MITCHELL — Staying focused on the present moment was the difference for Harrisburg’s Charlie Swift and Rapid City’s Rylan Horning on the links of Lakeview Golf Course.
Swift fired a 4-under 67 on Wednesday to win the South Dakota Golf Association’s boys junior championship at Lakeview, finishing with a three-day total of 203, playing his last 36 holes at 11-under par. Horning was crowned the girls junior champion with a 54-hole score of 222, firing the low round on Wednesday for the girls at 1-over 72.
For both golfers, making it to this point of the season and claiming a marquee victory is reflective of their efforts going into the three-day event.
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“It feels amazing,” Swift said. “I’ve had a slow start to my season and it just feels good. I really wanted to win this tournament. I’ve really been practicing hard and it feels good to see hard work pay off.”
“It feels great to accomplish it, especially persevering through three tough days,” Horning said. “At the end of the day, it’s kind of going out and trying to shoot better than what you shot on the first day.”
Entering the final round with a one-stroke advantage over Sioux Falls’ Jayden Antonen, Swift and the rest of the lead groups teed off later in the day due to morning weather delaying the start of play until 9 a.m. Taking advantage of soft conditions, Swift fired a bogey-free 4-under 32 on his front nine, maintaining a two-shot advantage throughout the round.
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Building a three-shot lead by 15th hole, a birdie from Antonen on the par-4 No. 16 hole coupled with a bogey by Swift on the par-3 No. 17 brought the gap back down to one entering the final hole, where his approach in each moment kept Swift calm and in control of his game.
“I just focused on where I was aiming and taking deep breaths,” said Swift, who was third in the Class AA boys state high school championship last fall. “I took a little bit more time with my shots and just kind of played my own game, not really worrying about anyone else.
Horning, the Class A state girls individual champion representing team champion St. Thomas More in June, took the lead with a par on the par-4 No. 16 hole, her seventh hole of the round as 36-hole leader Gabi Olson of Watertown bogeyed two of her final three holes on her first nine.
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From there, Horning had a simple goal on back nine, even as defending champion Olivia Braun of Aberdeen made a run with consecutive birdies on Lakeview’s par-5 No. 4 and 5 holes: avoid the big number, which effectively sealed the victory after Braun carded a double bogey on the par-3 No. 8.
“You just have to go out there and focus on each shot,” Horning said, “Make sure you’re hitting it well and keeping your composure until the end of the day. Getting pars is going to be your best friend.”
Mitchell golfer Asher Dannenbring fired the low round on the boys side on Wednesday, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 65 to finish second at 205 alongside Antonen, who placed third. Spearfish’s Parker Reede (208) and Dakota Dunes’ Matt De Beer (209) completed the top five, as the top-10 finishers for the boys all finished with under-par totals.
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Mitchell’s Everett Morrison shot a 3-under 68 on Wednesday en route to a 21st-place finish at 219. Wessington Springs’ JD Thompson carded a 2-under 69, finishing in 23rd at 221.
Other area finishers include Alexandria’s Will Jarding (227) in 37th, Mitchell’s Carter McCormick (228) in 41st, Parkston’s Landon Weber (231) in 44th, Tyndall’s Michael Branaugh (237) in 59th, Parkston’s Kelby Neugebauer (242) in 64th, Alpena’s Sam Baruth (246) in 70th, Presho’s Canyon Garnos (263) in 76th and Plankinton’s Hudson Schmidt (270) in 77th.
For the girls, Braun finished in second at 225 after a final-round score of 2-over 73 against Lakeview’s par-71 layout. Watertown’s Brynn Roehrich was third at 226, followed by Olson (228) in fourth and Miller’s Jayce Pugh (231) in fifth. Mitchell’s Maddie Childs shot a 3-over 74 on Wednesday en route to a seventh-place finish at 233, with Anna Eliason (250) coming in 12th and Ava Eliason (256) finishing in 16th.
Several of the top finishers will be in action at the SDGA Sanford Series Championship on Monday, July 28, at the Country Club of Sioux Falls.
Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.
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