ATLANTA, GA. – Georgia wins the Georgia-South Carolina Girls’ Junior Challenge Match, 19-5, over South Carolina. The ninth annual competition took place at East Lake Golf Club, August 2-3.
Beginning the final round with Georgia leading 10 1/2 – 1 1/2, the home team would earn the first points of the day as Lauren Lightfritz of Suwanee defeated Juliana Sebastian of Columbia, S.C., 1 up. Lightfritz secured 2 1/2 points for her team. Georgia fell short of the overall point in match two, but Madison Caldwell of Dawsonville notched a 1/2 point over Pendleton Bogache of Myrtle Beach. Diane Lim of Norcross swept her match, beating Jaelyn Tindal of Rock Hill, S.C., 7 and 5. In the last match of the day, the reigning Georgia Girls’ champion, Payton Schanen of Milton, defeated South Carolina’s Sarina Sonoda of Florence, 6 and 5, earning 2 1/2 points for the Peach State.
Lim led her team in the two-day event, going 2-0 and earning 6 points. Lightfritz recorded 5 1/2 points, Schanen secured 5 points and Caldwell tallied 2 1/2 points for Georgia.
The Match was scored in Nassau format, which awards one point to the winner of each nine and one point to the overall match winner. Georgia won all four matches in the opening round to jump out to a large lead.
This was the ninth playing of the Georgia-South Carolina Girls’ Junior Challenge Match, which brought together the top girl golfers from the two neighboring states. Teams are composed of the top four finishers from each state’s Girls’ Championship. Georgia now leads the series, 7-2, and has won five straight.
Round One Results
Georgia 10 1/2 – South Carolina 1 1/2
| South Carolina | Georgia | Match Result | Team Pts. | |
| Juliana Sebastian, Columbia | vs | Madison Caldwell, Dawsonville | Caldwell, 1 up | GA 2, SC 1 |
| Pendleton Bogache, Myrtle Beach | vs | Lauren Lightfritz, Suwanee | Lightfritz, 4 & 3 | GA 3, SC 0 |
| Jaelyn Tindal, Rock Hill | vs | Payton Schanen, Milton | Schanen, 2 up | GA 2 1/2, SC 1/2 |
| Sarina Sonoda, Florence | vs | Diane Lim, Norcross | Lim, 2 & 1 | GA 3, SC 0 |
Final Round Match Results
| South Carolina | Georgia | Match Result | Points | |
| Juliana Sebastian, Columbia | Lauren Lightfritz, Suwanee | Lightfritz, 1 up | GA 2 1/2, SC 1/2 | |
| Pendelton Bogache, Myrtle Beach | Madison Caldwell, Dawsonville | Bogache, 1 up | GA 1/2, SC 2 1/2 | |
| Jaelyn Tindal, Rock Hill | Diane Lim, Norcross | Lim, 7 & 5 | GA 3, SC 0 | |
| Sarina Sonoda, Florence | Payton Schanen, Milton | Schanen, 6 & 5 | GA 2 1/2, SC 1/2 | |
| Final Round Total: | GA 8 1/2, SC 3 1/2 | |||
| Final Match Total: | GA 19, SC 5 |
About the Georgia State Golf Association
Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with nearly 340 member clubs and 75,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs, management of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.