Modleski, Debagia take top honors in AJGA event at Sylvania Country Club
Jul. 23—The summer of golf in northwest Ohio continued this week with the playing of the AJGA Dana Incorporated Open at Sylvania Country Club.
Jacob Modleski won the boys division with a three-day score of 14-under-par 202, while Fort Wayne's Madison Dabagia won the girls division in a three-hole playoff over Kate Brody of Grand Blanc, Mich.
The victories are Modleski and Dabagia's first on the American Junior Golf Association circuit. The Indiana natives recently won the Boys and Girls Indiana Junior PGA Championships.
"It's very special, and I'm glad I could have this opportunity," said Dabagia, who secured her win at Sylvania with a three on the par-3 third hole. "I'm very grateful that I got that red bag."
The winner of each AJGA event is presented with a red Ping golf bag.
Modleski blitzed the field with rounds of 66, 66, and 70 to win by three shots over Mitchell Hoey of Alamo, Calif. Modleski was seven shots clear of third place. He would have had three rounds in the 60s if not for a bogey on the par-4 18th hole in the final round.
"It's just a whole different mental aspect and it requires much more than being able to physically do something," Modleski said. "You really have to think your way around the course and know what you're doing in order to play good golf."
Dabagia and Brody each finished at 4 under, with matching bogeys on No. 18.
In its third year, the Dana Open has become a must-play AJGA event, attracting some of the top junior golfers in the country. In its inaugural year of 2019, the tournament was named newcomer of the year. In 2020, it was honored as open tournament of the year, which is awarded based on the tournament experience from hospitality, volunteers, and sponsor involvement to impact on the community.
"Dana and the membership at Sylvania Country Club have provided tremendous support for this event, which is part of the reason it earned the AJGA open tournament of the year award for 2020," AJGA tournament manager Samantha Joe said.
This year's field was one of the strongest of any AJGA open tournament, bringing college coaches from around the country to Sylvania. The 78 boys and girls hailed from 16 states and four countries (United States, Mexico, China, and South Korea).
Two of those entrants were St. John's Jesuit students: Joey Gemerchak and Myles Murphy.
Charity and golf are as compatible as sunshine and the beach, and the Dana Open is continuing that tradition. Despite the coronavirus pandemic last summer, the tournament donated nearly $95,000 to Lucas County Special Olympics and the AJGA's Ace Grant program, an increase of $18,000 from the previous year.
In 2021, they increased their charitable giving by more than $20,000, donating north of $115,000 to Lucas County Special Olympics and the Ace Grant program.
A barbecue for players and parents is held at the Toledo Zoo, and community members provide housing for AJGA staff members, keeping tournament expenses down and maximizing proceeds for charity.
"It's very well-run, well-organized. Dana Corporation has a lot to do with that," said Dabagia, who has played all three years. "All their hard work, they really deserve those awards."
The AJGA, founded in 1978, is the premier junior golf tour in the world, operating as a feeder system for college programs and the PGA and LPGA tours. The organization counts Fortune 500 companies, major golf equipment manufacturers, and the United States Golf Association as sponsors and partners.
Members are from all 50 states and 60 countries, numbering more than 7,300 junior golfers. Alumni include dozens of future World Golf Hall of Famers, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, and Inbee Park.
In six weeks, Sylvania Country Club will host the world's best junior girls for the Ping Junior Solheim Cup.
