​The Junior City Golf tournament tipped off at Rea Park on Wednesday morning, with two dozen young players already making their mark as leaders in their respective divisions. The event featured 18-hole rounds for the 15- to 17-year-olds, 13- to 14-year-olds competing over 18 holes, and the younger 10-and-under group playing nine holes. Leading the pack in the 15-17 boys division is Terre Haute North senior-to-be Keegan Reddy, who opened with a first-round score of 71.
Reddy reflected on his high school team’s recent performance, noting the unexpected tumbles in a few tournaments that felt within reach. “We lost a couple tournaments, and they’re ones we know we should’ve won,” he said. Still, he celebrated the sectional title secured by his Patriots as a team, calling it a truly collaborative effort. “It was really a group effort,” he added.
Looking ahead to the Junior City, Reddy acknowledged the field’s depth and the presence of many talented golfers. “There are a lot of great golfers in the tournament,” he told the Tribune-Star. “You have to stay in your zone, focus on your own score, control what you can control, just try to grind it out.” He also noted the heat’s impact, even if conditions weren’t as brutal as in recent days. The mid-80s temperatures presented some challenges for the players, but Reddy stressed that preparation was key. He shared that the players have been logging a substantial amount of golf this summer and that he himself had logged a couple of practice rounds before the tournament began.
As for strategy for the second round, Reddy plans to keep his ball-striking and green play steady, aiming to minimize unforced errors like three-putts. “Just control what needs to be done,” he said.
In the girls’ 15-17 division, Terre Haute South senior-to-be Holly Clapp, aged 17, sits atop the leaderboard with a first-round 79. She admitted she would have preferred a stronger showing on Wednesday, noting she had two birdies but expressed hope for a better round on Thursday. Clapp hadn’t visited Rea Park since the previous season but has been playing regularly at the Country Club of Terre Haute and competing in other tournaments in the lead-up to this event.
“I need to work on some of my second shots and some of my putts,” Clapp assessed. “Not a lot of them drained the way I anticipated, and some weren’t as straight as I’d hoped.” She remains optimistic about Thursday, believing the final round can be more competitive and consistent.
Here’s a snapshot of the early standings across divisions after round one:
– 15-17 boys: Keegan Reddy leads with 71, followed by Cottrell at 75, Walker and Balbridge tied at 77, with several others in the high 70s and low 80s.
– 15-17 girls: Clapp leads with 79, while Wolfe sits at 85, and Dunivan at 103, with additional competitors posting higher scores.
– 13-14 boys: Goda leads with 75, then McVey at 86, Corson at 87, and Buffo at 89, among others.
– 10-and-under: Smith leads with 44, Carson at 47, and Richey at 70.
Thursday’s tee times are packed with action, starting at 8:30 a.m. The schedule spreads out across the park as players try to gain ground and perhaps overtake overnight leaders. Early groups include Carson, Smith, and Richey at 8:30 a.m.; Ramsey and Tokish at 9:00; McNeely, Accord, and Davis at 9:08; Goda, Strola, and Farnsworth at 9:16; Woelfle, Jones, and Grassick at 9:24; Balbridge, Fisher, and Cheek at 9:32; Reddy, Cottrell, and Walker at 9:40; Robinson and Bilyeu at 9:48; Dunivan, Wolfe, and Clapp at 9:56; and Reed, Buffo, and Hill at 10:04. The final pairings include Carson, McVey, and Goda at 10:12, closing out the day’s rounds.
With the stage set for a dramatic finish, players are focused on refining key aspects of their games—putting, short-game accuracy, and greenside consistency—while maintaining composure in the heat and navigating Rea Park’s greens. The Junior City Golf tournament continues Thursday, as rising talents aim to convert strong first rounds into top finishes and chase the coveted titles in their respective age groups.