After a lost 2020 tournament week, the International Junior Masters returned with a proper and positive vengeance in 2021. The tournament debuted a long-desired girls division, and offered five bracket winners on the more populous boys side. BuffaloGolfer was on site on Wednesday and breathed in the magic and excitement of the event, on a day when all golfers were still alive, during round two of medal qualifying. We cannot wait for 2022, and are happy to bring you the following reviews of 2021 competition.
Girls Division-Championship Bracket
The 2021 girls division of the International Junior Masters featured eight competitors, who vied to become the first IJM champion ever for this bracket. The medalist was Madison Reemsnyder of the USA, whose 153 edged Peru’s Luisamarina Mesones by one. Reemsnyder won her first match by 8 & 6, but lost in the semifinals to Amelie Phung of the USA. Mesones won two matches of her own, to march to the finals against Phung. In the championship match, Mesones defeated Phung by a 2 & 1 score, becoming the first-ever girls champion of the International Junior Masters.
Boys Division- Championship Bracket
The championship bracket featured the first local medalist since David Hanes in 2016. Anthony Delisanti of Wheatfield posted a six-under par total of 136 to edge Mexico’s Rafael Estrada Zavala by four shots. Delisanti won his first match by 3 & 2, then ran into an unexpected buzz saw in Peru’s Eduardo Galdós. With Delisanti eliminated, Estrada Zavala assumed the mantel of favorite, and he marched to the finals with two wins on the 15th green, and one on the 16th. Meeting Estrada Zavala in the final match was the USA’s Shawn Colella. Colella qualified fifth with 146, then moved through the Delisanti side of the bracket in even more impressive fashion. None of his preliminary matches reached the fifteenth tee. In the finals, he and Estrada Zavala would play 20 holes before Colella was able to secure the coveted title.
Boys Division- Platinum Bracket
In an all-USA battle, Jackson Ormond of Webster, NY overwhelmed Rocco Randazzo by 4 & 3 in the final match. The road to the finals was not an easy one for the winner, as his previous matches ended on the 16th, 18th, and 20th holes. Randazzo appeared to be the favorite in the title bout, after a relatively-easy, 4 & 2 win in the semifinals. He had nothing left in the tanks against Ormond, however, and succumbed.
Boys Division- Gold Bracket
Chile’s Juan Monckeberg emerged triumphant over Tim Reilly of the USA, in the Gold Division championship bout. The last match was the first time that Monckeberg had to play beyond the 15th green. He and Reilly advanced all the way to the penultimate hole, where the South American secured a 2 & 1 victory.
Boys Division- Silver Bracket
Teagan Mauro of Orchard Park became the first local bracket winner when he defeated Corey Edgar of Scotland by 6 & 5 in the title tilt. Mauro did not see the 15th hole in any of his four matches.
Boys Division- Bronze Bracket
Orchard Park’s Enzo Clerici was the second western New York bracket champion in 2021. Clerici defeated Benjamin Swartz by 5 & 4 in the finals. Each had won two matches after qualifying to reach the Bronze bracket championship match.
