More than 125 of the top junior players in Northern Ohio have been entered in the 40th Kenny Novak Section Championship, conducted by the Northern Ohio Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America.
The event, a 36-hole competition for boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 19, will be played Tuesday and Wednesday at Club Walden in Aurora. Boys will compete in age groups 11-13, 14-15 and 16-19. Girls will compete in age groups 11-15 and 16-19.
The tournament was established in 1984 to honor the memory of Kenny Novak, who died while saving the life of a friend from drowning. Novak had been a popular employee and his family were members at Walden. The long running championship has continually been welcomed by the Walden members and staff.
The Kenny Novak is the last junior event of the season and will have a large bearing on determining the NOPGA Junior Players-of-the-Year. Winners of each of the Section’s regular-season events are automatically invited to the Kenny Novak and the leaders on the season-long points lists complete the field.
The final points list determines the Section’s players-of-the-year. Most of the contenders for POTY honors have entered.
Here are the respective point-leaders heading into the event:
BOYS, 16-19: Aryan Ahlawat (Broadview Heights) 2,682.50 points; Sion Park (Westlake) 2,235.83; Daniel Gambone (North Canton) 2005.00.
BOYS 14-15: Dexter James (Hudson) 3,934.16 points; Ryan Czenszak (Twinsburg) 2,580.82.
BOYS 11-13: Ray Koeberle (Wadsworth) 2,660 points; Lucas Cutlip (Stow) 2,485.
GIRLS 16-19: Gracyn Vidovic (Aurora) 1,932.50 points; Alexandria Vardon (Akron) 1,665.62.
GIRLS 11-15: Serena Wu (Solon) 3,600 points; Kristina Chill (Columbia Station) 2,425.
