BILLINGS — High hopes and high stakes were on the line Monday at Lake Hills Golf Course for youth players vying to reach next summer's Optimist International Junior Golf Championship at Trump National Doral in Miami.
“Alright guys, don’t forget to change scorecards,” reminded one Billings Breakfast Optimist member as small groups approached the No. 1 tee box.
Competitors ages 10-18 squared off in the Optimist district Junior Golf Championship, aiming for a trip next July to the prestigious Doral course which has hosted multiple PGA tournaments.
Watch youth golfers take aim at Doral, plus hear why the Optimist Club and Lake Hills are so supportive:
“Our mission is to bring out the best in youth, our community, and ourselves,” Jay Strever, chairman of AMS&NW Jr. Golf, told MTN Sports.
Billings Optimist member Mike Rowecliffe, who was also volunteering, explained, “We give them the rules sheet, their scorecards … help direct them to share those scorecards."
Lake Hills PGA head professional Renzie Lee and his brother, Kelbi, both advanced to Doral multiple times in their youth. “For me, it got me to see a whole other part of the country and golf,” Renzie Lee recalled, noting his appreciation afforded by the Optimist Club. “Like, I didn’t know golf has alligators and all kinds of stuff like the Florida stuff does. And these kids probably never would’ve been exposed to anything like that.”
“Our goal is to pay the entry fee for anyone that is qualified to go (to Doral) … lodging and meals while they’re there,” Strever added.
Monday's tournament welcomed golfers from Montana and Wyoming.
To qualify for advancement, players needed to beat minimum scores for each age group and finish top-two in their age flight. The course was especially challenging for the girls who played from white tees where men typically tee off, while the boys played farthest back from the blue tips.
Payton Tryan, a rising junior at Billings Senior, was the top female finisher with an 80 to outpace the field. In the boys’ 16-18 category, Royce Taylor, a junior at Laurel, took the low round carding five birdies on the way to a one-under-par 71. Taylor said this marks the third time he has won the Doral qualifier.
With support from organizations like the Billings Breakfast Optimists, youth golfers are not only developing their skills but also gaining invaluable experiences to shape their futures in the sport.
