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NATCHEZ – Another year of the Norman Puckett Junior Golf Championship has come to a close. The tournament concluded with the older age groups (boys 14-15, 16-18, and girls 13-15, 16-18). The closing festivities consisted of the presentation of awards by Duncan Park Golf Course fellow Gregg Brooking and Alderwoman Ward 1 Valencia Hall.

The Norman Puckett Junior Championship is an annual youth golf tournament held in June of every year. It is open to juniors 18 and under. According to WAGR, the tournament has moved to a 54-hole course.

The tournament at the Natchez Golf Club at Duncan Park serves as a platform for young golfers to showcase their skills and make lasting memories in the area’s scenic backdrop.

“I am so proud of these junior golfers; they have a lot of etiquette and good manners,” Brooking said.

Scarlett Kirsch claimed the title for the girls 13-15 group with a total score of 249, shooting rounds of 88, 87, and 74. Following closely behind is Morgan Goudeau, scoring 256 and 86, 93, and 77 in the three rounds. Kaylin Hester secured the third position, finishing with a total score of 260, posting rounds of 93, 86, and 81. The gross scores for the top performers were +36 for Kirsch, +43 for Goudeau, and +47 for Hester.

“It felt good to win,” Kirsch said. I didn’t think I would make it to this point.”

In the boys 14-15 age group, Brooks Blanchard secured the top spot with a total score of 242, composing rounds of 87, 76, and 79. In the runner-up spot, Drew Gay had 269 strokes, scoring 91, 93, and 85 in the three rounds. The gross scores for the top performers were +29 for Blanchard and +56 for Gay.

In the 16-18 girls’ age group, the champion was Sophia Macias. She scored 75, 75, and 71 throughout the three rounds, for 221 strokes. The runner-up, Ava Lou Key, scored 85, 86, and 80 in the three rounds, totaling 251 strokes. In third place was Laney Hall, who scored 86, 84, and 85 in the three rounds for 255 strokes. The top performer’s gross scores were +8 for Macias, +38 for Key, and +42 for Hall.

The boys 16-18 age group champion was Jarrett Pettis, a native of Ocean Springs. He scored 68, 72, and 76 in the three rounds, grossing 216 strokes. The runner-up, Braeden Dobbs, scored 74, 75, 71, totaling 220 strokes, while Matthew Bond scored 81, 72, 73, making it a total of 226 strokes—the gross scores were+3 for Pettis, +7 for Dobbs, and +13 for Bond.

The boys and girls overall awards are presented to the young golfers who have excelled in skill and performance. The girl’s champion is Macias, who also won the tournament in 2022. The boys overall champion is Pettis. Both of these young golfers have excelled in their skill and performance.