BELLA VISTA — Max McGreevy knew he would have to handle his emotions if he wanted to win his first American Junior Golf Association tournament Thursday.
McGreevy did just that, shaking off an early double bogey to shoot a final round, even-par 72 and win the inaugural Stacy Lewis Junior Open at Highlands Golf Course. McGreevy, of Edmond, Okla., finished at 3-under 213 and won by six strokes over longtime rival Brendon Jelley of Tulsa and Australia’s Anthony Murdaca.
Searcy’s Connor Murphy finished fifth on the boys’ side, eight shots back at 221.
Cheyenne Knight of The Woodlands, Texas, won her first AJGA tournament with a total of 216, good enough for a three-stroke victory over Binny Lee, who took the lead from Knight for several holes before Knight made four birdies on the back nine. Conway’s Summar Roachell, who has orally committed to Arkansas, finished third, seven strokes behind Knight.
McGreevy began the final round two shots ahead of Jakob Garstecki and three ahead of Jelley, whom he defeated for the Oklahoma Class 6A high school title earlier this year. But McGreevy made double bogey on the second hole to allow Jelley to pull within one stroke.
“I just stayed patient,” said McGreevy, who birdied the third hole to regain momentum. “I just tried to keep my composure through the whole thing. I was trying not to let emotions get to me. I know that happens sometimes out here.”
McGreevy made birdies on No. 6 and No. 9 to shoot 1 under on the front nine and followed with a 2-over 37 on the back nine. Jelley matched McGreevy on the front nine but struggled to a 40 on the back nine.
“I never really got anything going,” said Jelley, who has orally committed to Oklahoma State. “Max got off to a rough start, but he really came back. I had my chances.”
McGreevy will continue his rivalry with Jelley at Oklahoma. He said he never panicked after his early double bogey, and it helped when Jelley and Garstecki, who finished with a final-round 80, hit a rough stretch.
“We were dogging it out there for a while,” McGreevy said. “They both had a bad couple of holes, and I kept playing steady golf.”
McGreevy said it was reassuring to play well in a high stakes event.
“I’m a pretty nervous player,” McGreevy said. “Honestly, I played exactly like I thought I needed to. Hopefully, these nerves will leave me some day. They probably won’t.”
Knight had to overcome her own early double bogey, one that cost her the lead she had built during the first two days. Knight trailed going into the back nine but seized hervictory with a birdie binge on the back nine.
Knight, 15, had lost her past two AJGA tournaments in playoffs.
“I can’t even describe it,” she said. “I keep thinking I have another round to play.”
Roachell was never able to quite make a run at contention and a triple bogey on 13 ended her hopes. She finished with a 1-over 73.
Clarksville’s Madison Talley finished fourth at 226 after a final-round 75.
“[Knight] played really solid all day,” Roachell said. “She didn’t make mistakes. That’s what probably helped above everything else.”
Final results STACY LEWIS JUNIOR OPEN At Highlands Golf Course, Bella Vista Par 72; 6,969 yards (boys), 5,959 (girls)BOYS Max McGreevey .. 69-72-72-213 Brenden Jelley ..... 71-73-75-219 Anthony Murdaca 82-67-70-219 Grant Hirschman . 71-76-73-220 Connor Murphy ... 78-75-68-221 Sam Stevens ....... 75-74-73-222 Daniel Kim ........... 72-74-77-223 Jakob Garstecki ... 70-73-80-223 Seth Smith .......... 78-73-73-224 Zachary Coats ..... 81-74-71-226 Alec Palen ............ 76-72-78-226 Rylee Reinertson . 78-77-72-227 Wilson Furr ......... 78-71-78-227 Arjun Reddy ........ 76-74-77-227 Cole Morgan ....... 75-78-74-227 Todd McDonald ... 75-79-75-229 Jacob Choi .......... 78-80-72-230 JP Derksen .......... 74-80-76-230 Mitchell Haddox .. 79-78-74-231 James Clark III .... 75-80-76-231 Blake Traweek ..... 79-76-77-232 Austin Hazelgrove 81-75-77-233Sam Hudson ....... 76-80-77-233 Nathan Pirtle ....... 78-81-74-233 Preston Fleenor ... 77-78-78-233 Henry Simpson ... 77-78-79-234 Andrew Romano . 75-79-80-234 Danny Summers . 81-76-78-235 Miles Adudell ...... 81-74-80-235 Thomas Wheeler . 75-83-77-235 Alex Case ............. 83-76-76-235 Trevor Harbour .... 79-80-76-235 P. Harrington ....... 76-77-82-235 Connor Davis ...... 80-78-78-236 Levi Pettit ............ 77-78-81-236 Davis Trice ........... 75-80-81-236 Klein Klotz ........... 84-74-79-237 Samuel Rogers ... 82-77-78-237 Grant Campbell ... 77-80-81-238 Nicholas Yuhas ... 80-79-80-239 Tobin Niblett ........ 79-78-83-240 Gabe Millikan ...... 81-77-82-240 Tyler Green .......... 82-73-85-240 Austin Staudinger 78-81-81-240 Mike Woofter ...... 79-80-81-240 M. Loiacano ........ 80-75-86-241 Brandon Raine .... 78-81-82-241 Fisher Vollendorf . 77-81-95-253 GIRLS Cheyenne Knight . 70-75-71-216 Binny Lee ............ 75-71-73-219 Summar Roachell 78-72-73-223 Madison Talley .... 78-73-75-226 Lindsey McCurdy 82-75-72-229 Kailey Campbell ... 79-77-74-230 Madison Kidd ...... 74-80-76-230 S. Rennegarbe .... 79-77-76-232 A. Farmsworth .... 77-80-75-232 K. Gallagher ......... 78-77-77-232 Nadia Majidi ........ 79-81-73-233 Michelle Xie ......... 83-78-74-235 Maddie Hamilton . 74-81-81-236 Klara Castillo ....... 79-81-78-238 Brooke Alford ...... 80-80-79-239 Lauren Wade ....... 81-78-81-240 Amanda Kim ....... 81-79-82-242 Taylor Black ......... 81-79-88-248
Sports, Pages 21 on 07/06/2012