Brady Smith separates himself at his home course to win Junior Amateur.

SIMPSONVILLE, KY (July 12, 2022) – A torrid summer for Brady Smith got even better on Tuesday when he won the Kentucky Boys Junior Amateur at his home course. A driver and a long iron from his bedroom to the University of Louisville Golf Club clubhouse, Smith stood at that spot champion of one of Kentucky Junior Golf’s biggest events with a five-shot victory.

Smith went into Tuesday in a tie for the lead alongside Richmond’s Warren Thomis. Windier conditions greeted those two plus the rest of the field after a more benign first round on Monday, which led to considerably tougher scoring throughout the day. With plenty of home course knowledge at his disposal, Smith was undaunted by the challenge and posted the low round in the division with 70 (-2). That was one of just three under-par rounds turned in from the Boys 16-18 Division after a dozen of those on Monday.

Only one bogey was issued by Smith which came on the par-four 11^th. Beyond that, it was a surplus of pars with a few birdies scattered in, including his third and final one of the day to go out in style on the par-four 18^th. He got sole possession of the lead after the 1^st hole following an early bogey from Thomis, and Smith could not be caught after that point. His lead built steadily throughout the day before finishing at five shots with Thomis, Luke Coyle and Bradford Lacefield finishing in a tie for second place. Those were the only players to finish the tournament with an under-par score.

“Playing here every day, you know how the ball is going to bounce and break along the greens here,” Smith said after his victory. “I also know where to miss and if you miss well, you play well. I’ve played here in the wind many times before and it certainly helped to draw on those experiences today when the course played hard. But it was cool to have neighborhood friends out here watching and cheering me on. I loved the support from everyone and it definitely makes things more special.”

One other player joined Smith as a winner on Tuesday and that was Will Judd, who came from three shots back to win the Boys 13-15 Division. After opening with 74 (+2) on Monday, Judd had the round of the day from either division with a stellar 69 (-3) that vaulted him to a three-shot win. In particular, an eagle on the par-four 6^th was particularly useful in kick-starting his round en route to victory. It’s also his second consecutive major victory in the division after winning the Kentucky Boys Junior PGA Championship in Richmond last month. He joins Carol Ann Mendenhall, Redick Johnson and Kylie Miller as players who have the opportunity to win the “Grand Slam” within their respective divisions this year.

NOTES & STATS

• The eagle Judd made on the 6^th was one of four made throughout the day. Ben Spencer also made eagle on the 6^th while Luke Daley and Jameson Corbin made ones on the par-five 17^th.
• For the second straight day, the par-four 14^th was the hardest hole on the golf course. Its stroke-to-par average was +1.06 after being +0.77 on Monday.
• Thanks in part to the eagles from Daley and Corbin, the par-five 17^th was the easiest hole of the final round. Thirty birdies were made here on Tuesday, the most of any hole, getting it to play +0.20.
• The wind added up to the course playing nearly a full stroke harder on Tuesday compared to Monday. 80.98 (+8.98) was the average score after being 80.06 (+8.06) on Monday.

Click here to view the final results

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The Kentucky PGA Junior Tour extends its thanks to Chad Stocker, PGA Head Golf Professional and the entire staff at University of Louisville Golf Club for their assistance in hosting this event. Additionally, the Tour sends its appreciation towards each player and their families who took part in this major championship.

This event marked the second-to-last major of the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour season with the final major set to conclude the Tour’s season on October 15-16. The Lou Perry Tour Championship will take place at Cherry Blossom Golf Club in Georgetown that weekend, but the Tour’s season is far from over. The next event on the schedule is the Louisville Junior Championship at Quail Chase Golf Club which will be on July 19-20. Registration for that event is open and closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

About Kentucky Junior Golf:
Kentucky Junior Golf is part of the Kentucky Golf Foundation, one of three organizations that comprises Golf House Kentucky. Kentucky Junior Golf includes the state’s top tournaments and programs for the state’s golfers aged 18 or younger, featuring the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour, Youth on Course, the Youth on Course caddie program, PGA Jr. League, and Drive, Chip & Putt. Kentucky Junior Golf is dedicated to introducing Kentucky’s youth to the game of golf, providing resources to further enjoyment within the sport, and developing the skills necessary for players to thrive both on and off the golf course.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703