Zach Watterson goes wire-to-wire to win at Gibson Bay.

RICHMOND, KY (June 2, 2022) – In the 2021 Kentucky Boys Junior PGA Championship, Zach Watterson exited Gibson Bay Golf Course tied for first and a scorecard playoff away from being the champion. In 2022, he finished solo first and left Gibson Bay as the outright winner.

The soon-to-be high school senior from Beattyville kept the one-stroke lead he took into Thursday’s final round and won by that very margin. Today’s round was a bit more difficult for the champion after posting 67 (-5) on Wednesday, but a grinder mentality helped him get the job done for his first major title on the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour.

Watterson found himself stuck in neutral for much of the day and unable to distance himself from his peers. But he never lost the lead and only found himself sharing it for about five minutes. Clay Pendergrass, who played three groups ahead of Watterson, mounted a charge with a 68 (-4) which was the low round of the day. When Pendergrass made birdie on the 16^th hole, he joined Watterson at -3 to share first place. Just minutes later though, Watterson made his first birdie of the day on the 15^th to take the lead back and he was able to keep it from that point on.

A final score of 140 (-4) for the tournament gave Watterson a one-shot victory over Pendergrass. By virtue of finishing in the top-two, both players secured the automatic qualifying spots for the National Boys Junior PGA Championship in Chicago this August.

“This just feels like a dream come true,” Watterson said. “I’ve grown up thinking about doing things like this but never fully expected these results to happen. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m just really happy.”

Someone else who felt really happy in Richmond on Thursday was Will Judd, who rode the momentum from his extraordinary finish on Wednesday to a victory in the Boys 13-15 Division. Judd coasted to a six-stroke victory and was the only player in the division to finish the tournament under-par with 143 (-1). Andrew Edwards finished runner-up.

NOTES & STATS

• One eagle was made on Thursday and it came from Ryan Stokes on the par-five 16^th.
• The par-four 11^th played as the most difficult hole for the second consecutive day. +0.58 was the stroke-to-par average.
• Also for the second straight round, the par-five 2^nd was the easiest hole at +0.04.
• The course scoring average on Thursday was slightly lower compared to Wednesday’s. 79.70 was the mean score after 80.05 on day one.

Click here to view the final results

Click here to view the photo gallery

The Kentucky PGA Junior Tour extends its thanks to Jason Eberle, PGA Head Golf Professional at Gibson Bay Golf Course, Teddy Lausier, PGA Head Golf Professional at The University Club at Arlington and each of their respective staffs for assisting with the conduction of this week’s championships. Additionally, the Tour sends its appreciation towards each player and their families who helped make the first majors of 2022 ones to remember.

The Tour will be back in action this Sunday to start its Eastern Kentucky Swing with a Series Tournament at Hidden Cove Golf Course in Olive Hill. Another Series Tournament will be held on Monday at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland. The next major on the calendar is the Kentucky Girls & 9-Hole Boys Junior Amateur which will be held at Bardstown Country Club on June 28-29.

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