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Former champions highlight Junior Masters
By Robb Luehr
Journal Times
It’s a rarity when the defending champions and high finishers in junior golf tournaments come back for another shot at a title.
So that must make the Mike Bencriscutto Junior Masters a rare type of tournament.
For the first time in recent memory, all four finalists from last year’s 18-and-under and 16-and-under divisions are back in the tournament, which begins Monday at the H.F. Johnson Park Golf Course.
"Usually in 18-and-under, they’re done and gone," tournament official Bob Sadlon said.
The only difference is two-time 16-under finalist Ryan Prickette of Neenah moves up to the 18-under division for a crack at another title. He won the 16-and-under title in 2005 and lost to Lee Swan of Portage last year.
Prickette might be considered the favorite, considering how well he’s playing this year. He is the first alternate in state qualifying for the USGA Junior Tournament and tied for second overall in the Westfield PGA Championship earlier this month. Defending 18-and-under champion Preston Dembowiak of West Bend and runner-up Matthew Haase of Medford return in 18-under, meaning that division will feature quite a battle.
Joining Prickette, Dembowiak and Haase in 18-under is a trio of standout players, led by John Anderson of Appleton, who tied Prickette for second at the Westfield PGA. Also of note are Jeff Groose of Brookfield, who tied for sixth at the Westfield; Chad Ebert of Kenosha, who tied for seventh in Division 1 at the WIAA State Tournament; and Shayne Johnson of Osseo, the WIAA Division 3 champion.
Local notables in 18-under include All-Racine County Player of the Year and Waterford High School graduate Frank Roucek and recent Horlick graduates Tyler Laurent, an All-County first-team selection, and Jerry McCarthy.
But the 16-and-under might be even stronger, even though the number of entries is below 90 in the age group for the first time in many years.
Along with Swan, the Westfield PGA overall champion, Taylor Johnson of Oconomowoc is in the field as is Anthony Aicher of Wausau, who tied with Prickette and Anderson at the Westfield PGA. Others are Alex Gaugert of Lake Geneva, the second alternate after USGA Junior qualifying; Michael Sorenson of Hartland and Andrew Steinhofer of Madison, who were third and fourth, respectively, in Division 1 at the WIAA state tournament; and Ricky Hearden, who was second in Division 2.
Don’t count out the two top young players in Racine County — John Gullberg of Franksville and Robbie Jacobsen of Racine — who both were first-team All-County players. Their knowledge of Johnson Park should carry them a long way. Other up-and-coming young players are Ryan Hilton of Burlington and Jacob Blatnik of Waterford.
"I like their chances," Sadlon said of Gullberg and Jacobsen. "I hate to put undue pressure on them, but they have been playing well.
"The field might be smaller, but it’s really strong this year."
Part of the reason the field isn’t as large as usual — there are 185 in the field and tournament officials didn’t have to turn away any entries — is because there are five WPGA Junior Tour events, one each weekday this week.
Tee times for the 34th annual Junior Masters begin at 7 a.m. Monday and Tuesday for the stroke-play qualifying rounds. The top 32 in each age group then advance to match play, which begins Wednesday. The 36-hole final matches begin Friday morning.
