Nikitha Suresh Claims Victory at 50th Ohio Junior Girls Championship

MARION — Nikitha Suresh celebrated her victory on Tuesday, June 16, after securing the title a day earlier. The rising junior from Dublin Jerome delivered an impressive performance with a tournament-low score of 68 on June 15, allowing her to take the lead by a single stroke and ultimately win the 50th Ohio Junior Girls Championship at Marion Country Club. Suresh concluded the tournament with a total score of 1-under 215, consisting of rounds of 74, 68, and 73, finishing two strokes ahead of last year’s second-place finisher, Elisabeth Coleman.

"I was making a lot of putts," Suresh reflected on her standout second round. "I was putting myself in good positions, and I gave myself a ton of opportunities. I was able to convert those opportunities. That’s what was going really well for me." Her confidence from the previous round helped her maintain composure during the final day's play.

Playing alongside Coleman and defending champion Meadow Tian, Suresh felt the weight of the competition. "Everyone is always aware of each other’s scores," she noted. "We knew what position we were in the entire round. Things got pretty tight, especially toward the end. Staying calm under that pressure was what helped me finish strong and win." Coleman finished the tournament with a score of 1-over 217, while Tian ended at 3-over 219.

Coleman expressed her disappointment but also her admiration for Suresh’s performance. "I’m proud of Nikitha. She played really well," Coleman said. "I wish a couple more putts would have fallen. It was just a couple of putts and a couple of shots that got me in trouble." Suresh's victory not only earned her the championship title but also a spot in the upcoming 2026 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

Additionally, the tournament witnessed another memorable moment as Cincinnati’s Charlotte Soller recorded a hole in one, becoming the third competitor in the event's history to achieve this feat. The championship, founded in 1977, has a longstanding legacy and is recognized as the oldest girls' golf tournament in Ohio. Plans for the next year's event venue remain undecided, but there is a commitment to grow the tournament's prestige.