Jul 20, 2025
Correspondent photos / Robert Hayes. Bristol’s Diesel Williams (left) and Wilmington Area’s (Pa.) Lindsey Hoover (right) watch their shots on the back-nine during the final round of the Greatest Golfer Junior Finals on Saturday at Avalon Lakes Golf Club in Howland.
HOWLAND — A summer’s worth of tournaments came to a climax on Saturday, as the 2025 Greatest Golfer Junior Finals were held at Avalon Lakes Golf Course.
Bristol’s Diesel Williams survived a shootout in the final group throughout the back nine to secure the trophy in the U17 boys division. Wilmington Area’s (Pa.) Lindsey Hoover then continued in the footsteps of her older sisters to run away with the win in the U17 girls section.
“In our U17, we had four players in red numbers after day one under par. We’ve never had such quality play. I think you’re just seeing such good play,” Greatest Golfer organizer Todd Franko said. “It’s a really special event that brings all the high school kids together. The quality of play and the friendships have been consistent. That’s not new. It’s great to see every rotation of kids that come through here. I say it a lot, community, camaraderie and competition.”
Then in the U14 divisions, Canfield’s Peyton McCune held on during the final few holes to capture the boys title, as West Middlesex’s (Pa.) Paige Sowers pulled out the victory against a small field for the girls trophy.
“This has been our biggest summer — we had 12 events. We’ve always had 10 (previously) and two of them were 36-hole qualifiers, which we’ve never done before,” Franko said. “What was cool was just to see the consistent numbers. We just had this consistent turnout of 50-some players at all or most of these events. That told me that they really enjoyed being around each other. They like the way we run it, and I’m proud of that.”
BACK-NINE BATTLE
After shooting a 3-under 69 during the first round on Friday at Squaw Creek, Williams sat tied for the lead with Canfield’s Nathan Miller heading into Saturday’s final round.
Williams had hit putter rolling early through the front nine at Avalon, and through 11 holes, he was sitting on a two-shot lead at 5-under over Miller and Warren JFK’s Andrew Lapolla.
Then came unlucky hole No. 13. Williams’ approach shot on the par-4 fell short of the green and he duffed a pitch shot from the green-side rough. Then came an unfortunate lip out for bogey and he was forced to settle for a double-bogey six, which brought him back into a tie for the lead at 3-under with Lapolla. However, he bounced back on the par-5 14th hole with a birdie.
“It actually kind of helped that there was a short par-5 next,” Williams said. “The main part of that hole was just to hit a good tee shot, and if I hit a good tee shot, I’d have a good look at the green, which I did. I had eight feet and lipped out for eagle, which is a bummer, but I’ll take birdie after the double.”
Despite a bogey on the 15th hole that dropped him one shot back of the other two, Williams found himself in an ideal position.
He parred each of the final three holes to finish with an even-par 72 and a two-day total of 3-under to win by one shot, while Lapolla bogeyed the last three holes and Miller bogeyed two of the last three holes.
“I caught fire on the front-nine, and the back-nine was just kind of steady,” Williams said. “I was hitting fairways, hitting greens, and I was burning edges all day on the back-nine. Then the last three holes, I just focused on making pars, and that’s what I did and it worked out for me.
“That was a really key part of the tournament today. I feel like that’s something I’m good at through playing all these tournaments throughout the summer and playing travel baseball all the way through my younger ages. I just not let other things bother me and just play my game the best I can.”
After graduating from Bristol this spring, Williams is headed to Division III Maryville College in Tennessee to continue his golf and academic career in the fall.
CONTINUING THE FAMILY LEGACY
As the youngest of three sisters in a golf family, Hoover knows she has a lot to live up to.
But, she continued to follow in their footsteps by cruising to a dominant 16-shot victory with a two-day total of 5-over 149 to beat Canfield’s Alexandra Conley (21-over) and Aubree Philibin (23-over) and Hubbard’s Madelyn Fox (23-over).
Hoover opened with a 5-over 77 on Friday at Squaw Creek and closed things out with an even-par 72 on Saturday.
“I feel really good about being able to end this summer with the trophy,” Hoover said. “Both of my sisters did it in past years, and it really means a lot to do it.”
Despite the lopsided win, Hoover holds herself to high standards and wasn’t happy with how she finished her round at Avalon. After being under-par through 15 holes, she bogeyed the final three holes coming down the closing stretch.
“It all happens for a reason. (Friday), I was proud of myself with the 77, but today the 72 was not the score I hoped for. But it happens,” Hoover said. “It’s hard when you’re under par and you bogey the last three holes. But my sisters, Kaitlyn and Erika, really keep me positive and keep me going. Same thing with my Dad, my Dad pushes me.”
SHINING YOUTH
McCune fended off Canfield’s Luke Conroy, Austintown Fitch’s Camryn Sallee and Warren JFK’s Carter Altobelli for the U14 boys crown.
“It was a great day overall,” McCune said. “I was just staying focused and not looking at the leaderboard and just playing like myself.”
Against a small field, Sowers shot a 2-over 74 to edge out Champion’s Avery Robinette for the U14 girls title by three strokes.
“I’m really happy with how I played today. It was a good way to finish the season,” Sowers said. “I was hitting my driver really well and my 5-wood too when I couldn’t hit my driver. That and my putting was really good, too.”
Sowers will begin high school at West Middlesex in the fall, where she’ll play on the golf team with her older sister, Kate, a former Greatest Golfer winner, as well.
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