Some of the nation’s best junior golfers take the stage for a 36-hole shootout at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, this weekend at the 2022 Golfweek South West Junior.
The event features a boys and girls division with the girls side vying for eight valuable America Junior Golf Association performance stars on top of an invite to the prestigious Golfweek International Junior Invitational in November.
The girls came to play as there were three rounds under par in Saturday’s first round. Jennifer Seo and Honorine Nobuta Ferry fired matching 3-under 69s to take a one stroke advantage on Annie Dawson (1 under).
Winning the 2021 Thunderbird Junior Classic and looking for her sixth career win, Seo has the experience over her playing partners as a member of the 2023 graduating class.
Chasing the leaders at even par are Julia Herzberg and Zoe Newell. Four more golfers are within five shots of the lead.
On the boys side, two-time defending champion Anawin Pikulthong opened with a 3-over 75, good for a spot at solo fourth.
Leading the way on the boys’ side is Ryan ‘O.T.’ Sefrioui. Carding a bogey-free 68, Sefrioui takes a four stroke lead over his next closest chaser, Alec Barker.
Rounding out the final grouping alongside Barker and Sefrioui is Lyman Brackett who posted a 1-over 73 in his opening round on Saturday.
With five golfers within eight shots of the lead, Sefrioui will have plenty of chasers with 18 holes separating him from the championship.