Nagy surprised to win junior men’s golf title

Miscalculating opponent’s score, winner expected to be in sudden-death playoff

Josh Nagy won the Saskatchewan junior men’s golf championship and he didn’t even know it.

The 16-year-old Riverside Country Club golfer walked off the No. 18 green thinking he was about to face fellow Saskatoon golfer Bradley Moser in a sudden-death playoff to decide who would be the 2018 champion at the Moon Lake Golf and Country Club.

Instead, Nagy discovered while in the Golf Saskatchewan scoring tent that he was actually the sole winner. He had previously marked down a par for Moser on No. 8 when, in fact, Moser had taken a bogey.

“I was mentally prepared to go into a playoff,” admitted Nagy, who finished with a 79 Wednesday and a three-day score of 7-over 227 (7668-78). “I was a little bit surprised (to win) and really relieved.”

The apparent miscalculation came on No. 8.

“I thought Brad parred it, but his bunker shot just got over the lip, and he chipped on, and he made bogey,” said Nagy, who himself recovered from a triple-bogey on the par 3 No. 14, which eroded what had become a sizable lead.

Nagy had a short putt for par on No. 18, thinking it was a mustmake to avoid a playoff. Moser just missed an eight-footer for birdie, his ball hanging on the lip.

That could have forced a playoff, too.

As the newly crowned Saskatchewan junior champion, Nagy returns to the Canadian boys national championship where he represented the province a year ago.

“It feels great,” said Nagy, who, along with his twin brother, Cole, plays hockey for the Saskatoon Midget AAA Blazers.

“I just tried to keep the ball in play and didn’t get too overwhelmed with anything and just tried to sink as many putts as I could.”

Wednesday ’s weather featured a bit of everything: Plenty of wind, some rain and even a little bit of sunshine.

The scorecards acted the same way. It was a tough day on the course, and the scoring reflected that.

Cole Obrigewitsch placed third overall at plus-10 for the tournament (79-75-72—226), while Edmonton’s Braden O’grady was fourth at 11-over-par (76-7279—227).

Battlefords’ Colby Friedrich was a solo fifth at 12-over (76-7379—228).

Saskatoon golfers Steven Duchscher (78-77-75—230) and Connor Scissons (71-77-82—230) were tied for sixth, three strokes ahead of Brody Istace (77-76-80—233) of Kindersley

The 2018 Canadian junior boys championship will be played July 30 to Aug. 2 at the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club.

FRY PREVAILS IN JUNIOR GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP

It turned out to be not quite as close in the Saskatchewan junior girls championship, even though it was tight through nine holes Wednesday.

In the end, Brooklin Fry won by a whopping 11 strokes over nearest rival Ella Kozak of Yorkton.

“It feels really good,” said Fry. “You really had to focus on every shot because the wind would take it other places and that’s pretty much it.

“It was a tough one today (weather-wise).”

Fry, a 13-year-old from Shell Lake, prevailed with a three-day score of 249 with a consistent string of 83s.

Still only 12, Kozak was next at 260 (88-78-94), followed by Saskatoon’s Sarah Grieve (87-84-90) and Deer Valley’s Carey Mclean (84-81-96) at 261.

“I had to keep on trying my best,” said Fry. “I didn’t know what they were going to shoot, so I had to try my best to get to the top (of the leaderboard). I looked at the (leaderboard) at the start of every round, but I was mostly focusing on (my scorecard).”

Fry had already won three times on the MJT series this season with victories at Moon Lake, North Battleford and Lloydminster.

The 2018 Canadian junior girls golf championship will be played July 31 to Aug. 3 in Tsawwassen, B.C.

I thought Brad parred it, but his bunker shot just got over the lip, and he chipped on, and he made bogey.