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Oklahoma-commit Max Emberson relied on an incredible final round of golf to win the Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship at Morongo GC at Tukwet Canyon.
Through the first two days, Emberson was playing consistent golf, shooting 68-69, putting him at -7, which was good enough for solo-third place entering the final day. He found himself one stroke back from the co-leaders, Ethan Schramm and Kenyon Kahler, who both shot identical rounds of 66-70 to put them at -8 entering Sunday. Emberson would waste no time in making a move for the lead, opening his round with four straight birdies to bring him to -11, good enough for a one-stroke lead over Schramm, who had picked up three birdies of his own. Emberson picked up one more birdie on the front to end his first nine at -5, keeping him at a one-stroke lead over Schramm who was at -11. Both Schramm and Emberson birdied hole 10, keeping the gap at one stroke, but a birdie from Emberson on hole 13 would prove to be the turning point.
Now leading by two strokes, Emberson would continue his bogey-free performance as he and Schramm would both birdied 16. Emberson then added another birdie to his scorecard on 17 to help close out the win. Emberson ended up shooting a final-round 63 (-9), the lowest final round in event history. More impressively, Emberson achieved this without carding a bogey all round. Emberson secured the championship at -16, while down the leaderboard, Matthew Hull of Corona del Mar managed to pull into a tie for second with Ethan Schramm at -13 after an impressive final-round featuring seven birdies and an eagle, including four birdies in a row from holes 12 through 15 to finish with a 65 (-7). Not only did Emberson break the event record for lowest final round score by shooting 63, but he also broke the record for lowest final score at the Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship with his -16.
