News

By Mark Gaughan

MANLIUS, N.Y. – Nina Choe was in such full command of her golf game, she made the final day of the 63rd New York State Girls' 18U Junior championship look relatively easy.

It wasn’t.

Choe withstood 36 holes in sweltering, 92-degree heat Wednesday and held off a persistent challenge from Sadie Goodman to claim the title by five shots.

Related: Results / Photos / Day 1 Recap / Championship Central

Choe, a 17-year-old who plays out of Pelham Country Club in Westchester County, fired rounds of 67-67-69 to finish 12-under par at the Cavalry Club outside of Syracuse.

“It feels great,” Choe said. “I’ve been playing this tournament for four years, and it’s great to win it.”

What was key to her triumph?

“Just how I stayed consistent,” she said. “It was a long two days. I stayed patient, and I stuck it out. The heat was a big factor. Staying hydrated staying patient was important.”

Choe entered the 18-and-under event as one of the favorites. She’s currently No. 50 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings. She placed fifth at last year’s NYSGA Junior Girls event. She won the 2025 New York State Public High School title. She has had a bunch of strong finishes this year, including first in the Florida Junior Tour MLK Major in January, second at the Junior Orange Bowl International in Florida in January, and second in an AJGA event in Texas in March.

She looked tournament tested at the Cavalry Club. She made only four bogeys in three rounds. She hit 14 greens in regulation on the final 18 holes.

“I definitely had some errant drives, more on the back nine in the final round, but I was able to get out to a good spot and save par and minimize the damage. Usually, driver is my strength but this week it was approach shots.”

Choe held a three-shot lead over Goodman entering the final round.

Goodman, from West Harrison and playing out of Anglebrook Golf Club, had set the women’s competitive course record at the Cavalry Club with a 67 in the first round. Choe equaled it in Wednesday’s morning round. So did Maria Glavin, a 15-year-old from Waterford, near Albany, who plays out of Van Schaick Island CC.

Goodman pulled within a shot of Choe with a 12-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole of the final round. But Choe made birdies on the sixth and seventh holes to create a cushion. On the par-5 sixth, Choe reached the green in two with a 7-iron from 170 yards and two-putted. On the par-4 seventh, Choe hit a 54-degree wedge from 80 yards to 12 feet and made the putt.

Choe’s deft touch with the wedges was on display the final nine holes. She hit a 35-yard pitch to 3 feet to save par on 11, hit a 50-degree wedge from 108 yards to 14 feet and made birdie on 12, then hit a 58-degree wedge from 68 yards to 20 feet on 15.

Choe just graduated from the Ursuline School in New Rochelle and will play golf for the University of California-Davis in the fall.

Goodman turns 17 in two weeks and is entering her senior year of high school. She spends half the year in Florida and already has committed to play golf at High Point University in North Carolina. She played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Fourball in South Carolina in May and placed fifth at an AJGA event in Pennsylvania last summer.

This was her best New York State finish.

“I feel very proud, especially after the hour and a half delay,” Goodman said, referring to a halt in play Wednesday afternoon as a precaution in the heat. “It was hard to get back in that mindset but I’m proud of how I played, especially through the heat.”

Goodman stayed in contention in the back nine with some gritty par saves. She hit a 50-foot shot from a deep bunker to 2 feet on 12 to save par, then hit a 50-yard pitch to 6 inches on the par-5 14th (which she birdied all three rounds) to stay within three shots of the lead. But Choe would not let allow for an opening down the stretch.

“Overall, I was able to get my drives in the fairway most of the time,” said Goodman, who was aided by younger brother Jacob as her caddy. “And overall my putting was very good too. I gave myself some birdie opportunities.”

Alexandra Phung, a 15-year-old from Forest Hills, was third at 3-under. She lost in a playoff to her older sister, Amelie, in last year’s NYS Girls' Junior event. Glavin placed fourth at 1-under par. Fifth was Yasmina Oralkhan of Brooklyn.