St. Patrick wins Middle School State Championship for second straight year while Bingham and Borough claim individual titles.

FRANKFORT, KY (September 24, 2022) – Kentucky’s claim to superb youth golf got its latest boost on Saturday during the Middle School State Championship at Juniper Hill Golf Course. The “future” of what’s to come in Kentucky Junior Golf had the spotlight today and several players demonstrated their talent with some of the largest trophies in the Commonwealth presented to them to commemorate their strong play.

That group of winners was led by St. Patrick, who for the second consecutive year won the team championship. These outcomes were determined by the top three individual scores from each group, and St. Patrick was the beneficiary of Luc Kelty and Carson Long firing the second and fourth best individual scores of the day. The two of them plus Zach Gladieux, Mason Estcorn and Lyla Wathen helped the Louisville school win by nine strokes over St. Albert.

The top individual performance was turned in from Max Bingham with an extraordinary 64 (-6), edging out Kelty by two shots. The 13-year-old from Prestonsburg made six birdies and an eagle across Juniper Hill in a stunning performance that highlighted a day full of big moments. Bingham played the front nine in 30 (-5) which is where the bulk of the circles on his scorecard were found.

Joining Bingham as an individual champion was Willa Borough of Lexington who was the top girl in the field with 78 (+8). The 11-year-old matched her age with that number of pars on her scorecard and had a birdie in her round for good measure. She clipped Carol Ann Mendenhall by two strokes to take that prize.

NOTES & STATS

• Jake Witherspoon of James Madison Middle School had the shot of the day on the par-five 12th with an albatross and is believed to be the youngest player to ever record an albatross at a Golf House Kentucky sanctioned competition as a result.
• The par-five 8th was the easiest hole of the day with a stroke-to-par average of +0.63. Bingham and Kelty each made eagle on this hole while sixteen birdies were made on it as well, the most of any hole.
• Hole 11, a downhill par-four, was the hardest hole at +1.23 but still surrendered three birdies in the process.
• The front nine was slightly easier than its opposite side with holes 1-9 averaging +8.03. Holes 10-18 averaged +8.72. The course average was 86.75 (+16.75).

Click here to view the final results

Click here to view the photo gallery

Kentucky Junior Golf extends its thanks to Kirk Schooley, PGA Head Golf Professional and the entire staff at Juniper Hill Golf Course for their assistance in hosting this event. Additionally, appreciation is sent towards each player and their families who participated in this championship.

The focus in the youth golf realm will shift to high school golf in the coming weeks with the opening stages of the KHSAA State Championship set to take place on Monday for boys and on Tuesday for girls. More information about the events at Heritage Hill Golf Club, The Country Club of Owensboro and Winchester Country Club can be found by clicking here.

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