Golfers card third wins on junior tour
R.J. Derhodge, Sukriti Harjai increase leads in point standings
Same number, different result.
The first two times R.J. Derhodge carded a 76 on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour this summer, the Grand Niagara member watched someone else walk away with the victory in the boys under-19 flight.
First time it happened was at Legends of the Niagara-Ussher’s Creek, where the 17-year-old St. Michael Catholic High School student finished 4-over and tied for third with Blake Gowan.
Derhodge’s 5-over-par 76 at Sawmill tied him for second with Ethan Siebert.
On Sunday, the exact same number was low enough to give a one-stroke victory over Blake McGowan at the par-72 St. Catharines Golf and Country.
For Derhodge, birdies on the the 11th and 16th holes nullified the damage somewhat from six bogeys on the second-last stop on this summer’s tour.
His fourth win in nine tournaments improved increased his lead over Siebert in the standings to more than 100 points.
Derhodge has 854 points and Siebert 749.1 heading into the final tour stop next Monday at Beechwood. Gibson, Blake Pin-
gue and McGowan are third, fourth and fifth, respectively, with 727.1, 622.1 and 595.
Victories are worth 120 points, second-place finishes 99 and thirdplace showings 85.
Sukriti Harjai shot a 4-over-par 72 and edged fellow St. Catharines Golf and Country Club member Taylor Simoneau by two strokes to top the leader-board in the girls under-19 flight.
Susan Leone, 82; Payton Bennett, 83; and Mya Mackey, 94; rounded out the top five.
Sukriti had three birdies to offset five bogeys and a double-bogey in her second win in a row and third on this year’s tour.
She leads Simoneau 251-240.8 in the points standings. Leone has 219 points and Emily White 201.3.
Isaiah Ellis followed up his victory at Sawmill by finishing with a 1-under-par 71 to top the boys under-15 division Sunday at St. Catharines.
Ellis also won this season’s tour stop at Lookout Point.
Rounding out the top five were Ben MacLean, 72; Bradyn Wark, 75; Matthew Martel, 22; and Hudson Mielko, 79.
Top five in boys under-23 points: 1. MacLean, 304; 2. Ellis. 261.5; 3. Wark, 258; 4. Martel, 218; 5. Rootes, 186.
Sunday’s winner in the under-13 boys was John Kingdon. He finished with a 9-over 81, six strokes better than Nicklaus Mooradian and eight better than Michael Martel.
Kingdon also won the Sawmill tour stop as well as the season opener at Rockway Vineyards.
He trails Martel, a six-time winner on this year’s tour, 338-255 in the points standings. Mooradian has 224 and Levi Moyer 217.