2025 Delaware Junior Championships: Round 1

Barrickman, Parrish share Boys’ lead, Brosius leads Girls’ Division

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Charlie Barrickman and the summer weather have been one in the same. Red-hot.

| Scoring | Junior Boys’ History | Junior Girls’ History |

Barrickman, fresh off his tied for third place in the 120th GAP Open a few weeks ago at Bidermann Golf Course, is picking up where he left off. 

“Playing so well at the Philadelphia Open gave me a lot of confidence to know I can compete with those guys,” Barrickman, a rising senior at Unionville High School, said. “So when I come to other events, it makes me believe I can win.”

After Round 1 of the 74th Delaware Junior Boys’ Championship, Radley Run Country Club’s Barrickman and Running Deer Golf Club’s Chris Parrish share the lead after matching rounds of 68 at Kings Creek Country Club (par 71, 6,217 yards) Wednesday.

“I felt like I wasn’t hitting it that great but I putted well,” Barrickman, 17, of West Chester, Pa., said. “Playing the course for the first time I feel like ignorance is bliss. I just look at the GPS on my phone and make a guess. Not knowing the golf course forces you to make committed swings off the tee because you don’t know what is up there.”

All played started on Kings Creek’s second nine for logistical reasons. Barrickman didn’t waste any time in birdieing No. 10 (par 4, 345 yards). He clipped a lob wedge from 30 yards to two feet to jumpstart his day. He would make the turn in 2 under. A birdie and a bogey on his first six holes on the front nine kept him at 2 under. 

A closing birdie on No. 9 (par 4, 425 yards) Barrickman said yielded his two best swings highlighted by an 8-iron from 160 yards to a foot.

“The course is pretty tight which I don’t necessarily love, but the holes that are open I love how you can bomb driver,” Barrickman said. “The greens are super nice so you feel confident over putts knowing if you hit a good putt, it’ll go in.”

Cool, calm and collected is the name of Barrickman’s game. But for him, golf hasn’t always been his best friend. A strong round Thursday at Kings Creek can finally yield the hardware he has been playing well enough to earn.

“I feel like I have been just trying to get by with my golf game the last year or so,” Barrickman said. “Now I feel like I am cruising and it is going to get better from here.”

Parrish, a rising senior at Kingsway Regional High School, found success before he even stepped on the course.

“I had a great warm up,” Parrish, 17, of Woolwich Township, N.J., said. “It was one of the better ones I have had in a long time. Usually that is the kiss of death but I had a feeling I was going to play well today. The greens are great. Kings Creek is such a good golf course. I made so many putts. I enjoyed the course a lot.”

Four birdies and a bogey graced Parrish’s scorecard. His last birdie of the round was the most memorable. He slung a 7-wood from 240 yards on No. 8 (par 5, 520 yards) to 60 feet and two-putted.

“Normally this isn’t a course I would play well at,” Parrish said. “Short and tight isn’t my preference. Something longer and with more space is where I usually play well. A lot of the holes fit my eye. Playing here for the first time, you have to think smart about all of the factors at play. I was just trying to play to the number you think and hope it is in a good spot.”

Parrish said he’s excited for the opportunity in Thursday’s final round. With only one bogey in the first round, he’s looking for more of the same.

“Tomorrow if I can limit my mistakes, I feel like I have a good chance to be in the hunt,” Parrish said. “For me, I just need to stick to my gameplan.”

Girls’ Division

Maple Dale Country Club’s Krista Brosius leads the 43rd Junior Girls’ Championship after a round of even-par 71 (par 71, 5,140 yards). 

The recent Caesar Rodney High School graduate and incoming Salisbury University freshman used consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 (par 3, 150 yards) and 8 (par 5, 460 yards) to get to her magic number after being 2 over through 15 holes. 

She darted a 5-hybrid to a foot on No. 7 and canned a 20-footer on No. 8. 

“I hit a bunch of fairways and a bunch of greens today,” Brosius, 18, of Magnolia, Del., said. “My driver was really solid and I made a bunch of putts. Recently, my short game improved quite a bit. Overall, I have been happy with how my game has progressed.”

Brosius pushed hard to play in college and her game is trending in a good direction for her first year at Salisbury. 

“I really wanted to play college golf,” Brosius said. “To be able to have that opportunity at Salisbury is really amazing. Since I signed last year, it has been nice not to have the stress of deciding which college to go to during my last few months at Caesar Rodney.”

She has been a longtime competitor but doesn’t have a Delaware title to her credit just yet. Thursday that can all change.

“I am just hoping to keep making putts on Thursday for the final round,” Brosius said. “I love playing golf. It is a lot of fun. If I can hit the ball well with my driver like I did today, hopefully I’ll have a chance to win.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.