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Dominic Willson went wire-to-wire at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon (Legends), capturing the 12th Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship, which he called the biggest victory of his career.
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.
