Ben Carter is the latest local prep product to capture the area’s top men’s amateur golf prize.
The former St. Henry High School standout won this week’s 86th Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship at Summit Hills Country Club in Crestview Hills. Carter finished the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association event with a three-day score of 6-under-par on the par-70 course. He shot 169 over 45 holes.
Representing Boone/Lassing, Carter outlasted runner-up Christopher Harpum from Triple Crown and third-place Braden Herstich from the Northern Ohio PGA Junior Tour.
It’s the second year in a row that a local prep product has won. Last year’s champion Ian Asch finished in a three-way tie for fifth this week on his home course at Summit. Asch played high school golf at Covington Catholic. He came out firing with a first-round 6-under 64, tying his own course record.
Asch’s big day was good for a first-round lead of two shots ahead of Carter, who rallied. On the final day, Thomas Kreusch from NCR Country Club tied Asch’s course record with his own 64. Kreusch tied for fifth.
Asch fell short in an attempt to become the tournament’s first repeat winner since former Campbell County High School standout Eric Fuldner in 2010 and 2011.
Even so, that’s three local winners of the Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship in five years bookending Rylan Wotherspoon’s title in 2022. Wotherspoon played high school golf at Cooper.
At least 10 different champions numbering 11 Northern Kentucky crowns over the last 25 years have been locals. Other winners in that span include Highlands’ Michael Kessling, CovCath’s Paul Huber, Ryle’s Austin Squires, Lloyd’s Scott Scudder, CovCath’s Jim Volpenhein and Boone County’s Lance Lucas.
University of Dayton golfer Riley Johnson won this week’s Women’s Division competition. Johnson, representing TPC Rivers Bend, shot a 54-hole score of 16-over 229. That was good for a 7-shot advantage over runner-up Paige Trehern from Hamilton Elks. Youngster Reese Anthony out of Traditions was third.
Chris Straley from Coldstream won the Senior Men’s event with a two-day 142. Jim Muething from Maketewah was runner-up and Peter Betzold from The Grizzly Course was third. Volpenhein placed fourth while representing Maketewah.
Carolyn Mindel from O’Bannon Creek rolled to the Senior Women’s championship with a two-day score of 155. Candy Begnoche from Vineyard Golf Course and Summit Hills’ Jenny Brallier tied for second.
