HEARTLAND JR. TOURNEY HOLDS CLASSIC FINISH

JACKSON -- Sudden-death playoffs and dramatic comebacks figured into two championships in the final round of the Heartland Junior Championship golf tournament Thursday at Bent Creek Golf Course.

Michael Craft of Paducah, Ky. shot a final-round score of 2-under-par 70 and came from four strokes behind to beat Tyson Mannering of Makansa, Ill. in sudden death in the boys 13-14-year-old division.

Craft and Mannering each finished with a 54-hole total of 223, which was the best score of the tournament even though there were two older age groups that participated.

Jason Walker of Belleville, Ill. came from three strokes back to overtake Justin Yoder from Versailles in the 10-12 group. Walker shot a 40 over nine holes Thursday for to tie Yoder. The duo finished with a 27-hole total of 117.

In the 17-18 boys group, Jared Pyatt of Vibernum shot a 73 in the final round, finishing with a three-day score of 224.

A 224 also won the 15-16 boys division as Ryan Griggs of Sikeston finished seven strokes ahead of Peyton Sims, who is from Jackson.

Only four girls participated in the tournament, which brought 122 participants from five different states. All four girls were in the 15-16 division which was won by Taylor Plelmann of Columbia with a score of 268.

Other than Sims, Matt Litzelfelner and Ty Gramling were the only golfers from the area who finished in the top five. Litzelfelner shot a 233 in the 13-14 category, taking third.

Gramling took fifth in the 10-12 division with a score of 125.