Czarnecki and Willis take SC Junior Match Titles

 

Boys' Match Play Brackets          Girls' Match Play Brackets          Tournament Pictures

 

Ashley Czarnecki of Greenville, SC proved why she is the top ranked junior girl in the state of South Carolina unifying the state junior girls' titles by beating Jodee Tindal of Rock Hill, SC in the championship match of the SC Junior Girls' Match Play Championship on the Tom Fazio designed Cotton Dike course at Dataw Island Club in St. Helena, SC.  Czarnecki, a rising high school senior, won the stroke play championship conducted by Women's South Carolina Golf Association in June.  "I have played a lot of golf this summer, but this week I played a lot" stated Czarnecki.  "I was fighting a few swing issued early in eh week, but worked hard on the range and played as much as I could before I got here on Monday" added Czarnecki.  Czarnecki won four of the first five holes in the championship match due to Tindal fighting a bulky putter early in the round.  Tindal won the sixth hole when Czarnecki hooked her drive into the lateral water hazard but Czarnecki won the seventh hole to go back four up.  Tindal birdied the tenth hole, but Czarnecki bounced right back winning the eleventh hole.  The pair halve the next four holes and Czarnecki won the match by a 4 and 3 margin.

 

In the boys' championship, Nick Willis of Cowpens, SC defeated Matt Lehman of Bluffton, SC 5 and 3 in the championship match to claim is first Carolinas Golf title.  "What a great week here at Dataw Island.  The members and everyone here made us feel so welcome and I really played great today" stated Willis.  Willis, a rising high school junior, defeated Reed Bentley of Wellford, SC in the morning's semifinal match 2 up to reach the championship match.  Lehman, a rising high school junior, defeated Jordan Warnock of Roebuck, SC 1 up in a very tight match.  In the championship match, Willis and Lehman halved the first four holes before Willis won the par three fifth hole after Lehman hit his tee shot in a greenside bunker and could not get his ball up and in giving Willis his first lead.  Lehman squared the match after Willis found trouble on the par five seventh hole.  But Willis bounced right back with back to back birdies on eight and nine to make the turn with a two up advantage.  Willis won the tenth hole when Lehman's approach shot flew the green and led to a double bogey and a three up margin for Willis.  After a halved eleventh hole, Willis hit the shot of the tournament hitting a hybrid on the par five thirteenth hole tp with in two feet of the cup and a conceded eagle to push the lead to four up.  After both player's made tough par putts on the fourteenth hole to halve the hole, Willis won the final match when Lehman found a lateral water hazard on the fifteenth hole and conceded the hole giving state match play title to Willis 5 and 3.

 

(78) Ashley Czarnecki, Greenville, S.C. (2016) def. (80) Jodee Tindal, Rock Hill, S.C. (2017),4 and 3

 

(78) Matt Lehman, Bluffton, S.C. (2016) def. (70) Jordan Warnock, Roebuck, S.C. (2016),1 up

(74) Nick Willis, Cowpens, S.C. (2017) def. (87) Reed Bentley, Wellford, S.C. (2017),2 up

(74) Nick Willis, Cowpens, S.C. (2017) def. (78) Matt Lehman, Bluffton, S.C. (2016),4 and 3

 

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.

Now in its 106th year, the CGA annually conducts 43 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 140 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed more than $1,500,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.    

For more information about the CGA, visit www.carolinasgolf.org.