Claire Crawford of Aberdeen Roncalli captured first place in the 16-to-18-year-old girls division Monday at the South Dakota Golf Association Sanford Junior Tour event held at Moccasin Creek Country Club.
Crawford posted a final score of 93, edging out Doland’s Olivia Knox by a single stroke. Despite the victory, Crawford expressed some dissatisfaction with her performance.
“My back nine was bombarded by bad drives, and that put me in tough situations for the rest of my round,” Crawford said. “In high school, you often play to compete against others, but in the summer, it’s more about improving your own game. I know what I need to fix after today and hope to figure it out by Wednesday.”
Crawford will next compete in the Sanford Series two-day event, which begins Wednesday, June 25, at Elkhorn Ridge Golf Course and Spearfish Canyon Golf Course in Spearfish. Meanwhile, another junior tour event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, at Lee Park in Aberdeen.
Crawford, who helped Aberdeen Roncalli place third at the recent Class A state tournament, aims to achieve more consistent scoring this summer. “I want to be able to consistently shoot in the 70s. Right now, my scores vary, but I believe I have the ability to shoot in the 70s.”
In the boys’ 16-to-18 division, Sioux Falls’ Quinton Holland claimed first place with a score of 78. Aberdeen’s Harper Schnabel and Kalen Larson tied for second, each carding an 82.
Also representing Aberdeen Roncalli, Mackenzie Wegehaupt secured second place in the girls 13-to-15 division with an 89, finishing three strokes behind winner Ronnie Wilharm of Vermillion.
“My front nine went well with few bad drives, but my par-three holes were tough. I don’t think I parred any today, with a few bogeys and doubles,” Wegehaupt commented. She hopes to improve her driving game this summer after taking a lesson with coach Jon Murdy. “Sometimes I hit a good drive, but on the next hole, it ends up way off the fairway. I need to recover better from those errant shots.”
In the girls 12-to-13 category, Warner’s Ellis Johnson shot an 87 to claim a narrow one-stroke victory over Aberdeen’s Genevieve Golz. Johnson, an eighth-grader and member of Warner High School’s fledgling girls golf team, credited her strong driving and approach shots for the win.
“I was focused on avoiding three-putts and bad chips. My driver and eight iron really helped me today,” Johnson said. “Some putts were good, some not so much, but I made the crucial ones.”
Johnson’s father, Mike Johnson, serves as head coach of the Warner girls golf team, which recently completed its inaugural season.
On the boys’ side, Rapid City’s Jaxon Remington and Clark’s Logan Borns both shot 80, with Remington taking medalist honors. Aberdeen’s Braylen Liebl finished third with a 92.
