Schmitt Wins Carolinas Junior Boys in Marathon Playoff

 

 

Event: 75th Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship

Host Site: Mount Vintage Golf Club, Mount Vintage, S.C.

Playing Dates: June 25-27, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos

 

MOUNT VINTAGE, S.C.- Payton Schmitt of Wake Forest, N.C., has claimed the 75th Carolinas Junior Boys' Championship at Mount Vintage Golf Club in Mount Vintage, S.C., in dramatic fashion in an extra holes marathon. Schmitt secured the victory on the seventh playoff hole over Erik Erienkeuser of Anderson, S.C., dropping a birdie putt on the par five ninth hole. He went 69-70-69 for a total score of 208 to secure the win. 

 

Erlenkeuser was the day one and day two leader after solid opening rounds. He mentioned after round two "I'm hitting the ball fantastic, think I missed maybe two greens." The opening two rounds were hot and muggy, with day two peaking over 100 degrees out on the course. The championship format is stroke play, contested over 54 holes with a cut to the top 60 and ties after 36 holes.

 

Schmitt would start the final round three strokes back of Erlenkeuser, and between that duo and Caedmon Albertyn of Monroe, N.C., a possible three-way tie loomed down the back nine. Schmitt's putter caught fire down the stretch, including clutch birdies on 16 and 17, the latter a putt dropped from about 17 feet. "I putted great, I made a 20-footer to extend the match on the fifth playoff hole," said Schmitt. "Besides the 4-footer to win the match, I made a 7-footer on sixteen and a 17-footer on the seventeenth, both pivotal to put me into the playoffs."

 

Schmitt and Erlenkeuser would fight back and forth over the first six playoff holes, both recording even par to that point. An unfortunate three-putt by Erlenkeuser on the seventh extra hole allowed the opening Schmitt needed to end the long and muggy day. As he sunk the winning putt, the first few raindrops could be felt, and by the time trophies were handed out, a good rain had made its way into the area.

 

With the win, Schmitt also earns an exemption into the 2024 USGA Junior Boys Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Schmitt said, "It's pretty sweet, I'm excited to go to Michigan and play in that."

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank General Manager David Ursy, Course Superintendent Steve Whitaker, Volunteer Coordinator Wayne Jones, and the rest of the Mount Vintage Club staff for helping us host a wonderful tournament for the 75th Carolinas Junior Boys’ Championship.

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1909 to promote and protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support, and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is one of the largest golf associations in the country, with over 700 member clubs represented by over 200,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 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 over $3,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives, including junior, women and adaptive programs.

For more information about the Carolinas Golf Association, follow @cgagolf1909 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok or visit our website www.carolinasgolf.org/

 

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