Recent Lakeridge graduate Nilay Naik was named the 94th Oregon Junior Amateur Champion on Friday, June 28, besting fellow Lake Oswego native Drew Woolworth in the match play final at Portland Golf Club.
Just a month after Woolworth claimed the individual 6A title while Naik finished tied for third, Naik earned revenge with a head-to-head victory over the rising Lake Oswego junior, taking a four-hole lead with only three holes left to play after navigating a bracket that featured 32 of the top junior golfers in the state last week.
In the championship match, Woolworth took two separate one-up leads on the front nine before Naik leveled the score and took three of the first four holes on the back nine, seizing a three-up lead with just five holes to play.
From there, the two Lake Oswego natives tied the par-four 14th hole before Naik walked it off with a birdie on the par-five 15th.
Naik, who is still undeclared in regards to his collegiate home according to his golf-centered Instagram page, took a unique path to becoming an Oregon Junior Amateur champion, spending time and competing in South Africa and California in addition to Oregon throughout his youth.
That wide-ranging experience is continuing to pay off for the former Pacer, who will be certain to find a collegiate home with an impressive high school and junior golf resume that includes several first-place finishes.
While Woolworth bested Naik for the state championship in May, the Lakeridge senior topped Woolworth for the Three Rivers League individual championship just a week prior.
So, when the two Lake Oswego-area golfers met in the final at the Oregon Junior Amateur Championships, they were already familiar with each other as competitors.
In the first round on June 26, Naik beat Ryan Klampe of Florence, while Woolworth emerged victorious over Owen Davis-Piger of Eugene. Then, in the round of 16 later that day, Woolworth bested Andy Yang of Portland while Naik topped Messiah Gilbert of Williams.
In the quarterfinals on June 27, Woolworth earned a two-and-one victory over Carson Krauss of Grants Pass, while Naik did the same against Newberg’s Ray Greller. Later that same day, Woolworth picked up a grueling, 20-hole victory over fellow Lake Oswego native Jack Harrington, while Naik finished one-up over Canby’s Connor Holden, setting up an all-Lake Oswego championship match.
From there, Naik took care of business with a stellar start to his back nine against Woolworth, recording birdies on holes 10, 11, 13 and 15 to claim the title.
Looking ahead, Naik — as the Oregonian champion — is an exempt qualifier for the 2024 United States Junior Amateur Championships.
The former Pacer will travel to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he’ll take the course at Oakland Hills Country Club on July 22 in hopes of adding more hardware to his collection.
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