A Whatcom County golfer took the top prize at one of the sport’s biggest youth competitions.
Recent Ferndale High School graduate Baylor Larrabee, who’s set to play in college at UCLA, won the Junior PGA Championships, which ran from July 30 to Aug. 2 at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.
Larrabee wins Junior PGA Championships
One of two Washington golfers competing at the event, Larrabee shot 10 under par on the week, finishing three strokes ahead of a trio of competitors tied for second place. According to Larrabee, who won the Division 3A boys state championship last year, Friday’s result was his biggest accomplishment so far.
“Definitely the biggest thing in my career up to this point,” Larrabee said in a PGA of America news release. “Definitely the biggest win, best performance I’ve had. It means a lot to come out on this stage and prove I can play with the best.”
Larrabee’s tournament didn’t get off to the best start, as he hit an even par on each of the first two days, ending Wednesday in a tie for 17th place. But a surge on Thursday saw him hit five under par, moving within one stroke of the top of the leaderboard. Another five-under round on Friday sealed the win for Larrabee.
Larrabee told the PGA that he didn’t realize he was moving up the leaderboard until late in the tournament.
“I didn’t follow the leaderboard at all because my gameplan was going to be the same either way,” Larrabee said. “So I just didn’t want to see it. And then on hole 16, I noticed that the cameras were following me more and I knew I was in a good spot.”
Junior PGA Championships winner Baylor Larrabee poses with his trophy at Congressional Country Club on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 in Bethesda, Maryland. Scott Taetsch/PGA of America Courtesy of PGA of America
What’s next for Larrabee after Junior PGA win?
Larrabee, who wrapped up his Ferndale career with a second-place finish at the state championships in May, is currently ranked as the No. 26 boys junior golfer in the country, according to the American Junior Golf Association. He’ll look to build on his strong showing in Maryland when he starts at UCLA this fall.
Daniel Schrager is the service journalism reporter at the Bellingham Herald. He joined the Herald in February of 2024 after graduating from Rice University in 2023.Support my work with a digital subscription
