2026 SoCal Junior Amateur Golf Championship

BEAUMONT, CA (October 16-18, 2026) — The 12th Southern California Junior Amateur Championship co-hosted by the SCPGA Jr Tour and SCGA was a weekend these junior golfers will remember for a lifetime. Rough weather conditions set the stage for a historic Sunday finish at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.

In the Girls Division, battling strong winds over the opening two rounds, Ma never quite found the momentum she was looking for despite flashes of brilliance. Through 36 holes, the 14-year-old had carded six birdies and two eagles, but a handful of costly double bogeys left her at 2-over par and seven strokes off the lead entering the final round.

Determined to make a move, Ma wasted no time climbing the leaderboard. She opened her round with four consecutive birdies, immediately putting herself back into contention. After a lone par on No. 5, she caught fire again, adding three straight birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 8. By the time she made the turn at 7-under (29) for the day, Ma had erased the entire deficit and pulled into a tie for the lead with 12-year-old Maya Young.

The deadlock didn’t last long. A birdie on No. 10 gave Ma her first solo lead of the championship, and despite trading a birdie on No. 13 with a bogey on No. 14, she remained firmly in the hunt. Young responded with a birdie on No. 15 to draw even once again, setting up a dramatic finish. Undeterred, Ma answered immediately with a birdie on No. 16 to reclaim the outright lead. Both players closed with pars over the final two holes, allowing Ma to secure the championship at 7-under par (63) and cap off her incredible comeback with a record-breaking performance.

When asked whether winning the 2026 SCGA Women’s Player of the Year Award provided additional confidence heading into the championship, Ma said:

“That gave me more confidence because I knew I could do it. Now that I got Player of the Year, I was really excited coming into this tournament.”

That confidence was evident throughout the final round, as Ma turned a seven-shot deficit into victory with one of the most memorable rounds of the season.

In the Boys Division,

Facing constant gusty conditions in the opening round, Willson showed no signs of slowing down. He carded birdies on Nos. 1, 5 and 6 and finished the day as the only player under par, building a three-stroke lead heading into Round 2.

The tournament tightened considerably on Saturday as Brandon Anderson fired a 2-under-par round to erase the deficit and draw even with Willson at 1-under overall entering the final round.

Paired together in the championship group, the two contenders traded pars through the opening three holes before the tournament’s momentum shifted on No. 4. Willson rolled in a birdie while Anderson made bogey, giving Willson a two-shot advantage. Another birdie on No. 7 helped him extend his lead, and he made the turn with a commanding four-stroke cushion.

Willson continued to separate himself from the field with a birdie on No. 11, creating valuable breathing room heading into the final holes. Meanwhile, reigning CIF State Champion Drue Henry Sanchez mounted a charge of his own, firing a 6-under-par 66 to move up three spots on the leaderboard and into solo second place. Despite applying late pressure, Sanchez was unable to close the gap. While a conservative approach led to a few bogeys coming home, Willson’s lead was never seriously threatened as he finished at 2-under par, securing the championship and the biggest victory of his career.

When reflecting on the strongest aspect of his game throughout the three-day championship, Willson pointed to his work on the greens.

“I would say my putting. My putting was probably the best it’s ever been, and it honestly helped me feel a lot more comfortable standing over those six-footers. You have to be confident to make those putts.”

That confidence was on full display all week, helping Willson navigate challenging conditions and fend off a final-round challenge to earn the biggest win of his career.

RESULTS