Brown wins Western Junior

The REPORTER

Westfield’s Samantha Brown won the Women’s Western Junior on Friday.

The 97^th edition of the oldest women’s junior golf tournament took place last week at Hinsdale Golf Club in Clarendon Hills, Ill. Brown, who begins her freshman year at Purdue University this fall, made a 16-player cut to advance to the match play round, which she navigated through with little trouble.

Seeded 13^th, Brown beat No. 4 Jenna Madden 2 up in the Sweet 16, then won 3&2 over fifth-seed Suzie Tran in the quarter finals. Brown advanced to the championship with a 2&1 semifinal win over Harper Anne Hinckley, then sailed past Isabel Emanuels 4&3 in the final to win the Icely Cup.

Brown had played in the Women’s Western Junior three previous times. She missed the cut in 2021, then fell in the Sweet 16 the two previous years. This year, Brown tied for 10^th in the stroke play event with a two-day total of 72-76=148. She made three birdies while scoring even par in the first round, then had four birdies in the second round.

Carmel’s Claire Swathwood also played in the Women’s Western Junior. Her two-day score was 154, carding 79 on her first day and 75 on her second day. Swathwood made two birdies during the first round and four more in the second round.