The REPORTER
Over the past few days, Fishers’ Mattingly Upchurch has won two tournaments in two different states.
Upchurch, soon to be a sophomore at Hamilton Southeastern, went down to Miami last week to compete in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships, which took place at the Trump National Doral Resort and Spa. Upchurch won the Boys 14-15 division, finishing with a three-day score of 214, one under par for the event and one stroke ahead of second place.
Upchurch blasted through his first round, which took place last Friday on the par-71 Gold Course. He went five-under par for a 66 in a round that contained four birdies and an eagle on the 16th hole.
For the next two rounds, Upchurch played on the par-72 Blue Course. He scored a 78 in his Saturday second round, making two birdies along the way. That put Upchurch at one-over par going into Sunday’s play, but he carded a two-under 70 in his third round to get back under par for the tournament, and clinch the win. He made three birdies in the third round, going back-to-back on the 11th and 12th holes.
The Optimist is one of the premier golf tournaments in the world, with many young players from around the world competing in the event. A total of 77 players made the cut for the Boys 14-15 Division.
Upchurch and his family returned home at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, but Mattingly was up just a few hours later. He played in the Indiana Junior Team Championship at Maple Creek Country Club in Indianapolis, along with HSE teammates Cole Starnes and Kai Warner, and Zionsville’s Gavin Poole.
The team won, going 13-under par for the one-day event. The foursome finished with a score of 59, with nine birdies and two eagles for the day. It was a very successful few days, although Mattingly’s father Matt said his son was operating on “short sleep” during the day.
Mattingly qualified for the Optimist tournament in early May by carding a 66 at Garrett Country Club. Because of his tournament win, Upchurch is now exempt from qualifying for the event, which makes able to have direct entry until he turns 18.
Another county golfer competed in the Boys 14-15 division as well. Lorenzo Browning, a sophomore-to-be at Cathedral, finished with an 84-89-85=258.
Indiana Women’s Amateur
Four women with Hamilton County connections landed in the top 10 at the Indiana Women’s Amateur Championship, which took place July 19-21 at Otter Creek Golf Club in Columbus.
Becky Williams, a Zionsville resident who graduated from University in 2022, tied for third in the tournament with a two-over par 218. Williams, who played her college freshman season at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, totaled 10 birdies over her three rounds. She scored 73 in the first round, a two-under par 70 in the second round, and finished with a third-round score of 75.
Two more local players tied for seventh. Fortville’s Yanah Rolston, a Hamilton Southeastern graduate who completed her freshman year at IUPUI, and Caroline Whallon, a recent Noblesville graduate headed to the University of Indianapolis, both scored 222s at the Amateur.
Rolston’s line was 73-75-74=222, totaling six birdies for the event. Whallon went 73-73-76=222, with nine birdies and a first-round eagle, which she made one hole No. 14.
Carmel’s Christina Pfefferkorn, a Carmel graduate who played her freshman year at the University of Dayton, placed ninth in the Amateur with a 76-74-73=223. Pfefferkorn made six birdies during the tournament.
Modleski at U.S. Junior Amateur
Recent Guerin Catholic graduate Jacob Modleski is playing – and advancing – at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, which is taking place this week at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, S.C.
Modleski, soon to be a freshman at Notre Dame, finished tied for 19th in the stroke play part of the competition, going two under par for a 72-69=141. Modleski had 10 birdies during stroke play, seven of them in the second round.
The top 64 players advanced to the match play portion, and Modleski won his first-round match, beating Ireland’s Sean Keeling 1 up. Modleski will play in the Round of 32 this morning, taking on Bryson Hughes of St. John’s, Fla. at 8:50 a.m. Winners play in the Round of 16 later this afternoon.