Watertown's Lenards, Olson win boys and girls Sanford Series titles
Jul. 28—SIOUX FALLS — Both championship titles in the South Dakota Golf Association's season-ending Sanford Series championship are headed to Watertown.
Watertown's Gabi Olson won the girls championship at the Country Club of Sioux Falls on Monday over Rapid City's Rylan Horning and Dakota Dunes' Katie Betsworth in a four-hole playoff, as all three golfers shot 1-under 71. Brandon's Vanessa Smith came in fourth after a 2-over 74 and Flandreau's Tori Peterson was fifth after a 5-over 77.
In the boys competition, Watertown product Ty Lenards fired the low round of the tournament on both sides, shooting a 2-under 70 to beat Elk Point's Carter Langle, Dakota Dunes' Matt De Beer and Pierre's Nick Bothum by one stroke. Sioux Falls' Brody Hermann completed the top five with a 1-over 73.
Mitchell's Maddie Childs and Everett Morrison competed in the event, which featured the top-30 boys and top-15 girls golfers following the completion of the Sanford Series' regular season.
Childs shot a round of 80 against the course's par-72 layout to finish in 12th place on the girls leaderboard, birdying the par-5 No. 4 hole. Morrison fired an 81 with three birdies, taking home 24th in the boys competition.
Both the boys and girls champions earned an invitation to attend the PGA Tour Champions event, the Sanford International, on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Minnehaha Country Club, where they will meet with the winner following completion of the event.
The next SDGA junior golf event is the Junior Tour Cup on Monday, Aug. 4, at Hillsview Golf Club in Pierre.