Mike Bencriscutto Junior Masters At A Glance WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: SCHEDULE: DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: BACK FOR MORE: ADMISSION:
Mike Bencriscutto Junior Masters Tee Times Mike Bencriscutto Junior Masters At H.F. Johnson Park G.C., par-72 Monday and Tuesday tee times Following are the tee times for Monday’s and Tuesday’s stroke-play qualifying rounds of the Mike Bencriscutto Junior Masters Match Play Championship at the H.F. Johnson Park Golf Course. The first time listed is for Monday, the second is for Tuesday. 18 AND UNDER 7 a.m., 10:28 a.m.: Andrew Troyanek, Burlington; Jake Lammert, Hartland; Nick Weber, Hartland 7:08, 10:20: Dan Semrad, New Berlin; Alex Eichelberger, Brookfield; Patrick Flint, Reedsburg 7:16, 10:12: Jake Knuese, New Berlin; Keith Buntrock, Franklin; Aaron Seubert, Waukesha; Corey Rhyan, Plymouth 7:24, 10:04: Jake Solomon, Livingston; Brandon Engebos, DePere; Matt Bures, Mequon; Jeff Anderson, West Bend 7:32, 9:56: Ben Leary, Medford; Jacob Dewitz, Osseo; Karl Schuchard, Mequon; Robert Christian, Oconomowoc 7:40, 9:48: Andy Thomson, Beaver Dam; Marc Wolfram, Ft. Atkinson; Alex Powell, Oconomowoc; Chad Pizur, Brookfield 7:48, 9:40: Mack Wallace, Burlington; Gareth Hattersley, Mequon; Phil Bartel, Brookfield; John Tierney, Waukesha 7:56, 9:32: Kyle Hinz, Waterford; Matt Chybowski, Appleton; Michael Gresen, Brookfield; Trace Snedigar, Franksville 8:04 a.m., 9:24 a.m.: Starter’s time 8:12, 9:16: David Coleman, Mequon; John Meiers, Appleton; Patrick Cahill, Waukesha; Jake Mayer, Hartland 8:20, 9:08: John Anderson, Appleton; Luke Poggensee, Elkhorn; Adam Dickinson, Edgerton; Matthew Haase, Medford 8:28, 9 a.m.: Alexander Anton, Columbus; Eddie Huberty, Sheboygan; Billy Crimmins, Mequon; Kyle O’Reilly, Cedarburg 8:36, 8:52: Tim La Rock, Windsor; Gregory Wagner, Cambridge; Bo Van Handel, DePere; Keegan Dole, Brookfield 8:44, 8:44: Jason Aken, Thorp; Brian Krupo, Germantown; Troy Migut, Elkhorn; Eric Schreindl, Pewaukee 8:52, 8:36: Andrew Markiewicz, South Milwaukee; Jade Olson, Montfort; Travis Loomis, New Berlin Monday 9 a.m.: Starter’s time 9:08, 8:28: Jesse Peterson, Germantown; Benjamin Nelson, Kenosha; Patrick Muranyi, Madison; Steven Brokmeier, Kenosha 9:16, 8:20: Spencer Radloff, West Bend; Drew Hurley, Madison; Mike Natalizio, Oconomowoc; Jordan Gutglass, Milwaukee Tuesday 8:12 a.m.: Starter’s time 9:24, 8:04: Mike Tiefenthaler, Eagle; Frank Roucek, Waterford; Jason An, Verona; Cam Fuller, Sturgeon Bay 9:32, 7:56: Sean Regan, Madison; Drew Marweg, Racine; Ryan Prickette, Neenah; Nick Luebke, Middleton 9:40, 7:48: Evan Wartgow, Ft. Atkinson; Brandon Panka, Racine; Andy Wojciechowicz, Racine; Max Borgardt, New Berlin 9:48, 7:40: Jeff Groose, Brookfield; Shayne Johnson, Osseo; Alex Pekelsma, Bristol; Ben Metz, Kenosha 9:56, 7:32: Kevin Leissring, Mequon; Matt Elverman, Genoa City; Alex Sweet, Brookfield; Zach Hunter, Plymouth Monday 10:04 a.m.: Starter’s time 10:12, 7:24: Kyle Reid, Germantown; Matt Masterson, Whitewater; Chad Ebert, Kenosha; Travis Price, Eau Claire 10:20, 7:16: Jacob Barlett, Windsor; Mike