Gage Grimes and Mikayla Fitzpatrick post wins at the Thunderbird High School Senior Classic

Ashley Ohland and Mikayla Fitzpatrick
slideshow

Apache Junction High School’s Gage Grimes finished in first place with a one-under-par 71, which was four strokes ahead of four players who finished tied for second place (Chip Getz, Tommy Sullivan, Nic Beno and Trey Sendler). In the Girls Division, Xavier Prep’s Mikayla Fitzpatrick won in a two-hole playoff against Ashely Ohland of Gilbert High School after they finished regulation play deadlocked at three-over-par 75 in the single-round tournament held on Sunday, May 15 at Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale.

“This event is just a fun way to say farewell to our junior golfers who, in many cases, have been playing in JGAA events with us since they were in grade school,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA “It’s more of a casual atmosphere that allows the players to have a little fun as their high school golf careers wind down and, in most cases, their college careers kick up.”

Conducted by the Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA), the Thunderbird High School Senior Classic featured a field of 61 high school seniors (43 boys and 18 girls) from across the state who played on their respective golf teams during the 2015-2016 season.

Best known as the civic-minded philanthropic organization that hosts the Waste Management Phoenix Open, The Thunderbirds also energetically support amateur golf in the Valley of the Sun such as the Thunderbird High School Classic Other events include the Sun Devil Thunderbird Collegiate-Am tournament; Thunderbird Invitational; Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic Hosted by Longbow Golf Club, and the JGAA Thunderbird JR Classic The Thunderbird International Junior – considered the “Masters” of junior golf – has been showcasing the best junior golfers world-wide at Grayhawk Golf Club since 2000 The Thunderbirds also support local and national junior golf organizations such as the JGAA, American Junior Golf Association and The First Tee of Phoenix. For more information about the Thunderbird High School Senior Classic, visit www.JGAA.org or call 602.944.6168.

Players in the field who have secured college golf scholarships include:

Joelie Bennett Millersville University
Tyler Blohm Fort Lewis College
Mikayla Fitzpatrick Xavier University
Chip Getz Ole Miss (University of Mississippi)
Taylor Hughes Claremont McKenna College
Zachary Johnson Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott)
Isabella Larson Biola University
Ben Meils St Ambrose University
Ashley Ohland Eastern Washington University
Megan Ohland Eastern Washington University
Emma Reyes Northern Arizona University
Zane Smith Mesa Community College
Chase Wicklund Drake University
Jessica Williams Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott)