43
Jacobson finds success as weather cooperates with largest juniors field
BOARDMAN
Nearly seven weeks ago, Zach Jacobson shot a 93 in the year’s first Vindicator Greatest Golfer of the Valley junior qualifier.
On Wednesday, the Poland High School junior saw his summer-long transformation come to fruition with a 2-over par round of 72 at Mill Creek’s North Course in Boardman. His score was the low round of the day in what was the largest junior field in history with 57 players.
“I had been in a little bit of a slump all year,” Jacobson said. “I started in the 90s and worked 20 strokes off my game. My putting’s getting a lot better, so it feels great.”
His secret?
“I’ve actually been practicing at a par-3 course,” he said. “You can visualize your shots better. I was never like that, but I want to be, and I’m starting to become that.
“So from like 150 [yards] in, I’ve been great.”
Jacobson, whose younger sister, Jenna, qualified for the final two weeks ago, joins Jacob Wilson, Joey Shushok and Ken Keller as automatic qualifiers in the boys 17-and-under division for the junior championship at Avalon Lakes Golf Club on July 26.
The qualifier was scheduled to take place on June 24, but heavy rain left parts of Mill Creek Golf Course under water. The conditions on Wednesday weren’t perfect, but much of the field was happy with their scores.
Cade Kreps, James Graham and Nick Braydich tied for second with 74, one shot behind the winner. Jacobson closed with a 33 on the back nine, including “three straight 25-footers [putts].”
In her first junior qualifier of the year, Jenna Vivo earned the automatic bid with a round of 76. She joins Alexa Tringhese, Nicole Gula and Emily Koehler as qualifiers in the girls 17-and-under division.
Vivo, who will be a sophomore at Boardman High School in the fall, was prepared for the elements coming in, but that didn’t make it any less difficult.
“I tried to club up on the yardages, but there’s really nothing else you can do,” she said. “The putting was pretty hard for me, because there was a lot of water.”
A mid-summer swing change has Keegan Butler playing some of the best golf of his life. The soon-to-be freshman at Cardinal Mooney High School felt he needed to alter his swing in the middle of tournament season and so far, so good.
Butler shot a 74 on Wednesday, just three days after making the adjustment.
“It was a change in technique and balance and it’s really helped me hit the ball farther now,” Butler said. “It’s very exciting to see your competition about 30 yards behind you off the tee.”
Connor Stevens, Joey Vitali and Cole Christman are the previous qualifiers from the boys 14-and-under division who have locked up spots in the junior final. Until then, Butler knows he still has room to improve.
“I’m gonna work on driving the ball straighter and short game a lot,” he said. “Your wedge game is definitely something that’s important at Avalon.”
In the girls 14-and-under division, Hadley Spielvogel and Hannah Keffler had the low rounds of 83. But since both had already qualified in previous events this summer, Gillian Cerimele earned the automatic bid with a 87.
“I felt like I was playing really well coming in,” said Cerimele, who will be a sophomore at Canfield High School in the fall.
“I was happy with the way things turned out today.”
Jacobson is the other girl to qualify for the final in the age division.
The second-to-last junior qualifier of the summer is on Tuesday at Diamond Back Golf Course in Canfield.