News

St. Louis, MO - As we enter into October, it is once again time for some of the best junior golfers from the St. Louis Metropolitan and Kansas City Metropolitan areas to come together for a head-to-head battle in the Mid-America Junior Cup. The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association and the Central Links Golf Association both create teams consisting of four boys and four girls with two golfers of each gender being aged 15 and under. The teams then compete in a Ryder Cup style format, creating a unique competitive experience for these young golfers through a universally loved format. 
 

Team Metropolitan has been rounded up for the 2024 competition, which marks the 26th playing of the Cup. We are hopeful that this team of rising stars will be able to bring the trophy back to the Metropolitan following last year’s loss. Glen Echo Country Club will serve as host this year. Our team features four newcomers and four Mid-America Junior Cup veterans. So who is on Team Metropolitan? Check them out:

 

18U

Eva Brown is the long serving veteran of the team, entering into her fourth year as part of Team Metropolitan. Eva is a junior (Class of 2026) at Mehlville High School and plays out of Tapawingo National Golf Course. She works hard to continue bettering her game, which is evident through being one of 98 kids [1 of 49 girls] selected to play on Steph Curry’s Underrated Golf Tour. Eva’s favorite club in the bag is her driver, which leaves no surprise that she says the strongest part of her game is her distance off the tee. Last year, Brown was runner-up in the MSHSAA Class 3 Girls' Golf State Championship . So far this year, Eva placed third in the Metropolitan Girls’ Junior Amateur and qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in early October. Eva’s Mid-America Junior Cup record is 5-4-0.  

Avery McLaughlin is returning for her second year on Team Metropolitan. Avery is the only senior (Class of 2025) on the team this year as a student at Visitation Academy who plays out of Bellerive Country Club. One thing she is proud of is being a Junior World Qualifier twice. Avery’s favorite club in the bag is her putter, however she says the strongest part of her game is her chipping. She is an experienced competitive player, having been a part of the 2023 MSHSAA Class 4 Girls' Golf State Champion team, as well as being the 2021 and 2023 Metropolitan Girls’ Junior Amateur Champion. As her first year on the team, Avery was just finding her footing in the Mid-America Junior Cup, but she is ready to get a win and redeem herself from her 0-2-1 Cup record.  

Eric Ewing is the veteran boy for the 16-18 division this year as he returns for a second go at the Cup. Eric is a junior (Class of 2026) at Chaminade College Preparatory School, who practices out of Norwood Hills Country Club. He has been working hard both as an individual and as a team player. In the spring, Eric was part of the MSHSAA Class 5 Boys' Golf State Champion team and has a goal for this next year to win again. His favorite club in his bag is the 8 iron and he says his short game is the strongest part of his game. Eric has already shown consistency this year by shooting three rounds of even par at the Metropolitan Junior Amateur to finish in solo third place. Eric was the only member of Team Metropolitan to have a clean, undefeated record of 3-0-0 in last year’s Mid-America Junior Cup. 

Cole Packingham is a rookie for Team Metropolitan who is a junior (Class of 2026) at Liberty High School. He practices out of WingHaven Country Club. Cole has proven his ability and is proud to have recorded a summer scoring average under par. He set a goal to qualify for the IMG Junior World Championship and successfully did so. Cole’s success does not end there, as he finished in 5th at the MSHSAA Class 5 Boys' Golf State Champion in the spring, followed by shooting eight-under to be the runner-up in the Metropolitan Junior Amateur this summer. He will also be heading to Louisiana in November to compete in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. Cole’s favorite club in the bag is his putter and he says that the best part of his game is his irons play. 

 

15U 

John DeLuca is another rookie for Team Metropolitan. John is a freshman (Class of 2028) at Chaminade College Preparatory School, who plays out of Forest Hills Country Club. As the youngest player on the team, DeLuca has something to prove, but is not afraid of the challenge. He has shown great promise through his Metropolitan wins, which he is proud of. John is also proud of the times he has shot rounds under par and has a goal of growing the game. In 2021 and 2023, John won the 13 and under division of the Metropolitan Junior Amateur, and then has most recently championed the 15 and under division this year. His favorite club in his bag is the 4-iron and he says the best part of his game is his recovery ability.  

Caden Fehr is returning to Team Metropolitan for a second year as the only 15 and under experienced player. Caden plays out of the Country Club of St. Albans and is a sophomore (Class of 2027) at Chaminade College Preparatory School. He is bringing quite the experience and resume with him this year. With his favorite club in the bag being his pitching wedge and the strongest part of his game being his irons, Caden is sure to make a difference. Caden has already shown great promise similar to his teammate DeLuca through the Metropolitan Junior Amateur with a 13 and under division win in 2022 and a 15 and under win in 2023. He is also a member of the MSHSAA Class 5 Boys' Golf State Champion team. This past spring, Fehr had the honor of visiting Augusta National to compete in the Drive, Chip, & Putt National Final in the 14-15 age division - which is his proudest golf accomplishment thus far. Last year, Caden rounded up a Mid-America Junior Cup record of 1-2-0.  

Zoey Ficken is coming in as a new face for Team Metropolitan. She is a sophomore (Class of 2027) at O’Fallon Township High School, where she is on the girls’ golf team, and practices out of Far Oaks Golf Club. Zoey has been working hard on her game and has set a goal to shoot in the 60s. She is proud to have won the 2-day 9-hole Gateway PGA tournament in 7th grade. Zoey’s favorite player is Scottie Scheffler, and she is hoping to make a splash on this team like he has on the PGA Tour. Zoey’s favorite club in her bag is the 6-iron and she says that the strongest part of her game is her level headedness when things get tough on the course - which will come in handy as she faces her matches in the Mid-America Junior Cup for the first time. 

Ally Suhre is a rookie for the team this year, and is a sophomore (Class of 2027) at Metro-East Lutheran High School. She plays out of Oak Brook Golf Course and is on the Metro-East girls’ golf team. Ally is a promising young talent as she qualified last year for the IHSA Class 1A girls golf state championship as an individual, and just recently qualified for state sectionals as an individual this year. She played in the Metropolitan Girls’ Junior Amateur in the summer, where she finished in 7th place. Ally set a goal for herself this year to win the Gateway PGA Section’s Championship and successfully brought it home. With this win, Ally proudly secured the Gateway PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year award. Her favorite club in the bag is her 3-wood and she says the strongest part of her game is her short game. 

 

This team is ready to face the Central Links Golf Association Team on October 26-27 at Glen Echo Country Club. Showing much promise and talent, these eight individuals will come together to once again return the Mid-America Junior Cup to the Metropolitan. 

 

Mid-America Junior Cup Record:
10 Metro - 10 Central Links - 5 Ties
More About the Cup