Jackson Crocker, right, finished second in the 16-18 year old boys’ division in the Roy Jones Junior Golf Classic, which ended Wednesday. Standing next to Crocker is, from left, golf professional Jason York and tournament founder Roy Jones Jr. Photo by Junious Smith III / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

The local golfers showed their mettle in a tournament more than three decades old.

The 34th Annual Roy Jones Junior Golf Classic came to an end Wednesday at the Kinston County Club. At the end of the two-day event, a pair of golfers from Arendell Parrott Academy were close to the leaders.

In the 16-18 year-old boys’ division, Jackson Crocker shot a 141, four strokes behind Michael Vick to finish second. Crocker, a rising senior, finished with his strongest performance in his sixth Roy Jones Junior Golf Classic and was tied for the lead with Vick after the first day, shooting a 69.

“I played really well, breaking par my first day,” Crocker said. “I didn’t let that go to my head and I felt really relaxed out there. I was confident in myself and I used a caddie for the first time — Kaen Moore — who really helped out.”

Vick, a rising junior at Raleigh Charter, picked up the win in his first Roy Jones Junior Classic.

“I saw there was high competition in this tournament from previous years and wanted to see what I could do,” Vick said. “This is my second win this summer and this is one of the biggest tournaments I’ve won. It’s a great course and I’m thankful for the generosity of the Jones family for running this.”

In the 14-15 year-old division, Matthew Richardson, a rising sophomore at APA, finished third in the bracket with a score of 145. In his fourth Roy Jones Junior Classic, Richardson won the event in 2016 and finished second a year later.

“I like the course because it’s short, but tough,” Richardson said. “You have to put yourself in a good position to score every hole and it’s always good to play at home. I didn’t play as well (Wednesday) as I did (Tuesday), but it is what it is. I gave some shots away, but overall my performance was pretty good.”

Bryan Fang, a rising freshman at Cary Academy, won the 14-15 year-old division with a score of 137 in his first Roy Jones Junior Classic. Fang said he learned about the event from a friend and said he was up for the challenge.

“I think my individual work on parts of my game really paid off,” Fang said. “My putting and drives were good, and I was happy with the way I played.”

Roy Jones Jr., the tournament founder, and his wife, Brenda, were honored by the Carolina Golf Association for their work in keeping the Classic going strong. There were about 60 competitors in four groups this year and Jones said he appreciated everyone’s efforts.

“Every year is special for me, and even with a smaller field this year, we still had some of the finest men and women, with some of the best golf we’ve had.”

Here are the results of the 34th Annual Roy Jones Junior Golf Classic

BOYS 16-18

Michael Vick 69-68—137, Jackson Crocker 69-72—141, Sullivan Hooper 75-69—144, Austin Wood 71-79—150, Nick Kleu 79-73—152, Caeden Lyons 76-76—152, Will Fowler 78-74—152

BOYS 14-15

Bryan Fang 68-69—137, Cameron Hardison 70-68—138, Matthew Richardson 70-75—145, Ryan Jahr 78-68—146, Tyler Jones 70-77—147, Gray Mitchum 71-76—147

BOYS 12-13

Ethan Boyette 70-72—142, Max Martin 78-71—149, Bizzell Pate 77-72—149, Ford Amerson 74-75—149, Hudson Schulze 75-75—150

GIRLS

Trinity Ahing 72-75—147, Toni Blackwell 82-79—161, Julie Fiedler 84-79—163, Anna Reimers 86-86—172, Peyton Nichols 108-92—200