Gaunt, Lee finish quest this year
Connor Gaunt of Cabot caught the birdie train early and didn’t get off until reaching his desired destination.
Gaunt raced to a commanding lead by birdieing four of his first eight holes en route to a 4-and-3 victory over Andrew Fakult of Rogers in the final of the Arkansas State Golf Association Junior Boys Match Play championship Thursday afternoon at Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club in Little Rock.
Mackenzie Lee of North Little Rock beat Meghan Lindsey of Magnolia 4-and-3 to win the ASGA Junior Girls Match Play championship earlier Thursday at Eagle Hill.
Gaunt was beaten 4-and-3 by Miles Smith of Little Rock in last year’s match play final, but he never trailed Thursday after birdieing three consecutive holes (Nos. 2, 3 and 4) on the near-7,000-yard, par 72-layout.
Gaunt was 5 up after a two-putt birdie on No. 8 — a straightaway par 5 that plays about 600 yards from the back tees — and 4 up at the turn.
“I just came out to try and make pars, and the birdies fell in the first eight holes,” said Gaunt, 17, who will be a senior this fall at Cabot High School. “That’s what helped me the most.”
Gaunt, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps boys Golfer of the Year as a sophomore and junior after winning Overall tournament titles, reached the final with a 5-and-4 victory over Brendan Little of Benton in Thursday morning’s semifinals. Fakult advanced with a 5-and-3 semifinal victory over Simon McBride of Paragould.
Gaunt, who has orally committed to continue his golf career at Arkansas Tech University, spent most of the final reaching for his tee after his booming drives found almost every fairway.
“I was just kind of in the zone there,” Gaunt said. “I just felt like as soon as I hit the ball, it was going to be good. I just got into that zone.”
Fakult was three down after birdieing No. 11 and No. 12, but the match ended on No. 15 after Fakult pushed his tee shot out of bounds, leading to a concession of the hole.
“Connor played really, really good,” said Fakult, 15, a sophomore at Rogers High School.
“He deserved it this week, definitely. I was really confident coming in. My putter was really hot coming in, which helped me score very well. Just a bit off today, I guess.”
Like Gaunt, Lee won her first ASGA junior match
play title a year after reaching the final.
Lee also clinched her victory on No. 15, birdieing the par 4 after hitting a 93yard approach shot to about 5 feet.
“I can’t really describe it,” said Lee, 14, a freshman at North Little Rock High
School. “It’s just all the positive emotions.”
Lee was beaten 2 up by Elizabeth Moon of Forrest City in last year’s final. Moon, who has won a record three ASGA Junior Girls Match Play titles, was eliminated by Lindsey 1 up in Wednesday’s semifinals.
“Connor played really, really good. He deserved it this week, definitely. I was really confident coming in. My putter was really hot coming in, which helped me score very well. Just a bit off today, I guess.” — Andrew Fakult