Event: 6th Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational 

Host Site: Mimosa Hills Golf Club, Morganton, N.C. 

Playing Dates: August 23-24, 2025 

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos 

By Damon Bennett, CGA Media Intern

MORGANTON, N.C. (August 26, 2025) – The 6th Mimosa Hills Junior Invitational (MHJI) took place this weekend, as 120 junior golfers—96 boys and 24 girls—competed over 36 holes. Three-time CGA Champion, Grayson Baucom of Hickory, N.C., took home his second CGA title of the summer (2025 Dogwood State Junior Boys' Championship) in dominate fashion winning the Boys' Division by five shots. Our 2024 Dogwood State Junior Girls' Champion, Ira Joshi of Pinehurst, N.C., took home her second CGA title with a two-shot victory at this year's MHJI. Hosted at Mimosa Hills Golf Club in Morganton, N.C., the course played to a par of 70 for the boys and to a par of 72 for the girls. 

After round one, Baucom and Joshi both led their fields by one stroke. Baucom fired a bogey-free, 6-under-par 64 and Joshi shot a 3-under, 69 in round one. Joshi was joined by Kami Caraccia of Mooresville, N.C. as the only girls to shoot under par for the entirety of the championship. 

The top of the leaderboard was packed on the boys’ side after 18 holes. John Wylie Richardson of Florence, S.C. and Bennett Scaletta of Belton, S.C. both shot 5-under-par 65 in round one, and six players shot 4-under-par 66 to trail the leaders by two strokes. 

Baucom continued his hot streak into the second round. He was six under through seven holes in round two, including an eagle on the par-5, 7th hole to record an astounding 6-under-par 29 on the front nine. His first bogey of the championship came on No. 12 in round two but he bounced back with two more birdies to beat his round one score by a stroke and shoot 13-under, 127 total for the championship.

Our 2024 Carolinas Junior Boys' Player of the Year, John John Santospago of Charlotte, N.C., also went low in round two, firing 6-under-par 64 in the second round to jump ten spots into a runner up finish. Coleman Lankford of Waxhaw, N.C. recorded a hole-in-one on the 160-yard, 17th hole to highlight his second-round score of 5-under-par 65 that catapulted him into solo third place. 

For the girls’ side, Joshi also held onto her lead through round two. Joshi and Amelia Santiago of Holly Springs, N.C. were the only two girls to shoot par or better in both rounds of the competition. Joshi shot even-par in the second round, and Santiago shot 1-under-par, 71 to capture second place. Marissa Scaletta, our 2025 S.C. Junior Girls Match Play Champion, of Belton, S.C., shot even par 70 to jump into a tie for third place with Landry Hamm of Charlotte, N.C. with a four-over-par 148 total for the championship.  

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank the staff at Mimosa Hills Golf Club for their hospitality, including Head Golf Professional Jimmy Piercy and Superintendent Brian Reddick, as well as the greenkeeping and pro shop staff.