Fallon Wins: Mid-Ohio Valley Golfers to Play on Callaway Junior Tour | News, Sports, Courses

Mineral Wells’ Parker Vannoy hits from a green side bunker on No. 2 Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

VIENNA – After Cameron Fallon mastered the mental side of his golf game, his scores dropped.

As a result, he has reaped the rewards this summer – from an eighth-place finish in the West Virginia Am to qualifying for the West Virginia Am and the West Virginia Open.

The upward trend continued Monday during the Callaway Junior Tour stop at Parkersburg Country Club, where the Parkersburg South golfer posted the lowest score among boys and won his 15-16 age group by four strokes with a 4-under par 69.

Fallon’s round started with an eagle on his fourth hole. He eventually reached 5-under before a steady downpour greeted the entire field for the final four or five holes of the afternoon. One of Fallon’s playing partners offered a glove to provide some relief from the slippery clubs, but not enough to prevent his score from taking a subtle hit.

“The mental part of the game has really fallen into place for me this year, to be honest,” said Fallon. “Last year I struggled after a bad hole. This year I stayed strong.”

Parkersburg’s Cameron Fallon chips to the second green at Parkersburg Country Club on Monday. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Fallon, who will begin his junior year at Parkersburg South High School in the fall, had company in terms of higher rankings. Parker Vannoy, who has one year left at South, finished in a tie for fourth place in the 17-18 age group after scoring a 77.

The high school season is fast approaching and the Patriots are packing a deadly 1-2 punch.

“My game definitely needs to improve for the high school season,” said Fallon, who not only borrowed a golf glove to brave the rain but also changed shirts halfway through because of the sweat. “I’ve always had good hand-eye coordination – it just takes a lot of work. People always ask me how I got good at it. I tell them it takes a lot of work.”

Also earning medal honors for their respective age groups at PCC were Caleb Young (72) of Fairmont in the 17-18 division; Evan Johnson (74) of Greenup, Kentucky, in the 13-14 group and Bentley Shirkey (75) of Barboursville for the 12-under division.

St. Marys’ Tripp Morrison, who turned 15 in June and is returning to the Blue Devils golf program for his sophomore year, shot red until rain came for his final three holes. Morrison’s career-best 2-over 75 left him in second place alone in the 13-14 age group.

Vienna’s Brielle Milhoan prepares to putt on the 11th hole Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I was 2 under after 15 holes, then I made a triple bogey and a bogey,” said Morrison. “Now that my sophomore year is coming up, I learned last year not to let things get into your head.”

On the girls’ side, Kerri Anne-Cook of Oceana took home medal honors in the 15-18 division with a score of 76. Brielle Milhoan, who graduated from Parkersburg High School last spring and is looking forward to contributing to the Wheeling University women’s golf team in the fall, took fourth with a score of 83.

“I was having a good day before the rain started, and honestly I love it when it rains,” said Milhoan. “I love playing golf in the rain – I call it duck golf. It slows down the greens. I don’t mind it.”

Milhoan went on holiday to Europe with her family and didn’t buy a club for almost three weeks.

“I took a 17-day break and came back. My swing was better than when I left – a break is good for me every now and then,”said Milhoan. “We use the Jones Course at Oglebay as our home course at Wheeling University – that’s always been my favorite course in the entire state. Probably the entire country. It’s a masterpiece of a golf course.”

Jack Louden of Vienna hits a chip, Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Madilyn Buttrey (94) finished seventh in the girls 15-18 age group. She is returning to the Williamstown High School golf team for her sophomore year.

“It was rough out there – it was a combination of before and after the rain,” Buttrey said, “I’ve put a lot of work into it and I feel like I’m ready for the start of the high school season.

“Today was my 10th Callaway event and it helped my game immensely.”

In Buttrey’s shadow was Addison Jackson, who finished in a tie for eighth with a 96. As she prepares for her senior year at Federal Hocking High School, Jackson is hoping to finally cross the threshold after several close calls at the state meet.

“I’ve had a pretty tough week – I was actually hitting pretty well, but things weren’t going well for me,” Jackson said: “Hopefully we can get an all-girls team this season. We lost a lot of seniors last year, so hopefully we can round up a few girls, get a full team and have a good year.

Joseph Koreski of Parkersburg hits his tee shot on the second hole Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“I’ve been close every year, so hopefully I can finally get the state title.”

In the girls 10-14 age category, Makenzie Egress of Buckhannon won the medal with a score of 88.

The Callaway Junior Tour continues today with a stop at Mingo Bottom Golf Course in Elizabeth. Although the season is not over yet, CJT officials on Monday recognized Webster County golfer Dakota Carpenter with the Larry Martin Sportsman of the Year award. Martin, who was the golf pro at Parkersburg Country Club, was a driving force on the tour.

Cooper Sams of Parkersburg looks at his putt on the 17th hole Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Addison Jackson, a senior at Federal Hocking High School in the fall, lines up her putt on the 11th hole Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Madilyn Buttrey tees off on the 12th hole Monday at Parkersburg Country Club. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)