Three years ago Bill and Jackie Sewell, along with their son Ryan, decided they wanted to give back to the Avalon community for its commitment to junior golf in previous years by bringing back the Catalina Junior Golf Tournament, a tournament which had provided so many fond memories to their son Ryan, a former champion, a tournament which had gone away for a few years around the time of COVID.
Now, after three years of running the tournament it is clear that the Sewells have brought much needed life back to the event and it has become a huge success again, and a great experience for the 56 participants; 44 junior golfers from all over the state of California, Nevada and 12 of our local junior golfers, all ranging from ages 8 to 18, both boys and girls. For the first time, two girls from the Avalon golf team participated.
Thanks to the generous corporate donations secured by Bill, the extreme generosity of our local golf course, and the fine organizational skills displayed by the Sewell family, the kids were treated to a wonderful two days of golf, friendship building, and connection making, all at a great price. They were given some cool hats, range finders, golf balls, and other modern golf equipment, all preparing them to look, feel and play better.
They were provided with a free hot dog and hamburger lunch on Saturday, thanks to Chef Olivia Hernandez and helper Brenda Jordahl. Nick Morrow provided many great action photos. Many others go unnamed, from the mainland and from Avalon, who helped to make the weekend run smoothly and are much appreciated for their volunteerism.
As far as golf goes, the course was in great shape, especially the greens, that provided a challenge for even the best golfers in the field. We have narrow fairways, with many out of bounds stakes coming into play, and fast greens, with difficult slopes. The overall champion of the tournament was 18-year-old Daniel Chazen, from Carlsbad, who shot an even par 128 for the two days and walked away with the Tournament Champion Plaque. Cristian Montalban turned in the best two-day score for our local golfers, finishing in fifth place in the 15 to 18 year old division with a two-day score of 147.
Everyone who participated in the tournament had a great time and gained valuable experience. Once again, our local kids represented Avalon in fine fashion and made us all very proud.
Thanks to the Sewell family, the Catalina Junior Golf Tournament is here to stay and is running on all cylinders. A special shout out to the WaFd Bank for their exceptional generosity that will allow the Sewells to expand their junior golf program and start a special scholarship, specifically designed for our local junior golfers. There certainly is excitement in the air for the future of Catalina Junior Golf.
