The Niles City Golf Tournament’s youth division continues to grow.

After making a return in 2016, this year’s edition of the tournament at Plym Park on Friday saw an increase of golfers into the youth division.

Defending champions Drew Rudlaff and Wyatt Fazi were able to fend off their competition, but it was not easy.

Rudlaff, who will be a senior at Niles High School this fall, shot 40 to edge Buchanan’s Austin Lloyd, who finished with a 42.

Thomas Nate, of Niles, took third with a 44, while Buchanan’s Bryce Leazenby was fourth with a 46.

“After I doubled No. 4, the long par three I kind of started falling apart there,” Rudlaff said. “I started running every hole through my head trying to figure out where I could bogey and where I could not. I try to limit myself to four bogeys per nine (holes) so at least I am sitting at 40 if I do bogey four.

“So, I just started playing each hole trying to figure out where I could bogey and where could I make up for it. To follow up on No. 5 with a par on a hole where I usually bogey that hole. That gave me a lift there and then I pared the par three after that and kind of kept it rolling.”

Rudlaff said with a larger field this year, he felt more pressure than playing in his first city tournament in 2017.

“I think this year was a lot harder than last year,” he said. “I came in more nervous. But kind of knowing some of the players from last year helped too. Knowing I did pretty well last year and that I have grown as a player this year helped as well.”

Fazi, who will be an eighth-grader at Ring Lardner, edged Buchanan’s John Garland by a stroke to win the Junior Division.

Fazi shot 47 and Garland 48.

“I thought we were going to have a playoff,” Fazi said about the tight finish. “On one of the holes I had a bad shot, but I was able to recover.”

Alan Wegner shot 43 to beat his cousin Dean Wegner, both of Edwardsburg, to win the Super Junior Division.

 

NILES CITY GOLF

At Plym Park

Championship

Drew Rudlaff 40

Austin Lloyd 42

Thomas Nate 44

Bryce Leazenby 46

Leland Ackerson 47

Jacob Withers 57

 

Juniors

Wyatt Fazi 47

John Garland 48

Nicholas Ahlgrim 67

 

Super Juniors

Alan Wegner 43

Dean Wegner 70