ELGIN, Ill. — The summer season for the Illinois Junior Golf Association came to a close Monday evening at the Playing Member Player of the Year Championship hosted by Highlands of Elgin Golf Course. After three weather delays it seemed the championship would be cut short, however skies cleared in the late afternoon allowing players to complete their 36-hole rounds.
Grant Gavin from Arlington Heights was crowned champion of the Senior Boys Division, while Rainstar Roque of West Chicago collected another champion trophy in the Senior Girls Division. Lake Bluff’s Scott Frevert picked up another win in the Junior Boys Division and Penelope Tir of Winnetka finished her season with her fifth straight victory in the Junior Girls Division.
Gavin, who will be a freshman at Regis University in Denver, recorded rounds of 69-71 to finish the event 4-under and claim the crystal by three strokes over Algonquin’s Billy Walker. Gavin’s two rounds included 10 birdies. On his road to the POY Championship, he collected three top-10 finishes with his best finish coming at the IJGA-CDGA Junior Amateur, where he placed fourth. Rounding out the top-3 was Tyler Vincent from Lisle, who recorded rounds of 74-72.
In the point standings for the Senior Boys Division, Buffalo Grove resident Jason Gohde claimed Player of the Year honors over Aurora’s David Lipan. Throughout Gohde’s season he finished in the top-5 and impressive 16 times including three victories and eight runner-up finishes. Lipan’s journey throughout the IJGA season featured 10 top-5 finishes including three victories.
In the Senior Girls Division, Roque’s consistent rounds of 74-75 led her to a six stroke victory over Larisa Luloff from Cary. Luloff, who will be a freshman at DePauw University, propelled herself into second after firing a second round 75 featuring birdies on Nos. 4, 14, and 18. Rounding out the top three was Margaret Hickey of Glencoe who shot rounds of 78-79.
In the point standings for the Senior Girls Division, Roque collected more hardware as she finished at the top of the Player of the Year standings over Hickey. Roque finished either winner or runner-up in nine of her 10 starts, including a victory at the IJGA-CDGA Junior Amateur and back-to-back Sectional wins at Phillips Park GC and Village Greens of Woodridge. Hickey’s season featured eight top-5 finishes including four victories at Deerpath GC, Lake Bluff GC, The Arboretum Club and Glenview Park GC.
Frevert took hold of the lead in the Junior Boys Division and never relinquished it. His rounds of 71-74 were good enough to edge out Michael Tanaka of Wilmette and Tyler Isenhart of Geneva. Frevert’s road to the POY Championship included two Regional victories at Lake Bluff GC and Countryside GC and a T9 finish at the 35th Chick Evans Junior Amateur Championship. Tanaka finished with rounds of 75-72 while Isenhart finished the event with rounds of 74-73.
Jackson Bussell from Lincolnshire finished atop the point standings in the Junior Boys Division Player of the Year. His season included seven victories and seven top-3 finishes. Top victories include Opens at Deerfield GC where he shot an even-par 72 and Shepherd’s Crook GC where he fired a 2-under-par 69. Isenhart finished second in the points race but had a quality season featuring two victories and 11 top-5 victories.
In the Junior Girls Division, Tir overcame a 4-stroke deficit to claim the first place trophy. After firing a first round 76, she went on a birdie barrage en route to a second round 6-under-par 66. Tir’s round was blemish free and included six birdies and 12 pars. Finishing runner-up was Hanna Tanaka of Glenview who recorded rounds of 75-77. Rounding out the top-3 was Adrienne Rohwedder from Prospect Heights who shot a first round 84 followed by an impressive second round 70 that included a birdie on No. 14.
The Junior Girls Division Player of the Year point standings came down to the wire with Hanna Tanaka taking the top spot over Wheaton’s Sarah Hauenstein. Tanaka finished the regular season just 292 points ahead of Hauenstein and was able to secure enough points with her runner-up finish at the POY Championship to take the point crown. Her season featured four wins and seven top-5 finishes including two Open wins at Buffalo Grove and Sportsman’s CC. Hauenstein’s season was equally impressive and included five wins and six top-3 finishes with two wins coming back to back at Regional #4 at Eaglewood Resort and Sectional #2 at Oak Meadows GC.
The Player of the Year Championship concludes the summer season for the IJGA. Please check www.ijga.org for any programming updates and details on the 2016 season! Playing opportunities are still available for players ages 8-15 through the Youth Development Program.
Senior Boys POY Championship Trophy Winners
Champion- Grant Gavin
Runner-Up- Billy Walker
Third Place- Tyler Vincent
Senior Girls POY Championship Trophy Winners
Champion- Rainstar Roque
Runner-Up- Larisa Luloff
Third Place- Margaret Hickey
Junior Boys POY Championship Trophy Winners
Champion- Scott Frevert
Runner-Up- Michael Tanaka (won scorecard playoff)
Third Place- Tyler Isenhart
Junior Girls POY Championship Trophy Winners
Champion- Penelope Tir
Runner-Up- Hanna Tanaka
Third Place- Adrienne Rohwedder
Senior Boys POY Points Champion
Jason Gohde
Senior Girls POY Points Champion
Rainstar Roque
Junior Boys POY Points Champion
Jackson Bussell
Junior Girls POY Points Champion
Hanna Tanaka
Senior Boys Stroke Average Champion
Kyle Slattery- 72.12
Senior Girls Stroke Average Champion
Kelly Anderson- 74.0
Junior Boys Stroke Average Champion
Scott Frevert- 73.86
Junior Girls Stroke Average Champion
Arushi Singh- 76.88
