Birmingham Jr. Shootout
Limestone Springs GC in Oneonta, AL
(June 4 – 5, 2016)
Swinging to the Top
On Thursday, June 2, 2016, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to Oneonta, AL to host the Birmingham Jr. Shootout at the stunning Limestone Springs Golf Club. We had a beautiful first day of competition followed by a wet and dreary second day, but that didn’t damper the junior golfer’s spirits! The HJGT would like to thank The Lime Stone Springs staff for allowing us to host our tournament at their gorgeous venue. What was at stake is AJGA Stars and Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings for selected divisions. Once that first tee shot soared through the air, the golfers were ready to put their clubs to the ball and make their mark on the course.
Boys 16-18 Division
Reid of Opelika, AL took home the championship for the boy’s 16-18 division. Reid was able to rally and take first place after starting the final round 2 strokes back from the division leaders. Reid, after shooting a 74 on the first day of competition, came back the next day and shot an impressive round of 69 to finish with a total score of 143. Second place went to Benjamin Harris of Homewood, AL. After shooting an even par round at 72 on Saturday, the poor weather conditions on Sunday seemed to slightly affect Harris’s game as he finish the second round with a score of 73 for a total score of 145. Third place went to Atharv Argade of Deatsville, AL. Like Harris, Argade finished the first round at even par. His game saw some decline Sunday, but still finished with a strong score of 75. He finished the tournament with a total score of 147, 3 over par. Connor Reid may have had the most impressive 18 hole of the tournament. Although he didn’t have the lowest score, Reid pared 7 holes on his front 9 and birdied the other two. While on the back 9, he pared 6 holes, birdied 2, and only had one bogey. The competition in the boy’s 16-18 division was highly competitive. The 4th place contestant only finished 2 strokes behind the 3rd place winner. Despite the torrential down poor, the boys pressed on and put on one heck of a tournament.
Boys 14-15 Division
William Patrick of Oneonta, AL took home the championship for the boy’s 14-15 division. Patrick was able to seal up the first place position on his home course after shooting a 74 on the first day and shooting an impressive 67 in the second round. Brock McNeely of Glencoe, AL took home the second place trophy after shooting a 160 total for the tournament. The 3rd place trophy went to Pepper Miller of Columbus, GA. Miller finished with a 169, while the next closest competitor scoring a 174. William Patrick birdied three holes on the front 9 and four on the back 9. Each player had an amazing experience, while competing against top competitors across the nation.
Girls 14-18 Division
Taylor Gardner of Signal Mountain, TN was the girl’s 14-18 division champion. Gardner shot two rounds of 80 for a total score of 160. Finishing in second place was Ellie Skeen, like Gardner she shot two rounds of the same score finishing with an 86 each day for a total tournament score of 172. Unfortunately, due to some last minute drop out the girl’s 14-18 division only had two competitors. However, that didn’t stop these young ladies from going out and giving their best. Although Gardner got off to a rocky start, she rallied on the back 9 paring 7 of the 9 holes and bogeying the last two. Gardner stated in her post tournament interview that the small field size didn’t prevent her from going out there and giving it her all. Although both girls are used to playing in a larger field sizes, they found the smaller field to be a refreshing change of pace.
Girls 13 & Under Division
Sierra Fink of Peachtree City GA, was the girls 13 & under division champion. Fink scored an 85 on her first round and an 86 on her second round for a tournament total of 171. Coming in second with a first round score of 94 and a second round score of 91 was Liza Lapeyre of New Orleans, LA. Finishing in third was Mikayla Dubnik with a first round score of 94 and a second round score of 92. Lapeyre and Dubnik were tied going into the final round of the tournament, but Lapeyre emerged the second place victor by beating Dubnik by one stroke. However, Fink was the most successful by having birdied consecutive holes for the first time in her junior golf career. Fink also started in her post game interview that “The first day of the Birmingham Jr. Shootout was the lowest score I’ve have shot all season”. All around, the tournament was a very successful for the girls 13 & under division.
Weather June 4-5, 2016:
Round 1: Low 67, High 88. Mostly Sunny, Wind 5-10 mph
Round 2: Low 65, High 80. Scatted Rain Showers, Wind 8-10 mph
Tournament Division Yardages
Boys 16-18: 6,617 Yards
Boys 14-15: 6,617 Yards
Girls 14-18: 5,501 Yards
Girls U13: 5,501 Yards
About Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2007 with the intent of providing junior golfers between the ages of 11-18, and now 10 and under, an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. Golfers who participate on the tour will compete in one of six age divisions: Boys 16-18, Boys 14-15, Boys 11-13, Boys U10, Girls 14-18, and Girls U13. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the nation, with stops in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In 2016, we have now expanded to the west coast and cover California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon. For more information regarding the 2016 HJGT Tour, please visit our website at www.hjgt.org, call the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headquarters at (904) 379-2697, or email info@hjgt.org
Experience #TheHurricaneDifference