VERSAILLES, KY –  A beautiful morning in the heart of horse country marked the beginning of the 2024 Pro-Junior Championship presented by Titleist. Professionals across the Bluegrass were joined by three junior golfers for the team scramble event. All eleven groups teed off at 9 a.m. in a shotgun start at The Woodford Club.

Birdies were dropping early and often, with 111 scored on the day across all teams. No crew started off hotter than that of professional Corey Stith from Elizabethtown Country Club. Stith was joined by junior golfers Rylan Jones, Jase Cook, and Jackson Mayes as they rocketed to ten-under-par through the first nine holes. 

As the round progressed, things continued to heat up as professional Casey Schneider’s crew of Emery Busald, Lucas Cousineau, and Grant Stetter went on an eight-hole birdie streak. Grant Stetter, a rising senior at Beechwood High School, finished off the round by sinking an eagle putt on their final hole. Stetter’s putt solidified the group's final score of 55 (-17).

On the other side of the course, Stith’s team was still firing on all cylinders. The round culminated with the group standing at -17 on their final hole of the day. A tough wedge shot over a bunker left the team with a fifteen-foot breaking putt for the win. With all the pressure on his shoulders, Jackson Mayes, a rising senior at Grayson County High School, answered the call. “I knew walking up to the green that we needed to drain that putt,” says Mayes. “ Corey gave me a good line, and I was due a putt all day. The adrenaline was flowing, but you have to embrace it in moments like that”. 

Speaking on the team’s win with a final score of 54 (-18), professional Corey Stith said, “Rylan, Jase, and Jackson are not only three of the best players in our state, but they are great young men and fun to be around. As an instructor, seeing my students find success and building friendships with them is what makes teaching so rewarding. As far as the next generation goes, I think our state is in great shape.”

NOTES AND STATS

• Hole #15, a par-three, played the hardest with an average score of 2.91.

• There were 13 eagles and 111 birdies carded on the course today. 

• The par-five 10th was the easiest hole with an average score of 3.64. All eleven teams scored under par on this hole. 

• The front nine played an average of 1.1 strokes easier than the back nine, with the course average coming out to 59.44. 

Click Here To View The Final Results

The Kentucky PGA extends its thanks to the team at The Woodford Club for their assistance in creating an outstanding environment today. Appreciation is also expressed towards Titleist for their dedication in supporting this competition and all Section activities throughout the year.The Section continues with its tournament schedule on Monday, July 1, 2024, with a stop at Oldham County Country Club for the 25th Kentucky Senior Open Championship.

About the Kentucky PGA:
The Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA) is one of forty-one Sections across the country representing the PGA of America and its Members. It is also one of three organizations encompassed within Golf House Kentucky, which also includes the Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) and Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF). The KPGA contains more than 300 Members and more than 30 Associates working in various roles across Kentucky; all of whom share the goal of bettering the game and its players. The KPGA and its Members assist with the organization of many chief growth-of-the-game initiatives including PGA HOPE and PGA Jr. League among others. The Section also operates more than thirty tournaments throughout the golf season, including the three State Open championships and qualifiers for the ISCOChampionship.