Down by four strokes with five holes remaining, Perrysburg 16-year-old Sydney Deal finished strong to win the 46th annual Women’s Ohio State Golf Association’s Junior Girls Championship.

The Division I (ages 16-19) championship tournament was held on the 5,589-yard par 72 Marion Country Club Monday and Tuesday.

When it comes to the Deal family, Sydney is not alone.

Her older brother, future University of Toledo golfer Mason Deal, won the 2022 OGA Ohio Junior Championship for his 16-18-year-old age division at Maumee Bay State Park Golf Course in Oregon.

In Marion, Sydney shot 70-72—142 to defeat second place Audrey Ryu, a 17-year-old from Dublin, who shot 69-74—143.

Deal and Ryu were paired together. Deal birdied two of the final four holes and Ryu bogeyed two of the last four holes.

“I think it helped a lot being paired with her. I’ve played with her quite a few times during the summer. She is so nice, and she is fun to play with, so that was good,” Deal said.

Sydney birdied the 133-yard, par 3, No. 15, hitting the green off the tee and leaving a makeable putt for birdie, which she successfully converted.

On the 315-yard, par 4, No. 17, Sydney, who is known for her driving length, put herself into good position off the tee.

“I had a good drive, made a wedge into the green and made a pretty good putt about 10 feet,” Sydney said.

However, being a long hitter is not always your friend. Marion CC may not have been long, but you had to hit the ball straight.

“It’s a pretty tight course with a lot of trees and stuff like that. There are a couple par fives that are reachable in two, so that is always nice,” Deal said.

“It was just a great tournament to play in and well run. The way it is run is really good and really fun.”

Sydney’s reward? Along with a trophy, Sydney, who will be a junior at Perrysburg High School this fall, hopes the exposure will up her stock as she seeks out where to golf collegiately.

Sydney, who placed 20th at the OHSAA Division I state golf tournament last fall, also got to go out to dinner the with her parents after winning the WOSGA junior title.

Champion, but not champion

At Maumee Bay on June 13-15, Sydney’s older brother Mason won the 16-18 division, shooting a 6-under-par 71-67—138 to defeat second-place Davis Gochenouer of Dayton, who shot 73-67—140.

However, Mason did not win the overall championship, falling to 15-year-old Finley Bartlett of Cincinnati, who scored a 7-under-par 67-70—137.

“I played decent the first day, but then the second day I played a lot better,” Mason said.

“I put myself into more of a position to win, and then I just had to wait for him (Bartlett) to come in, and unfortunately, he got me by one. But it was pretty much me and him separated from the rest of the group.”

The 6,728-yard Maumee Bay course is designed to replicate a Scottish links course along the shores of Lake Erie, and you do not have to miss the fairway by much to find yourself in a thick rough or heather.

Plus, the wind off the lake is nearly always an element at Maumee Bay.

“I like Maumee Bay a lot, actually,” Mason said. “I don’t get to play it much just because we don’t get to travel out there and play it, but I really like it and I was happy it was so close.

“It’s different and it’s nice. Everything seemed to be clicking. It was a real windy day and I played really well.”

For Mason, it was his last junior tournament and since he has been focusing on amateur tournaments before he begins playing for Toledo, where his home course will be the historic Inverness Club.

Mason began preparing with the team long ago.

“I know some of the guys. I’ve played with some of them before. They are all super nice. I like the coach a lot and I think it is going to be a good fit,” Mason said.