News

St. Louis, MO - As the 2023 Metropolitan season begins to wind down, there is still one final trek for the youth of the area: The Mid-America Junior Cup. Eight junior golfers have been selected to be a part of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association team. These golfers have shown exemplary effort and talent over the last year to earn their invite and secure a spot on the team. The team consists of four boys and four girls with two of each gender being 15 years old or under and two being under the age of 18. Team MAGA holds four Cup rookies and four returning competitors. Meet Team MAGA:

 

Boys’ Under 16

Eric Ewing - A rookie to the Mid-America Junior Cup, Ewing is a sophomore at Chaminade College Preparatory School who practices out of Family Golf and Learning Center. He proudly made the cut at the US Amateur Qualifying this year with a score of three-over par. Ewing also got invited to play in the St. Louis Junior Invitational. 

 

Caden Fehr - Also a newcomer this year, Fehr is a freshman at Chaminade College Preparatory School and plays out of the Country Club of St. Albans. His favorite golf memory is shooting a final round score of 68 in a national championship. Fehr’s proudest golf accomplishment is making a hole-in-one during the Teen World Championship at Pinehurst. Just this year, Fehr shot eight-strokes better than his fellow competitors to be the Champion in the 15 and under division of the Metropolitan Junior Amateur. On October 1, Fehr qualified to go to Augusta National in 2024 to compete in the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Final. 

 

Boys’ Under 18

Bubba Chapman - Entering his fourth year on the Mid-America Junior Cup team, Chapman is an experienced veteran having played on the 2020, 2021, and 2022 teams. He is a senior at Chaminade College Preparatory School and plays out of Bellerive Country Club. Chapman is proud to have been a part of two team state championships with the Chaminade golf team. He showed his abilities this summer by shooting one-over par to become the 2023 Metropolitan Junior Amateur Champion. He is particularly proud to have won this championship with his best friend Chase Miller on the bag. 

 

Harper Ackermann - Also a fourth year veteran of the team having played on the 2020, 2021, and 2022 teams, Ackermann is a junior at Christian Brothers College High School who plays out of Old Hickory Golf Club. His favorite golf memory is playing Pebble Beach. Ackermann is proud of making the Van Horn Cup Team at the U.S. Kids Junior Worlds. 

 

Girls’ Under 16

Eva Brown - The Mehlville High School sophomore is no stranger to the Mid-America Junior Cup. Playing on the 2021 and 2022 teams, Brown is a veteran who practices out of Tapawingo National Golf Club. Her favorite golf memory so far has been playing on the Underrated Golf Tour this past summer after proudly qualifying and being selected as one of just 98 kids from around the world to do so. Brown finished as Runner-Up as an individual at the 2023 MSHSAA Class 3 Girls' Golf State Championship with a score of three-under par. 

 

Sarah Hyten - A rookie for Team MAGA, Hyten is a sophomore at Father McGivney Catholic High School, who plays out of Sunset Hills Golf Club. She has been proving herself already this school year by earning her second high school state golf appearance after shooting two-under par to qualify. Her score has also helped her team to qualify for state for the first time. Hyten’s favorite memory has been her team winning their conference tournament this year, and her proudest golf accomplishment is making a hole-in-one at last year’s state championship. At Illinois' 2023 High School Girls' Golf State Championship, Hyten finished tied for ninth as an individual. 

 

Girls’ Under 18

KC Lenox - Rounding out the list of veterans with a back-to-back cup appearance, Lenox is a junior at St. Joseph’s Academy and plays out of Old Hickory Golf Club. Her favorite golf memory is going to Pinehurst with her family every year. Lenox is extremely proud of being a part of her high school golf team’s back-to-back state championship titles. She competed again at the 2023 MSHSAA Class 4 Girls' Golf State Championship, where she finished tied for sixteenth as an individual and as Runner-Up with her team. 

Avery McLaughlin - As a rookie, McLaughlin is ready to join Team MAGA. She is a junior at Visitation Academy and practices out of Bellerive Country Club. McLaughlin joined Chapman this year in the champions circle this year at the Metropolitan Junior Amateur Championship by beating the competition by one-stroke. She is proud to have qualified for the IMG Junior Worlds two times. McLaughlin is proud to have won the state championship title with her school team during her freshman year. In the 2023 MSHSAA Class 4 Girls' Golf State Championship, McLaughlin finished tied for seventh as an individual and was able to lift the trophy as Champion with her team.


The team will travel to Kansas City to take on Central Links Golf's team on October 21-22 at Falcon Lakes Golf Club.