Hesselman, Janesville; Alexander Beaudry, Franklin; Jerry McCarthy, Racine 10:28, 7:08: Jonathan Wagner, Racine; Mitch Harris, Racine; Dustin Czajkowski, Franklin; Christopher Vokes, Cudahy 2:04 p.m., 7 a.m.: Preston Dembowiak, West Bend; Sean Cavanaugh, West Bend; Tyler Laurent, Racine 16-AND-UNDER 10:44 a.m., 1:56 p.m.: Michael Schilling, Middleton; Gilles Everson, Monona; Michael Cabush, Waukesha 10:52, 1:48: Eric Schuh, Kaukauna; Andrew Steinhofer, Madison; Colin Winistorfer, Monona; Sam Weber, Hartland 11 a.m., 1:40 p.m.: Alex Gaugert, Lake Geneva; Cameron Mahnke, Racine; Dylan Drozdowicz, Mequon; Taylor Johnson, Oconomowoc 11:08, 1:32: Austin Gaugert, Lake Geneva; John Gullberg, Franksville; Dan Ignacio, Clintonville; Greg Fehrman, Rothschild 11:16, 1:24: Adam Vanderheyden, Racine; Shawn Foley, Pewaukee; Andrew Morrison, Edgerton; Ben Gardner, Mequon 11:24, 1:16: Michael Sorenson, Hartland; Nathan Ceille, Hales Corners; Eric Hertel, Franklin; Robbie Jacobsen, Racine 11:32, 1:08: Steve Sorenson, Hartland; Scott Hird, Madison; Brad Wendorff, Hartford; Clayton Jones, Merton 11:40 a.m., 1 p.m.: Anthony Aicher, Wausau; Peter Kissinger, Hartland; Jack McKinney, Big Bend Monday 11:48 a.m.: Starter’s time 11:56 a.m., 12:52 p.m.: Quinn Moe, Madison; Kyle Cooke, Twin Lakes; David Christian, Oconomowoc; Taylor Dewitz, Osseo Tuesday 12:44 p.m.: Starter’s time 12:04 p.m., 12:36 p.m.: Daniel Ozga, Edgerton; Jake Blatnik, Waterford; Brad Hong, Osseo; Jared Elsen, Kenosha 12:12, 12:28: Ethan Geidel, Kewaskum; Brennan Fentzlaff, Oconomowoc; Ryan Hilton, Burlington; Sam Kubek, Middleton 12:20, 12:20: Danny McDonough, Whitefish Bay; Andrew Hattersley, Mequon; Scott Wood, Sheboygan; Andrew Beischel, Whitefish Bay 12:28, 12:12: Matt McDonough, Whitefish Bay; Collin Kearney, Fontana; Devin Marks, Monona; Jacob Derse, Elm Grove 12:36, 12:04: Tim McCormick, Madison; Brock Poggensee, Elkhorn; Jordan Lockhart, Elkhorn; Lee Swan, Portage Monday 12:44 p.m.: Starter’s time 12:52 p.m., 11:56 a.m.: Tyler Cuculi, Lake Geneva; Jake Higgins, Menomonee Falls; Tyler Ehlers, New Berlin; Kyle Henning, Brookfield Tues 11:48 a.m.: Starter’s time 1 p.m., 11:40 a.m.: Matthew Jacobs, Twin Lakes; Kevin Haack, Elm Grove; John Parent, Sturgeon Bay; Jake Weber, Bryant 1:08, 11:32: Ryan Kowalski, Wind Lake; Tyler Savignac, New Berlin; Brett Johnsen, Cobb; Eric Wolfe, Cuba City 1:16, 11:24: Benjamin Shovers, Racine; Adam Schumacher, Oak Creek; Hunter Saloff, Cambridge; Daniel Rawley, Milwaukee 1:24, 11:16: Jake Stadler, Menomonee Falls; Ricky Hearden, Green Bay; Nathan Schmelzer, Sturgeon Bay; Mike Herrmann, Brookfield 1:32, 11:08: Tommy Hearden, Green Bay; Sean Sanguansap, Franklin; Tyler Prickette, Neenah; Jack Borgardt, New Berlin 1:40 p.m., 11 a.m.: Ben Brooks, Beaver Dam; Michael Luedtke, Madison; Sam Luedtke, S. Milwaukee; Shane Amrhein, Menomonee Falls 1:48, 10:52: Jake Fergus, Stoughton; Ian Jones, Racine; Wesley Wahlberg, Grafton; Maxwell Vander Wyst, Kaukauna
1:56, 10:44: C.J. Caliendo, Brookfield; Jordan Stachowski, Greendale; Richard Borman, Kenosha
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