High school stars chasing first crown but Hartford lurks
ZANESVILLE — A final round for the ages is brewing at the Zanesville District Golf Association Amateur.
Eight players are within six shots of the lead entering the June 22 final round at Zanesville Country Club, three of them 18 or younger.
John Glenn 2025 grad Noah Dever, who will play at Division II Charleston, roared back with a second-round 67 — 5-under-par — that was a five-shot turnaround from his opening round 72 at River Greens.
He made four birdies on the front nine and two more on the back at Cambridge, as he played the first 10 holes at 4-under. He holds two-shot leads over River View High School phenoms Gavin Gress and younger brother Colton Gress, who are at 3-under after shooting 71 and 69, respectively, at Cambridge.
Dever and Gavin Gress were Division II All-Ohio players in 2025 at Akron Firestone — Gress was a first-teamer as a freshman. Both brothers are seeking to become the youngest Amateur champions in the event’s 48-year existence.
A collection of former champion Blake Hartford (1-under 143), Jay Smith (143), David Link (143), Collin Linnabary (144) and Cameron Henry (145) are also firmly in the mix as they chase the kids.
Henry, who plays for Hartford at Muskingum, shot 3-under 69 at River Greens to assume a one-shot lead entering CCC, where he posted 35 on the front. A double bogey on the par-5 10th and four bogeys that followed led to a 76 on Saturday to stunt his chances.
John Glenn grad C.J. Dolan (74-75 — 149) and Chatum Courson (75-74 — 149), a Fort Frye alum, rounded out the top 10.
Others to make the cut included Zanesville grad Corey Hull (75-78 — 153), John Glenn and West Liberty (West Virginia) University product Derek Graham (76-77 — 153), West Muskingum grad and Maryville (Tennessee) product Jack Porter (79-74 — 153), Maysville grad Owen Lutz (78-76 — 154), Crooksville and Malone grad Brock White (81-73 — 154), Kelson McCurdy (78-77 — 155), Michael Fulk (79-77 — 156), Brock Hurley (79-78 — 157), Nick Luniewksi (81-77 — 158), Maysville and Muskingum product Jason Baughman (75-84 — 159) and Mike Shook (77-85 — 162).
Tee times are set for 11 a.m. as the top 21 players made the cut from the June 21 round at Cambridge Country Club.
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