Day one of the three-day tournament proved to be a challenge with cold, grueling winds throughout the day. Despite the unrelenting weather, Sawyer Klein from Denver, Colo. pulled ahead carding an impressive 1-under-par 71, putting him 3 strokes ahead of the closest competitor, Mason Hill (Broomfield, Colo.). Brynn Balliet (Thornton, Colo.) and Sydney McCord (Sedalia, Colo.) secured the top of the girls’ leaderboard with 85’s. Day two brought a lot of changes to the leaderboard as players attempted to make comebacks from day one. After two days, Sawyer Klein stayed on top, tied for first with Ben Ramsden-Wood (Denver, Colo.) with Caleb Michaels (Louisville, Colo.) one stroke behind. Bead Boonta (Centennial, Colo.) and Molly Stratton (Centennial, Colo.) made huge comebacks from sixth and seventh place, respectively, to tied for first after two rounds.
2022 Aurora Junior Championship
June 21-23, 2022 - Murphy Creek Golf Course
Supported by UCCS PGA Golf Management
Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, CO played host to the inaugural Colorado PGA Junior Golf Aurora Junior Championship on June 21-23, 2022. 75 Colorado junior golfers competed for the honor of receiving the very first Champion title bestowed by Colorado PGA Junior Golf.
The players, met with blue skies and calmer winds, were thrilled to finish out the tournament with good playing conditions, with many playing their best rounds of the week. One such player was Ryan Peragallo (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), coming up from behind with a 4-under 68 for the day. Paired with his 77 and 79 from day one and two, Ryan took the leaderboard by storm and secured himself a third place win for the tournament! Ryan’s impressive round put pressure on the day two leaders; Caleb Michaels kept a steady grip on his second place day two finish to claim second for the tournament! Caleb finished with a 78-72-71–224. Despite the competition closing in, Sawyer Klein remained calm and focused which lead him to victory! Sawyer’s 71-71-74–216 earned him the first ever championship trophy handed out by the Colorado PGA Junior Golf. Additionally, the girls’ competition ended in a photo finish 3-way playoff! Moving up five places from her day two finish, Brooke Hudson (Parker, Colo.) finished tied for first with Gabrielle Krebs (Windsor, Colo.), who jumped up the leaderboard as well, and Molly, resulting in a two-hole playoff. Gabrielle and Brooke birdied the first playoff, leaving Molly happy with third place. On the second playoff hole, Brooke sank two 10-foot birdie putts to claim the title, with Gabrielle taking home second place. Brooke joined Sawyer in this historic victory!
Congratulations to the 2022 Aurora Junior Champions, Sawyer and Brooke!
Thank you to Head PGA Professional Leslie Core-Drevecky, PGA, Murphy Creek Golf Course staff, and our partner UCCS for their support in this Championship.
