Soggy Weather did not cool off Top Finishers at the OBEE Junior Open

4/23/17

(Tumwater, WA) The OBEE Credit Union Junior Open Golf Tournament teed off this morning under cloudy skies, plenty of rain and some stiff breezes, far from ideal conditions. The 2nd Annual tournament featured 3 divisions each for boys and girls and 3 different length of tournaments, 3, 9 and 18 hole. Our coverage focuses on the High School division 15-18 for both boys and girls. Many of those playing in this division have already qualified to play in the State Tournament a month from now or are currently in season and used the Jr Open as a competitive tune-up for post-season.

The tournament put on and held at Tumwater Valley Golf Club can play very long when wet and with the amount of rain this course has taken it was certainly and soft in places. Golfers were having to earn every yard as there was little bounce or roll. Be sure to check out our video interviews and huge picture gallery at the bottom of the page.

In the boys 15-18 there were 18 that started playing for schools everywhere from Mercer Island to Mark Morris out to Aberdeen. It ended up coming down to 2 players on the same golf team from Tumwater. Dylan Christoffer, who already won the District Championship tied teammate Jordan Baird with both shooting 2 under par 70’s. The only 2 to shoot under.

Dylan Christoffer putting in the winning shot

The 2 golfers headed to the 1st hole for a play-off and Christoffer teed off pushing his tee to the right of 370 yard par 4. Baird drove his down the left side which drifted a bit to the left. Baird’s 2nd shot dropped it on the green about 30 feet to the left and under the hole which was located in the middle right area of the green.

Christoffer overshot the flag just off the green to the right and chipped up on the green with his 3rd shot about 10 feet away leaving himself a very makeable par. Baird with a chance to win it with a long birdie putt missed it to the left by 3 or 4 feet but then missed the par putt and tapped in for a bogey. Christoffer then drained his par putt to take the Championship.

Brendan King of Aberdeen shot a 3 over 75 to take 3rd place. The top 3 were awarded medals and prizes. Here is the rest of field with their scores: Chase Fisk 77, Ryan Ziebart 78, Trevor Thompson 80, Maverick Emerson 84, Carson Hughes 84, Tyler Cassell 85, Zach Gruginski 86, Bryce Dobyns 87, Kaden Breien 88, Noah Phipps 88, Christian Taylor 90, Ethan Allen 94, Lucas Doniguian 96, Riley Peters 113 and Ty Herrin 114.

The Girls tournament did not offer the same kind of drama as Olympia’s Claire Moon dominated firing a 77. Moon capped her impressive round with a birdie on 18. Moon cut the corner of the dog leg left 300+ hole setting up a beautiful 2nd shot on the green about 18 feet out. Moon then rolled it in finishing the Open with a birdie.

Elizabeth Hirotaka from Black Hills High School took 2nd place tabbing in with an 87. Macey Wecker from Montesano finished 3rd with a 92. The other finishers included Josie Nickerson 97, McKenna Miller 99, Madeline Strivens 130 and Trinity Pesek 141.

Links to our You Tube Video Interviews: