GO Series still drawing interest

Yahoo

07-07-2025

Twenty years after its inception, the GO Junior Golf Series is still going strong — and still bringing in a record number of golfers.
The series, which provides summer tournament experiences for youth golfers in western Kentucky and southern Indiana, had its highest-ever turnout on a picturesque Thursday at Ben Hawes Golf Course with 125 competitors on the scoreboard. The previous high was 120 at Owensboro Country Club.
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According to GO Series founder and director Mark Price, it's gratifying to see interest in the program continue to grow.
'In spite of the weather and the rain, this year has actually gone very well,' he said. 'I'm just blessed to do it and blessed to have good weather today, because we needed it. I just think it's become a worthwhile thing to do. It's a lot of work and I'm exhausted at the end of the day, but it's been very worthwhile and rewarding to see the kids improve
'Every year is a different animal. For instance, our 13-15 boys division has tripled in participation. We picked up a lot of new golfers this year, which is great because we've been hit hard by graduation a couple of times. Now, we're picking our numbers back up again, so I'm very grateful for that.'
After all, the GO Series was created to help youth golfers better prepare for their high school season in the fall. With boys and girls divisions across six age groups, Price has grown accustomed to seeing a golfer's progression from each summer to the next.
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'You have players from all levels,' he said. 'You have beginners, you have the intermediate players, you have the ones who are getting ready for the high school season. It's fun watching the younger kids come out and figure out, 'Hey, I can do this.' You see that light come on, even in the 8-and-under division, and that's really cool.'
Luke Estes, a rising senior at Owensboro Catholic, has seen improvements to his game since he started playing in the GO Series.
'I've been playing in it for years,' he said after shooting a 74 to win the Boys 16-18 Championship division Thursday. 'I really like that it gives a true golf experience like the high school season. It gives you a good view of all the courses that you'll play on, so it's good to go around and see them.'
Estes, who wants to lower his per-round average to 74 strokes next season, simply wants to keep getting better.
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'I'm hitting the irons pretty well,' he said. 'It's all good right now, but I feel like I can definitely improve in a few spots — just hitting more fairways, more greens — and just getting my irons to inside 15 feet or 10 feet.'
Tristan Logsdon, a rising sophomore at Owensboro Catholic, enjoys the chance to work on the flaws in his game.
'I like the availability and the competitiveness,' he said after shooting an 89 in the 16-18 Championship division. 'It's a nice competition. ... It helps. It gets me experience and tests my weaknesses and gets it all out there.
'The pressure's on you, and you get the chance to work on stuff, so it's good.'
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Other boys division winners Thursday included Owensboro's Hudson Phelps (80, 13-15 Championship); Henderson's Evan Dalton (41, 13-15, 9 holes); Leitchfield's Mason Day (38, 11-12, 9 holes); Dixon's Connor Hudson (24, 9-10, 6 holes); and Owensboro's J.P. Cousins (14, 8-under, 3 holes).
Girls division winners were Owensboro's Briley Billingsley (78, 13-15 Championship); Owensboro's Macy Roberts (107, 16-18 Championship); Owensboro's Catherine Ray (50, 13-15, 9 holes); Clarkson's Brinley Cox (43, 11-12, 9 holes); Central City's Ainsley Morris (33, 9-10, 6 holes); and Bowling Green's Caroline McElroy (16, 8-under, 3 holes).
Four events remain on the GO Series schedule before the Northern Series Championship on July 7 at Owensboro Country Club and the Southern Series Championship on July 10 at the Hopkinsville Golf & Country Club.