Capan Medals, Fessler and Johnson Earn Spots at U.S. Junior Amateur

  BLAINE, Minn. – Frankie Capan, of North Oaks, Minn., carded an opening round 68 Thursday at Victory Links Golf Course before shooting a 5-under par 66 to earn medalist honors as well as a spot in the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

A total of 83 players looked to claim one of three qualifying spots to this year’s national tournament, which will be played July 18-23 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.

Joining Capan at the championship will be Trey Fessler, Otsego, Minn., who fired a 5-under par 137 and Lincoln Johnson, Chaska, Minn., who needed a playoff to defeat Ben Sigel after carding a 3-under par 139.

On Wednesday Fessler, a freshman at St. Michael-Albertville, finished tied for fifth at 148 at the Minnesota State Boys’ Class AAA Championship at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

Capan rolled in five birdies with two bogeys during the morning session Thursday to card 68 before taking a bogey at the fifth hole during the final round. Capan rolled five consecutive birdie putts starting at the seventh before adding another for good measure at the par-5 15th to shoot 66.

In January Capan won the 2016 Puerto Rico Junior Open with a tournament-record 12-under par 204, which earned him a spot in the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, a PGA Tour event where he would narrowly miss the cut as a 16-year-old.

Last month Capan and partner, Shuai Ming Wong, advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Ben Sigel, Deephaven, Minn., and Jack Ebner, Edina, Minn., finished as first and second alternates, respectively.