hayes was on the edge of the green and she chipped in for birdie. Childers was now only 1 up. Childers fought hard also and stayed 2 up from holes 11 to 13 and then was 3 up. Hayes birdied a par 5 and tried to finish it out but missed her put on hole 17 and Childers won the match. Childers defeated Hayes 2 & 1 in a very close match. Childers is now a two-time defending champion.
A big thank you goes out to all the players, directors, Columbia Country Club and all the other contributors for allowing the Missouri Golf Association to put on such a successful tournament. The 2014 Missouri Junior Match Play was a huge success and we look forward to it again next year.
The tee times and pairings are set for the 14th annual Junior Match Play. The field of 57 boys and 18 girls will play 18 holes of stroke play on Monday, June 16th
Boys – cut to low 32
Girls – no cut needed
They will begin the first round of Match Play on Tuesday morning. The boys will play 36 holes. The girls will play 18 holes
On Wednesday Match Play will resume with the girls playing 18 holes and boys playing 36 for their semifinal matches
The Junior Match Play will conclude on Thursday with 36 hole final round for both girls and boys.
All players will walk but are allowed caddies and pull carts.
Good luck to all of you and thank you for your support.