- Gracyn Vidovic of Aurora High School won the Ohio Junior Girls Championship with a 7-under-par 137.
- Vidovic broke the tournament record for one round with a 66 Tuesday at the Marion Country Club.
- The previous best round was a 67 by Cheryl Stacy, who went on to be a two-time Big Ten champion and All-American at Ohio State.
MARION — Gracyn Vidovic never played golf like she did Tuesday afternoon.
That's fine because in the 48-year history of the Ohio Junior Girls Championship no one else had either.
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"I still can’t believe it," the Aurora High School senior said. "I woke up and was like, OK, I shot good yesterday, so just keep the same or maybe a little better. I wasn’t expecting this."
She broke a scoring record for one round in the oldest girls golf tournament in the state when she fired a 66 Tuesday at the Marion Country Club. It was enough for her to win the event with a 7-under-par 137 over Monday and Tuesday, earning it by five strokes.
The previous best round was a 67 by Cheryl Stacy, a golfer who went on to be a two-time Big Ten champion and All-American at Ohio State as well as a pro on the LPGA Tour before becoming a college coach. She is in the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame.
What does the record mean?
Stacy was the Ohio Junior Girls champion in 1979, playing the same Marion Country Club layout as has every other elite girls golfer in the Buckeye state since the tourney was founded in 1977 by Marion's Kay Wigton and LPGA pro Andy Fischer.
It's a tournament that has given early starts to future pros like Tammie Green, Kristal Parker-Manzo, Jamie Fischer, Michele Redman, Marianna Morris and Emily Bastel as well as scores of future major college standouts.
Now Vidovic has beaten them all.
"It’s really amazing to see all the amazing women who have played before me. I’m glad to be a part of history, and it really means a lot to me," she said.
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How did Vidovic beat Stacy's mark?
Vidovic opened the tournament Monday with a 1-under-par 71. It was good enough to put her in the lead foursome for Tuesday, a stroke behind the 70s produced by Cammy Reed and Alexa Prettyman.
"I was hoping to shoot around what I did yesterday, which was a 71, but when I started getting birdies, I thought this is good. Keep doing this and keep it together," she said.
She did that and more.
Vidovic was at even-par through the first six holes, then she birdied the seventh, eighth and ninth holes. After making the turn, she didn't lose her momentum, carding a fourth straight birdie on the 10th hole, then an eagle on the 414-yard, par-5 11th. It was a stretch that was foreign to her.
"I’ve never done that," she said of going 6-under-par over a five-hole run. "I think it might have been an adrenaline thing. I was just feeling it and kept it going."
Her opponents were helpless as they watched.
"Honestly, I was trying to play steady golf. I was trying to get pars and maybe a few birdies, but obviously Gracyn had four birdies in a row and an eagle, so after that I was just trying to fight for second place," runner-up Jodie Han said after her 2-under-par 142 with twin 71s over the two days. "There’s not a whole lot I can do because it’s her game. She’s playing well. It’s not my problem, but I have to try to do the best I can."
Vidovic parred the last seven holes to end her tourney with a 71-66 137. Over the two days, she had nine birdies, 22 pars and just four bogeys to go with the eagle, one of just three in the entire tournament.
"I was just sticking it close and making the putts," she said. "The eagle was just a chip-in, so that was nice and an addition to the round."
It was quite the turnaround for the champ, who last year — in her first Ohio Junior Girls appearance — shot a 74-79 153, which was 9-over-par for a tie for 10th. That's a 16-stroke improvement in 12 months, something the future Ashland University golfer hopes to carry over to the fall where she wants a return trip to the Division I state tournament in the OHSAA after finishing tied for 19th in 2023.
"This is great. It gives me a lot of confidence going into the high school season. I do a lot of summer tournaments up by me," Vidovic said of her northeast Ohio roots.
Who else earned trophies?
Vidovic, who competed in the 16-to-19 age group, topped everyone in the field of 73. Han was second overall, but best in the 14-to-15 division.
Because Vidovic was the overall champ, the first-place trophy in the 16-to-19 group went to Reed who was at 1-under 143. Kristina Ma was next at 145 and Prettyman third at 147.
In the 14-to-15 division, Eva Lim was next behind Han with a 145 and took the first-place group trophy, while Bella Anderson had a 146 and Nala Chebil a 150 for the top three.
Kaylee Gong shot a 156 to win the 13-and-younger division, while Amerlia Buettner was second at 159, and Calista Han won a scorecard playoff for third with a 164 as Eva Emerson also shot 164.
The 49th Ohio Junior Girls Championship will return to the Marion Country Club in 2025, playing July 13 and 14.
Gates hits hole in one; Harding Amateur upcoming
● Asher Gates, a 13-year-old eighth grader at River Valley, hit his first hole in one on Saturday at the Marion Country Club's 220-yard, par 3 fifth hole using a 3-wood. In the more than 100-year history of the club, he is the youngest to ace the hole that has seen fewer than 10 holes in one in its entirety, according to his father Grant Gates. Witnessing the shot were his dad, Don Wiley and Jaxon Sigalet.
● The Harding Amateur is returning to the Marion Country Club July 27 and 28 when it will honor Paul and Bob Ludwig, whom built Whetstone Country Club in Claridon. Divisions include high schoolers, championship, mid-am (ages 19 to 49), senior (ages 50 to 59), super senior (ages 60-69), legends (ages 70-plus) and super legends (ages 80-plus). It is open to all men, regardless of where they live, and there are thousands of dollars of prizes and merchandise available. The non-member fee is $100, which includes both rounds and a practice round. Call 740-387-8575 or 740-225-0113 to register to play.
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