To win at Ledgemont Country Club, Lillian Guleserian had to survive one brutal, marathon day in the heat. Luckily for Guleserian, a native of Westwood, Massachusetts, her group kept a quick pace on a 36-hole opening day at the Golfweek New England Junior Open.
“It was tough,” she said. “We played fast so it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
Coming up the 18th hole in the second round, Guleserian felt the fatigue hit. Still, she had done the work for opening rounds of 74-73. She started Wednesday’s third and final round at Ledgemont, a picturesque private course in Seekonk, Massachusetts, at 3 over, but steadily chipped away.
Her final-round 3-under 69 was the best score of any competitor in the women’s division and left her at even par and with a seven-shot victory.
Scores: Golfweek New England Junior Open
Mekhala Costello of Canton, Massachusetts, was runner-up at 7 over with Adriana Eaton of Greenville, Rhode Island, right behind her at 8 over.
“Yesterday, honestly my driver wasn’t feeling great but I was able to get on in regulation and make some putts and then I came out today, I knew what I needed to work on,” Guleserian said of her game. “Needed to work on some chips and obviously putting and I just started to see more of them fall, definitely on the front nine was pretty good today.”
Guleserian also played this event two years ago and felt a marked improvement in her game – particularly around the greens – between the two starts.
Normally, when Guleserian plays a 54-hole event, it spans three days. But the Golfweek New England Junior Open will be good preparation for what is to come at Penn State. Guleserian, who is entering her senior year in high school, has committed to the Big Ten school and will sign in the fall Originally, she hoped to play college golf in the south, but once she saw the Penn State facilities and met the coaches, she was sold.
The Golfweek New England Junior Open is included in the United States Challenge Cup lineup. Guleserian has already won a tournament on that circuit and come in second in another this summer.
“I have been playing a lot this summer, so my game felt pretty good,” she said. “I knew I could put in a few good rounds here.”
Hongtao Gu knows that feeling well. The 16-year-old from Zhuhai, China, defended his title on Wednesday after putting together rounds of 69-71-71 at Ledgemont. His 2-under total was for shots better than his winning score from 2023 and left him feeling confident with his game.
“I’m familiar with this course and everything is good,” he said of Ledgemont. “I love this course and I wanted to come again.”
Gu finished seven shots ahead of Savar Bhasin of Millbury, Massachusetts, and John Scully of Winchester, Massachusetts, who tied for second at 5 over.
New England is a long way from Gu’s hometown, near Hong Kong, and after flying to California for a pair of tournaments, Gu will be on his way back home. He has begun the process of reaching out to college coaches in the U.S., hoping to play college golf here.
The layout of Ledgemont is certainly different from what he is used to back home, but Gu loved the look of things – particularly off the tees.
“I think the courses here are wide open and there are some trees on both sides,” he said. “It’s a different kind of course, new style for me.”
Entering his title defense at the New England Junior Open, Gu felt his irons needed a little work, so he made a few changes and they paid off in a big way.
“My driver and my putting was also great,” he said in assessing his game.