Pairings | Results
July 29, 2025
Girls' Championship
Keep an eye on Diya Kumar come the 2025-2026 Junior Tour of Northern California season.
On Tuesday, Kumar, still just a junior in high school, made it a wire-to-wire win at the annual JTNC Tour Championship at Poppy Hills. The Fremont resident posted rounds of 71-76 to finish at 5-over 147, good enough for a two-shot victory over runner-up Medha Kotti.
"It was a really amazing experience. The course was great to play on and I had a lot of fun," Kumar said. "It was really cool."
Kotti, a sophomore in high school, shot a final round 71 to come in at 149.
Third place went to Thanyanate Bhummabhuti at 151 following a final round 76
Kumar's previous best finish during the season was a tie for second at the Fall Series VI Championship.
"I was just trying to focus on playing my best," Kumar said. "I was a little bit nervous, but it all paid off in the end."
Boys' Championship
Rocklin resident Blake Whittington passed the pressure cooker test.
Whittington, a junior in high school, watched his five-shot first-round lead evaporate, but came back later to claim a one-shot win over runner-up Richard Ding.
"I haven't had this big of a lead in a tournament before, so it was a different kind of feeling," Whittington said. "It was good to pull through."
Coming off a first-round 66, Whittington struggled early in Tuesday's final round, posting a front-nine 38. To make things worse, on the par-5 10th, he carded a double-bogey.
While Whittington was falling, Becker Brown, who shot a first-round 72, was able to capitalize. In a stretch from holes Nos. 7 through 10, Brown went 4-under thanks to two birdies and an eagle to forge a tie with Whittington.
But then Brown slipped, carding a double-bogey on the par-4 13th to fall two shots behind. Brown never threatened again, finishing T-4 after a 74.
With Brown falling to the wayside, it was time for 2024-2025 Player of the Year Richard Ding to enter the fray. Coming off a first-round 73, Ding closed with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th to get in the clubhouse at a total of 1-over 143, just two behind Whittington.
All the attention then shifted back to Whittington. Needing at least a bogey on the closing 18th to avoid a playoff, Whittington made just that, finishing with a 76 to edge Ding by one.
"I just tried to stay patient. I was sort of rushing at times," Whittington said. "On 18, I took a look at the leaderboard. I was very cautious about putting on the last hole. It feels good to get it done."
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July 28, 2025
Girls' Championship
Fremont resident Diya Kumar, a high school junior, grabbed a three-shot lead thanks to a solid even-par 71 at Poppy Hills.
Kumar, who tied for second at the Fall Series VI Championship early in the season, was steady, posting two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars.
Jingfei Liu of Monterey and Lucinda Wu, also of Monterey, both are tied for second at 74. Wu carded four birdies, but also seven bogeys.
Lauren Lee of San Jose and Thanyanate Bhummabhuti of Bangkok are T-4 at 75.
Boys' Championship
Blake Whittington, a high school junior from Rocklin, had a hot day that left him in a great position to pick up a win at Poppy Hills.
Whittington, whose best JTNC finish in the 2024-25 has been a T-33 at the Fall II Series Championship, opened this week's annual JTNC Tour Championship with a sizzling 5-undr 66 on Monday.
Following a 34 on the front-nine, Whittington made huge move on the back-nine, carding a 32 that featured four birdies and just one bogey. He'd birdie both 17 and the par-5 18th.
He'll enter Tuesday's final round holding a five-shot lead over Karsten Hansen and Pranit Gupta, who both shot 71. Becker Brown is in fourth place at 72.
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