ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Mid-American Junior Golf Tour’s Forest Hills Classic came to a close Tuesday after two rounds of competition. Matthew Wingren (2017) of Hinsdale, Ill., was named champion in the Boys Division, while Haeri Lee (2018) of Buffalo Grove, Ill., took top honors in the Girls Division.
The Forest Hills Classic is a 36-hole stroke play competition featuring 53 players from Illinois and Wisconsin. The Boys Division played the par-72 Forest Hills Country Club from 6,605 yards, while the Girls Division played the course from 5,753 yards.
The MAJGT is designed for exceptionally talented junior golfers throughout the Midwest ages 12-18 and is nationally recognized by the Junior Golf Scoreboard and American Junior Golf Association with all of its events providing national exposure.
In the Boys Division, Wingren’s bogey-free final round included three birdies for an impressive 3-under-par 69 final round. Wingren’s final round 1-over-par 145 was enough to give him his first MAJGT victory, his previous best finish coming at the Shepherd’s Crook Open earlier this year where he took third.
Five shots back was runner-up Payton Kim (2016) of Palatine, Ill., who carded a tournament total of 6-over-par 150. In third was Marcus Smith (2020) of Rockford, Ill., with a two-day total of 8-over-par 152. Rounding out the top 5 were Tyler Vincent (2016) of Lisle, Ill., and Cameron Karney (2018) of Crystal Lake, Ill., who each carded a tournament total of 10-over-par 154.
In the Girls Division, Lee finished the tournament with a 13-over-par 157, carding two birdies and nine pars in the final round. Lee’s previous best finish in an MAJGT event came earlier this year at the Illinois Classic, where she came in second.
Runner-up Francesca Bell (2016) of Elmhurst, Ill., carded a tournament total of 19-over-par 163. Rounding out the top 3 was Emma Carpenter (2019) of DeKalb, Ill., who finished the two-days with a 20-over-par 164 total.
The MAJGT heads to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Purdue Classic July 21-22.
