SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (July 2, 2024) – The 56th annual Junior Girls Four State Championship concluded today at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield, with Team Missouri capturing first place for the first time since 2018. Six junior girls from Missouri faced off against teams from Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.
Emree Cameron (Nevada, Class of 2025), KC Lenox (St. Peters, Class of 2025), Avery McLaughlin (Town and Country, Class of 2025), Siena Minor (Hannibal, Class of 2024), Kate Ryan (Columbia, Class of 2025), and Morgan Withington (St. Louis, Class of 2025) were chosen to represent Missouri. Reese Hamilton, MGA Director of Junior Golf and Course Ratings, served as captain of the team.
Cameron, committed to playing college golf at the University of Louisville after graduation, is the 2024 MGA Junior Match Play Champion. Minor, set to play at Missouri State University in the fall, was the 2023 Junior Match Play Champion. Ryan, who is committed to playing at Coastal Carolina University after graduation, along with Lenox, McLaughlin, and Minor, also represented Missouri last year.
Yesterday, Missouri earned 5 points, placing them in first in front of Nebraska with 4 points. Today, the golfers competed in single matches, with each win earning a point.
Three Missouri golfers won their matches: Lenox defeated Madison Murnan of Nebraska 4 & 3, Cameron won against Nebraska’s Eden Larsen 3 & 2, and Minor defeated Morgan Rupp of Iowa 4 & 3. McLaughlin lost to Savannah Cagle of Kansas 2 down, and Withington was defeated by Iowa’s Mehar Julka 7 & 5.
Ryan finished her match tied with Hadley Neese of Kansas, earning Missouri half a point. Ryan sank a 12-foot putt on hole 16 and a 20-foot putt on hole 17 to avoid falling behind and losing the match to Neese.
Kansas also performed well in the single-match round, earning 3.5 points. The final standings saw Missouri in first place with 8.5 points, Nebraska and Kansas tied for second with 6 points each, and Iowa in fourth place with 3.5 points.
Congratulations to all of the Four State competitors for being the top female junior golfers in their state!
For all scoring details from the Four State Championship, click here.
For more information about the Junior Girls Four State Championship or future MGA events, contact the MGA office at 573-636-8994 or [email protected].
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (July 1, 2024) – Team Missouri is off to a strong start at the 56th annual Junior Girls Four State Championship, held at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield. The tournament, featuring junior golfers from Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, saw impressive performances from the Missouri representatives on the first day of competition.
Team Missouri, consisting of Emree Cameron (Nevada, Class of 2025), KC Lenox (St. Peters, Class of 2025), Avery McLaughlin (Town and Country, Class of 2025), Siena Minor (Hannibal, Class of 2024), Kate Ryan (Columbia, Class of 2025), and Morgan Withington (St. Louis, Class of 2025), showcased their skills in both morning and afternoon sessions.
Cameron, committed to playing college golf at the University of Louisville after graduation, is the 2024 MGA Junior Match Play Champion. Minor, set to play at Missouri State University in the fall, was the 2023 Junior Match Play Champion. Ryan, who is committed to playing at Coastal Carolina University after graduation, along with Lenox, McLaughlin, and Minor, all were on Team Missouri last year.
In the morning four-ball matches, Ryan and Minor defeated Julia Karmazin and Olivia Lovegrove of Nebraska 1 up. Lenox and McLaughlin triumphed over Lauren Briggs and Hannah Pettitt of Iowa 4 & 2, while Withington and Cameron bested Maddie Myers and Naomi Koontz of Kansas 2 & 1. These victories earned Team Missouri 3 points, putting them in an early lead.
During the afternoon alternate-shot matches, Minor and Lenox defeated Kansas’ Addison Douglass and Lynn Powell 2 & 1, and Ryan and Cameron overcame Iowa’s Chloe Bolt and Molly Ratchford 4 & 2. McLaughlin and Withington faced a tough match, falling to Nebraska’s Bella Elgert and Naryn Kim 4 & 2. Missouri added 2 more points in the afternoon, bringing their total to 5 points and securing first place, ahead of Nebraska with 4 points.
Tomorrow, the competition will continue with single-match play to determine the winning team.
To view full match results and points from today, click here.
For more information about the Junior Girls Four State Championship or future MGA events, contact the MGA office at 573-636-8994 or [email protected]
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ABOUT MGA: The Missouri Golf Association is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf throughout the State of Missouri.
The Missouri Golf Association was started in St. Louis in 1905 to run the Amateur Championship. Four founding clubs would be the ones in existence in St. Louis in those early years – St. Louis Country Club, Algonquin Golf Club, Glen Echo Golf Club and Normandie Golf Club. Four years later, the invite-only Missouri Amateur was held in Kansas City at Evanston Club. 1911 marked the real organization of the MGA with Bonner Miller as Secretary and Executive Director. Ever since then, the MGA has striven to provide tournaments and spaces for Missouri golfers to sharpen their skills and enjoy the game.
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