ITASCA, Ill. – The cut has been made at the 40th Chick Evans Junior Amateur Championship at Itasca Country Club. Entering Match Play, Thomas Baker (2020) of Rockford, Ill., is the number one seed in the Boys Division; while in the Girls Division, Katherine Lemke (2021) of Geneva, Ill., finished atop the Stroke Play leaderboard.
The Chick Evans Junior Amateur (CEJA) is the highest level of IJGA competition and is intended to highlight the best players in the state while giving players the opportunity to earn national recognition. This championship is open to boys and girls ages 12-18 who have earned exempt status. The field will play 36 holes of Stroke Play before a cut is made for Match Play. The low 16 boys and eight (8) girls will advance to Match Play.
Baker moved his tournament total to a 7-under-par 137 after carding a 1-under-par 71 during the second round. His round included a bogey-free front nine.
Also making the cut to Match Play in the Boys Division are:
2 | Dominic Scaletta 2021, Inverness, IL | -3 | F | -1 | 70 | 71 | 141 |
T3 | Patrick Adler 2021, Winnetka, IL | -1 | F | -3 | 74 | 69 | 143 |
T3 | Samuel Mortell 2021, Chicago, IL | -1 | F | -2 | 73 | 70 | 143 |
T3 | John Wild 2022, Glen Ellyn, IL | -1 | F | E | 71 | 72 | 143 |
T3 | Noah Zyung 2024, Glenview, IL | -1 | F | -1 | 72 | 71 | 143 |
T7 | Matthew Buckley 2020, Elmhurst, IL | 1 | F | -2 | 75 | 70 | 145 |
T7 | Will Caronchi 2022, Willow Springs, IL | 1 | F | -2 | 75 | 70 | 145 |
T7 | Will Stewart 2021, Lake in the Hills, IL | 1 | F | 4 | 69 | 76 | 145 |
T10 | Tyler Irwin 2021, Arlington Heights, IL | 2 | F | -2 | 76 | 70 | 146 |
T10 | Cooper Watt 2023, Rockford, IL | 2 | F | E | 74 | 72 | 146 |
T12 | Jake Wiktor 2021, River Forest, IL | 3 | F | -1 | 76 | 71 | 147 |
T12 | Zachary Mulhearn 2021, Wheaton, IL | 3 | F | -1 | 76 | 71 | 147 |
T12 | Paulius Malcius 2022, Lemont, IL | 3 | F | 3 | 72 | 75 | 147 |
T12 | Jason Gordon 2023, Northbrook, IL | 3 | F | 4 | 71 | 76 | 147 |
16 | Weston Walker 2023, Peoria, IL | 4 | F | 3 | 73 | 75 | 148 |
In the Girls Division, Lemke finished the Stroke Play rounds with a 9-over-par 153 total. She came into the tournament having recently won the IJGA-CDGA Junior Amateur at Prairie Landing. This is Lemke’s second appearance at CEJA, her first being in 2019 where she finished T9.
Also making the cut in the Girls Division were:
T2 | Elyssa Abdullah 2025, Hinsdale, IL | 10 | F | 9 | 73 | 81 | 154 |
T2 | Maria Perakis 2021, Glenview, IL | 10 | F | 7 | 75 | 79 | 154 |
4 | Catie Nekola 2022, St. Charles, IL | 11 | F | 4 | 79 | 76 | 155 |
5 | Kendall Farm 2021, Carol Stream, IL | 12 | F | 2 | 82 | 74 | 156 |
T6 | Symantha Rohwedder 2020, Prospect Heights, IL | 13 | F | 1 | 84 | 73 | 157 |
T6 | Lisa Copeland 2026, Naperville, IL | 13 | F | 7 | 78 | 79 | 157 |
8 | Molly Lyne 2020, Cary, IL | 14 | F | 7 | 79 | 79 | 158 |
The first and second rounds of Match Play will take place on Wednesday, July 22, beginning at 7:00 AM CST at Itasca Country Club.