Article by: Rick Pledl
Jessica Guiser and Aiden Cudney will represent Wisconsin at the national PGA Junior Championship in August after their terrific play in Milwaukee this week. Guiser, of Hartland, and Cudney, who lives in Kimberly, won the overall girls and boys titles at the Wisconsin PGA Junior Championship in Milwaukee on Thursday – a 36-hole tournament which annually attracts Wisconsin’s largest junior field. The event is held at Brown Deer Park GC and Dretzka Park GC on Milwaukee’s north side, and it has major implications.
Not the least of those is the chance to play in the PGA Junior Championship, which will be held this season at Hot Springs CC in Arkansas. Guiser, who on Thursday earned a spot in the national event for the third time, knows just what a cool experience it is. Guiser, who has verbally committed to play golf at the University of Florida, said the national tournament is a goal for her each year. At 17, she will also be eligible to play Wisconsin junior events and possibly qualify for the PGA Junior again next season.
“Since I’ve been there before, I think it’s made me realize how special that tournament is,” Guiser said. “People come from across the country for that tournament, and being able to play with other people at such a high caliber event is really an amazing experience.”
Guiser hopes to improve on her recent finishes at the PGA Junior, as she came close to making the 36-hole cut both times she played the event.
Guiser led after the first round this week in Milwaukee after shooting a score of 71 at Brown Deer (all girls play Brown Deer then Dretzka, while the boys play them in the opposite order). In round two at Dretzka, Guiser made one blemish when she bogeyed the par-4 sixth hole, but the rest of her round was exceptional. She made three birdies on the day, plus an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole, which she remembered as playing longer this year than last. “I didn’t know if I would be able to reach the green in two or not,” she said. But she did reach it, with a 4-iron shot from about 190 yards. Then she rolled in the 25-foot putt for eagle.
Cudney, who is also 17, lost a one-hole sudden-death playoff last year to Sebastian Kasun at Brown Deer, but there would be no such drama this time. Cudney shot the round of the tournament in the second round Thursday with a remarkable 6-under-par 65 at Brown Deer.
Cudney’s round was unusual because he was even through his first nine holes, and then he erupted for six birdies on the back nine. He birdied his last three holes Thursday to pull away. Cudney opened with a 71 at Dretzka Wednesday, so he finished the tournament at 7-under-par 136.
Mason Schmidtke of Sheboygan (69-70) and Tyson Sparks of Muskego (70-69) tied for second place at 139.
Cudney emerged from a packed leaderboard to earn his three-stroke win. After Wednesday’s first round at Dretzka Park, 23 players stood within four strokes of the lead, held by Waylan Hang of Menomonee Falls and Mason Schmidtke of Sheboygan, who both opened with rounds of 68. Cudney was tied for fourth place entering the final round after shooting a first-round 71. The top of the leaderboard for the overall girls championship this year looked eerily similar to last year’s. The top three this year were the same as in 2022. Guiser won the girls title by six strokes on rounds of 71-68–139 to finish at 4 under par.
Norah Roberts of Racine finished runner-up to Guiser again this year, shooting scores of 74-71–145. And Payton Haugen of Brookfield, who shot 72-74–146, finished third overall for the second straight time. Alex Kim of Brookfield won the boys 13-15 age division after shooting scores of 75-72–147. Cudney won the boys 16-18 age category. Haugen claimed the girls 13-15 competition, and Guiser won among girls ages 16-18.
