Home-course advantage: Tori Ritz wins at Junior PGA event
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Tori Ritz, who will enter her freshman year as a member of the Warren County High School golf team this year, won the championship flight in her age group at the Junior Girls Electrolux Challenge, held Tuesday and Wednesday at the McMinnville Country Club.
Over 60 players converged on the course to compete in the event, the Tennessee Junior PGA’s largest girls tournament of the year.
The annual event, which is open to members of the Vince Gill Junior PGA, was jointly sponsored by the McMinnville Country Club, the Junior PGA and the Aerus LPGA Electrolux USA Championship.
“This is the biggest turnout we’ve had,” said tournament director Lissa Horton. “We’ve seen some good competition, and it’s been a great event.”
Players competed within different age groups, with each age division divided into two flights after the first day’s play. Girls 11-14 played nine holes each day, with 15-18 year-olds playing 18 holes per day.
Ritz held her own during Tuesday’s round, finishing with a 43 — two strokes behind Chattanooga’s Brooke Pancake. The Lady Pioneer standout, who wrapped up her middle school career with a second-place finish at the Middle Tennessee Classic in Tullahoma in May, carded a 42 on Wednesday, tying Pancake for first overall then going on to win the flight on the second hole of a playoff.
Ritz said having a close knowledge of the course gave her a slight edge.
“I was used to it, and not many of the rest of the girls out here were,” she said. “So that gave me a little bit of an advantage.”
Two of Ritz’s Lady Pioneer teammates competed in the 15-18 year-old division of this week’s event.
Allison George finished eighth in the Betty Probasco Flight of her division, carding a 99 on Tuesday and a 102 on Wednesday to finish just 18 strokes behind Lisa Frederick of Memphis, who won the flight.
Lauren Bewick came in with a 104 on Tuesday, and finished with a 110 Wednesday to take 13th place in the flight.
Kristen Martinez of Columbia won the championship flight in the 15-18 division, finishing with a two-day total of 156.
Morgan McQuary of Spring Hill had a two-day total of 76 to win the championship flight of the 11 and under division, while Jordan Britt of Dayton won that age group’s Sarah Ingram flight.
In the 12-14 division, Brentwood’s Lindsay Beard took first place in the Judy Eller Street flight, carding a two-day total of 87.