Len Kennett may not have been watching in person as the young golfers teed off at his 68th Annual Junior Golf Championship at the Lakewood Country Club last week, but he was there in spirit.

“Len was looking down on us,” said Jorge Badel of his longtime friend who passed away at 98 last month. “We hope we made him proud. It was a magical tournament.”

In 1957, Kennett started his junior golf tournament to help young golfers get their start in the sport they loved. He always wore a coat and tie to announce each golfer to show them respect just like if they were playing in an adult tournament.

This year the three starters – Badel, Bob Livingstone and Bob Baker – all wore coats and ties in honor of Kennett, despite the sweltering heat, which reached into the eighties.

“We all definitely sw

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