News

Boys and Girls Junior America’s Cup: Utah’s teams improve dramatically in round 2

Here’s the best way to illustrate the improvement of Utah’s Boys and Girls teams in the second round of the Junior America’s Cup: Wednesday’s non-counting score for each squad would have been its best result in the opening round.

Each group has made a big jump in the standings, going into Thursday’s final round at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway. Led by Lance Loughton’s 68 and Carter Papke’s 69, the Boys team went from a tie for seventh place to solo fourth on the Gold Course. Paced by Ashley Lam’s 71, the Girls team went from 14^th to 10^th on the Silver Course. Each field features 18 teams from junior golf associations in the western United States, Canada and Mexico.

UJGA’s Carter Papke (73-69), a recent Timpanogos High School graduate, remains Utah’s top performer, tied for fifth place.

With three of four players’ scores counting in each round, Utah’s entries improved by 18 strokes Wednesday in the Boys competition and 20 shots in the Girls division.

Jaxon Erickson and Parker Bunn posted co-counting 71s for Utah,as the team’s 8-under-par score was the day’s second-best total in the field, one stroke behind Southern California.

Lone Peak High School teammates Saydie Wagner and Aadyn Long added 73s in the Girls event (Kate Walker also improved with a 74).

Southern California leads the Boys team race; Arizona tops the Girls field.Individually, the leaders are Southern California’s Michael Diehl (69-66) and Arizona’s Kaitlyn Helm (70-69). Papke (73-69), a recent Timpanogos High School graduate, remains Utah’s top performer, tied for fifth place. Wyoming’s Ryker Lind (72-69), who formerly played for Herriman High, is fourth.

Paced by Ashley Lam’s second round 71, the UJGA’s Girls team went from 14th to 10th on the Silver Course.

Papke finished strong Wednesday, making three birdies on the Gold Course’s front nine, his second side. Loughton’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 No. 13 as he improved by 10 strokes over the first day.

Lam’s scorecard included three birdies and two bogeys. Wagner and Lam are both in the top 25 individually.

For the first time in the event’s 52-year history, the Junior America’s Cup is staging both Boys and Girls competition at one venue. In the rotation that has evolved, Utah was due to host the Boys tournament in 2024 and the UJGA’s turn for the Girls event was coming up in a few years. UJGA Executive Director Jeff Thurman and the Board of Trustees proposed this consolidation of their efforts, while maximizing the 36-hole Soldier Hollow facility.

Click here for the 36-hole leaderboard from Soldier Hollow is available.

Boys and Girls Junior Americas Cup Team Matches second round recap written by Fairways Media senior writer Kurt Kragthorpe. Photos by Fairways Media/Garrit Johnson and Randy Dodson.