BILLINGS — The Summer of Verge continues.
Just three weeks after Bozeman sophomore-to-be Jordan Verge won the 2019 Montana State Match Play Championship, twin brother Justus Verge shot a final-round, 1-under-par 71 Tuesday and then defeated Butte’s Kaven Noctor in a playoff to win the overall title at the Montana State Juniors Golf Championship at Lake Hills Golf Club.
Justus, playing in the 14-15 age division, birdied his final hole — the par-5 ninth — to shoot an even-par 144 over the two-day tournament. He then had to wait for the 16-18 age division leaders to finish. Noctor birdied the par-3 seventh to take a one-shot lead but bogeyed the par-4 eighth and couldn’t make birdie on the ninth, forcing a playoff with Verge.
Noctor did win the 16-18 age group title, beating Bozeman’s J.R. Small by one shot. Small led Noctor by one after Monday’s opening round but got off to a poor start Tuesday, bogeying three of his first four holes. He rallied to birdie his final three but came up one shot short as Noctor fired a 1-under 71.
The lowest score of the entire event, however, came in the 13-and-under division, as Laurel’s Cameron Hackmann shot a final-round, 6-under 66 to finish at 1-under-par, 143 overall. Playing from the forward tees, Hackmann carded seven birdies and just a single bogey to shoot the best round of the tournament.
Billings West senior-to-be Carrie Carpenter, meanwhile, ran away with the girls overall championship, shooting a final-round 76 to win by eight shots at 149. Carpenter was the best in the field both days, easily outpacing Bozeman duo Laurel Ward (157) and Annika Danenhauer (160).
The biggest win came in the 13-and-under division, as Billings’ Kenzie Walsh won by 20 shots. Her 159 total was third overall.
Laurel’s Haylee Adams won the 14-15 age division at 168.
