|
Ninety-three golfers teed off bright and early on Course #1 at Medinah Country Club for the third annual Medinah Shriner’s Junior Invitational on Monday, May 19, 2008. The shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. brought brisk temperatures in the lower 50s. But the sun was out and the winds were calm.
This tournament not only invites junior golfers throughout Illinois to play at a once-in-a-lifetime venue, but also raises money for local hospitals supported by the Medinah Shriners. Due to the tournament’s increasing popularity, the Illinois Junior Golf Association was able to surpass the amount they have raised in previous years, as this year’s donation totaled $11,500.
“It was a beautiful morning at Medinah,” said Ed Malysiak, the Chairman of the event. “Kids playing for kids—it doesn’t get much better than that. It was great to see a full field for such a great cause.”
After the first round of competitive play for the Boys 14-18 flight, Jonathan Hauter (Morton, IL) took the lead for the day with a one-over-par 72.
“The course was in great shape, especially the greens—they were tough and fast,” Hauter said after the first round on course #1.
Brad Klune (Itasca, IL) and Matt Hageman (Dixon, IL) were right on the leader’s heels in second with a pair of 73s. The top of the leaderboard was tight, with 11 players within five shots of the leader.
According to Medinah member Kaela Klune (Itasca, IL), “The course was really fair today. It’s in excellent shape. If you put yourself in position to score, you will do well.”
The Girls 14-18 Flight leaderboard was topped by Ember Schuldt (Sterling, IL) after she fired a first-round score of one-over-par 72. Schuldt had a huge comeback, after turning with a 39, to shoot 33 on the backside.
“There was very little wind today, which really helped,” Schuldt said. “And my putt for par on the first hole was a huge momentum builder. After that, it was a petty smooth round for me on the most part.”
The second round was scheduled to begin with a shotgun start at 1:30pm. After playing the first 18 holes of the tournament on Medinah course #1, the players looked to go low on course #2 in the afternoon.
The Illinois Junior Golf Association (IJGA) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing playing opportunities for its members, conducting educational clinics and events while acting as a junior golf informational clearinghouse. One of the largest and most comprehensive junior associations in the United States, the IJGA has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 7-18) of approximately 2200.
The Association is served and governed by a Governing Board of Directors comprised of 15 volunteers including four (4) representatives of both the Illinois Section of the PGA (IPGA) and the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA). Additional Board members are selected based on their commitment to junior golf and include parents, representatives from the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), the Illinois Coaches Association (ICA), college golf coaches and community leaders.
|
