2017 Alabama Junior Champions - Padraic Sim and Michaela Morard
BIRMINGHAM, AL- The sixth playing of the Southern Junior Cup Matches will take place from August 2-3, 2017 at The Country Club of Oxford in Oxford, MS. Alabama will compete against teams from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri. This invitation only event is comprised of a select group of six female juniors and six male junior players selected by each state golf association.
Team Alabama is seeking to defend the title after totaling 19.5 points at The Country Club of Little Rock in Little Rock, AR. Missouri finished in second place with 11.5 points, host state Arkansas was third with 10 points and Mississippi finished fourth with 7 points.
Format
Southern Junior Cup format consists of 18 holes of match play with Four-Ball, Foursomes, and Singles Match Play sessions. Each match is worth 1 point. Half point to each side for a tie. Each state competes against the other three states in an equal number of matches. Four-Ball and Foursomes partners consists of one male and one female sides, while individual matches pits male vs. male and female vs. female.
Event History
Past Winners: Oklahoma (2012, 13, 14 ,15); Alabama (2016). Future Host Sites: Missouri (2018), Alabama (2019)
2017 Alabama Southern Junior Cup Team
Female Team Members
Sophie Burks, 18, of Montgomery will be a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. Champion at 2017 AHSAA 4A/5A championship. Currently 3rd ranked female junior golfer in Alabama. This is her second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 1-2).
Jordan Susce, 18, Birmingham will be a freshman at Louisville University in Louisville, KY. Champion of the 2016 Alabama Women’s State Four-Ball and T7 at 2017 Alabama Women’s Stroke Play. She is currently the 6th ranked female junior golfer in the state of Alabama. This is her first year on the Southern Junior Cup team.
Michaela Morard, 15, of Huntsville is a rising high school sophomore at Randolph School. Currently the #1 ranked female golfer in Alabama. She is the 2017 Alabama Girls State Junior Champion, 2016 Alabama Women’s Stroke Play Champion, runner-up at the 2016 Alabama Girls State Junior despite a final round 63, and 2015 Alabama Women’s Four-Ball champion. Morard has verbally committed to playing for the University of Alabama in 2020. This is her second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 3-0)
Mychael O’Berry, 17, of Hoover will be a freshman at Auburn University. Advanced to Round of 16 at 2016 Alabama Women’s State Amateur, T4 at 2016 Alabama State Junior Girls Championship, and T5 at 2017 AHSAA State High School Championship 7A. Currently the 8thranked female junior in Alabama. This is her second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 3-0)
Ally Williams, 16, of Athens is a rising junior at Athens High School. Advanced to the Round of 16 at 2017 Alabama Women’s State Amateur, 2nd at Alabama State Junior Girls, and 2nd at 2017 AHSAA State High School Championship 6A. Currently the #2 ranked female junior golfer in Alabama. This is her second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 2-1)
Karlee Allen, 16, of Berry is a rising junior at Northside High School. 9th at 2017 Alabama Women’s Stroke Play, 4th at the 2017 Alabama Girls State Junior Championship. Currently the #5 ranked female junior golfer in Alabama. This is her first year on the Southern Junior Cup team.
Male Team Members
Ethan Hagood, 17, of Birmingham is a rising high school senior. 2017 Southern Junior Amateur Champion. Finished at Alabama Boys State Junior Championship. Currently the #1 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. He has verbally committed to the University of Alabama Birmingham. This is his first year on the Southern Junior Cup team.
J.P. Cave, 16, of Mobile is a rising high school sophomore. State Champion at 2017 AHSAA Boys State High School Championship 4A, Alabama Boys State Junior, and T58 at the 2017 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship. University of Alabama commit (2020). Currently the #3 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. This is his second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record 3-0).
Austin Coggin, 16, of Vestavia Hills is a rising high school junior at Vestavia Hills High School. He advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, T5 at AHSAA Boys State High School Championship 7A, and T5 at 2017 Southern Junior Amateur Championship. Currently the #2 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. Auburn University commit (2019). This is his second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 1-2).
Connor Newton, 17, of Auburn is a rising high school junior. Finished T2 at 2017 AHSAA State High School Championship 7A and T43 at the 2017 Future Masters. Currently the #6 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. This is his first year on the Southern Junior Cup team.
John Racciatti, 18, of Fairhope will be a freshman at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the fall. Won the 2016 Alabama Boys State Junior Champion, T2 at the 2017 AHSAA State High School Championship. Currently the #4 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. This is his second year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 1-2).
Padraic Sim, 17, of Spanish Fort is a rising high school junior. Won the 2017 Alabama Boys State Junior Champion in comeback fashion by posting a final round 64 (-8). He has verbally committed to the University of Washington. Currently the #8 ranked male junior golfer in Alabama. This is his first year on the Southern Junior Cup team.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, August 1
AM Practice Rounds
6:30pm Player Dinner and Pairings Draw Party at The Country Club of Oxford
Wednesday, August 2
7:00am Practice facilities open
8:00-9:50am Mixed Co-ed Four-Ball Match Play
1:30-3:20pm Mixed Co-ed Foursomes Match Play
Casual pizza party for players and guests
Thursday, August 3
7:00am Practice facilities open
8:00-9:50am Singles matches
Cookout lunch and awards presentation immediatelly after play
Daily scoring updates will be posted on the AGA website at www.alabamagolf.org.
About the Alabama Golf Association (AGA)
The Alabama Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1915 whose mission is to serve and promote amateur golf in Alabama. AGA membership consists of over 130 member clubs represented by nearly 18,500 individuals. The activities and services of the Alabama Golf Association are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Alabama golfers who wish to serve the game and the association through service.
AGA is the USGA's liaison for golf in Alabama conducting national championship qualifying, administering the USGA Handicap system including the GHIN Handicap service, course & slope rating and education. The AGA annually conducts 12 championships and team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. The AGA also conducts Alabama high school golf championships and assists with many collegiate events including the SEC Men's Golf Championship. In addition to competitions, the AGA administers the AGA Women's Scholarship Fund that is dedicated to assisting young female golfers in higher education and supports the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation.
Since 1980, the AGA has managed the affairs of the Southern Golf Association which includes conducting the Southern Amateur Championship and Southern Junior Championship, in conjunction with the Board of Directors of the Southern Golf Association.
For more information about the Alabama Golf Association, visit www.alabamagolf.org.
