ST. GEORGE — Blake Amick and Taylor Bandley won the top divisions as the Junior Association of Golfers (JAG) wrapped up its summer season Saturday at Sunbrook Golf Club.
The season’s final tournament was a championship match play event, with the top two golfers from each age group squaring off at Sunbrook. The older groups (boys 15-17, girls 14-17 and boys 13-14) played 18 holes, while the younger groups (boys 11-12, girls 11-13, boys 9-10, girls 10-under and boys 8-under) played nine holes.
Amick, who plays for Desert Hills High in the fall, won his title match 6 and 5 over Brodey Payzant, who plays for Snow Canyon, in the boys 15-17 category. Amick came into the tournament as the 10th seed, but won matches Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to make the finals. His quarterfinal Thursday against No. 2-seed Davis Heslington went 22 holes before a winner was decided. But in the title match Saturday against No. 1-seeded Payzant, Amick got up early and ended the match after 13 holes.
Bandley, a Pine View golfer, took the girls 14-17 with a dominant 6 and 4 match-play win over Lexi Hamel, Snow Canyon’s top female golfer. Bandley had a bye Thursday, then defeated Mikayla Frei in Friday’s semifinals 3 and 1. Hamel, seeded second, beat Keslee Sherman 5 and 4 in the quarterfinals and then defeated Tori Thomas 5 and 4 in the semifinals.
In the boys 13-14 age group, No. 2-seeded Trey Milligan won the title after defeating top-seeded Chipper Willden 3 and 1. Milligan beat Tanner Baxendale 9 and 8 in the quarters and topped Kyson Plant 2 and 1 in the semis. Willden was in the finals after wins over Bubba Deming (7 and 5) and Jace Lee (1 up).
In the boys 11-12 group, Cruz Kirchhausen came away with the trophy for his 2 and 1 win over Jax McMurdie in the finals. Kirchhausen was the top seed and had beaten Travis Matthews and Bryson Anderson the previous two rounds. McMurdie, the two-seed, had wins over Braden Roberts and Merrick Johnson.
In the girls 11-13, Bailia Milne defeated Jocelyn Hummel 5 and 4 to take the trophy.
The boys 9-10 say Boston Dixon, the fourth seed, battle for a 3 and 2 championship victory over Kyson Goates. Dixon beat Michael Stirland in the quarterfinals and then upset top-seeded Landon Esplin in the semifinals 2 up. No. 2-seed Goates made the finals after wins over Boston Bracken and Kyle Shopinski.
Ellie Johnson took the girls 10-under category, defeating Kenzi Owen 2 and 1. Johnson beat Katie Stallings in the semifinals, while Owen had defeated Lucy Dixon.
The youngest group, the boys 8-under category, was won by Stanton McMurdie, who defeated Cameron Norton 4 and 3 in the finals. McMurdie, the top seed, had a by Thursday and beat Dylan Winona in Friday’s semi. Norton made the finals after wins over Rockwell Wedig and Tokyn Kidd.
JAG is a summer golf program for youth put on by St. George City and runs from June to August with tournaments on the city courses. For more information click on this link.
JAG summer golf — Finals (match play) results
Boys 15-17
Blake Amick def. Brodey Payzant, 6 and 5
Girls 14-17
Taylor Bandley def. Lexi Hamel, 6 and 4
Boys 13-14
Trey Milligan def. Chipper Willden, 3 and 1
Boys 11-12
Cruz Kirchhausen def. Jax McMurdie, 2 and 1
Girls 11-13
Bailia Milne def. Jocelyn Hummel, 5 and 4
Boys 9-10
Boston Dixon def. Kyson Goates, 3 and 2
Girls 10-under
Ellie Johnson def. Kenzi Owen, 2 and 1
Boys 8-under
Stanton McMurdie def. Cameron Norton, 4 and 3
Blake Amick, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Cruz Kirchhausen watches his putt fall, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Ellie Johnson watches her putt on the 5th green at Sunbrook, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Brodey Payzant tees off, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Taylor Bandley, file photo from JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Lexi Hamel studies the green before putting, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News A roadrunner makes his way to the course at Sunbrook to watch the young golfers, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Jax McMurdie with a shot to the green, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Cruz Kirchhausen celebrates after a long putt on the 6th hole, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Boston Dixon tees off at the 6th hole with his dad Devin watching, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Kyson Goates chips to the green, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Boston Dixon and his dad Devin react after a missed putt on the 6th hole, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Cameron Norton chips to the green, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Stanton McMurdie putts on the 6th green at Sunbrook, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News Kenzi Owen putts on the 5th green at Sunbrook, JAG Junior Golf Tournament, St. George, Utah, Aug. 1, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
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