Blair and Newell Win PGA Junior Championship Exemptions in Season’s First Major

Author: Jesse Dodson

The Glenmoor-Wasatch PGA Junior Major held on May 3-4, the first Major of the 2019 Utah PGA Junior Series season, had a lot on the line and the results didn’t disappoint. The Boys and Girls 15-18 Divisions were competing for exemption into the 2019 PGA Junior Championship, two exemption spots were available for the older Boys Division to play in the 2019 Utah State Amateur and the top 5 spots in each boy’s division and top 4 spots in each girl’s division were awarded a spot in the season-ending Utah PGA Junior Series Major Championship at Promontory Club.

 

Tess Blair, a Bingham High School senior, Sacramento State Women’s Golf commit and 2018 Utah Women’s State Amateur champion,

stole the show and claimed the one exemption spot into the 2019 Girls PGA Junior Championship held at Keney Park Golf Course in Connecticut held on July 9-12.

 

“I’m really excited,” Blair said about competing in the Girls PGA Junior Championship. “I’ve actually never qualified in all the times I’ve tried, so I’m very excited I finally get to go.”

 

Blair shot a (-3) 69 in the first round held at Glenmoor Golf Course with three birdies and no blemishes on the card. She finished with a (+7) 79 on the Lake Course at Wasatch Mountain Golf Course, but had a big enough first-round cushion to claim the win and the exemption.

 

Remington Newell, who’s finishing up his junior year at Spanish Fork High School, secured the one exemption spot available for the boys by firing a (-4) 71-69 total.

 

After round one at Glenmoor, Newell was one-stroke off leader River Dillman going into the final round. Newell fired off six birdies at Wasatch, including four on the back nine to shoot 69 and take the exemption into the Boys Junior PGA Junior Championship on July 30-August 2 at Keney Park Golf Course.

 

Newell attributed his stellar play to “staying in the short grass and trusting my wedges. I hit great wedges all day and my driver was really good, too.

 

“It’s pretty awesome,” he said about qualifying for the PGA Junior Championship. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done this and it’s a great feeling. Right now, I have so many butterflies, it’s crazy.”

 

Along with his PGA Junior Championship exemption, Newell received a spot in the 2019 Utah State Amateur, which will be played at Soldier Hollow Golf Course on July 8-13th. Peter Kim (+2) will join him the State Am field with his second-place finish.

 

Aubree Johnson won the Girls 15-18 Division with rounds of 90-91, and Drive, Chip and Putt Championship participant Victoria Romney won the Girls 13-14 Division with rounds of 76-77.

 

Willard Richards won the Boys 15-16 Division with rounds of (+2) 73-74 and Emmit Harris took the 13-14 Division with rounds of 71-81.

 

A huge thank you to Glenmoor Head Professional Darci Dehlin-Olsen and her staff for hosting our first round and to Wasatch Head Professional Chris Stover for hosting the second round. We appreciate the extra support of the Utah PGA Junior Series from our Utah Section professionals.

 

The next Major will be the Valley View-Davis PGA Junior Major held on July 10-11.

 

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