ITASCA, Ill. – The 42nd Chick Evans Junior Amateur Championship Girls Division winner was decided today in a match between Allyson Duan (2025) of Buffalo Grove, Ill., and Mia Natividad (2023) of Yorkville, Ill.
Natividad took an early lead in the match with a par on the first hole to go 1-up before Duan won two of the next three to flip the lead in her favor. Duan then won Nos. 7, 8 & 9 to make the turn with a 4-up lead. Natividad got one back on No. 10 with a long birdie putt, but wins by Duan on Nos. 13 & 14 put the match out of reach. Duan beat Natividad on the fourteenth hole to secure a 5&4 victory.
This was Duan’s third appearance at CEJA. She missed the cut in both 2020 & 2021, before earning the 6-seed in 2022.
Semi Finals
Match 1: Reese Wallace (9) vs. Mia Natividad (13) – Natividad got out to a quick start, making the turn at 4-up after winning five holes on the front nine. Wallace fought back with wins on the first four holes of the back nine to tie the match. The eighteenth hole finished as tie, with Natividad winning the twenty-first hole. Natividad defeated Wallace in 21 holes.
Match 2: Allyson Duan (6) vs. Katie Suk (7) – Duan took control of the match early, winning five of the first six holes to take a 5-up lead. After being 6-down after ten holes, Suk won Nos. 11, 13 & 14. The next two holes were tied to five Duan the win. Duan defeated Suk 3&2.
In the Boys Division, the Semi Final matches have concluded and the Championship match competitors have been determined. The Boys Championship match will be contested on Friday, July 22.
Quarter Finals
Match 1: Charlie Kulwin (1) vs. Ian Love (9) – The back-and-forth match had three lead changes on the front nine, making the then with a 1-up lead by Love. Kulwin lost No. 10, but tied the match with wins at Nos. 12 & 14. The eighteenth hole finished tied, but Kulwin won the twenty-first hole. Kulwin defeated Love in 21 holes.
Match 2: Liam Nelson (20) vs. Tanner Leonard (28) – Leonard took a 2-up lead with wins on Nos. 2 & 5 before Nelson won Nos. 6 & 8. Nelson started the back nine in the same fashion with wins on Nos. 10 & 13, but Leonard came roaring back with wins on Nos. 14, 16 & 18 to win. Leonard defeated Nelson 1-up.
Match 3: Josh Pehl (7) vs. Robby O’Regan (15) – O’Regan started off strong with wins on Nos. 2, 6 & 7 to take a 3-up lead. Pehl then won Nos. 9 & 13 to get to 1-down. The match headed to No. 18 with a 1-up lead from O’Regan, and pars from both players ended the match. O’Regan defeated Pehl 1-up.
Match 4: Dylan Drogemuller (3) vs. Cooper Watt (22) – Each player grabbed a win on the first two holes, and the match remained tied through three before wins by Watt at Nos. 4 & 6. The match turned with a 2-up lead from Watt, which he ultimately got to 3-up on No. 15. Two pars on No. 16 finished the match. Watt defeated Drogemuller 3&2.
Semi Finals
Match 1: Charlie Kulwin (1) vs. Tanner Leonard (28) – Only two holes were tied on the front nine, with Kulwin winning five to take a 3-up lead at the the turn. He increased his lead with wins on Nos. 10 & 12. A par on No. 13 earned Kulwin a spot in the championship match. Kulwin defeated Leonard 6&5.
Match 2: Robby O’Regan (15) vs. Cooper Watt (22) – Watt grabbed wins on Nos. 5, 7, 8 & 9 to take a 1-up lead at the turn. O’Regan kept fighting, and won Nos. 10, 13 & 14 to get to 1-down. Entering No. 18 needing to make something happen, O’Regan won the hole to force extra holes. On the nineteenth hole, Watt drained a long downhill put to ultimately win the match. Watt defeated O’Regan in 19 holes.
