Carolina Spring Challenge
Woodbridge Plantation Golf Club in Aiken, S.C. (March 12-13, 2016)
Sunny and 75
On March 12-13, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to beautiful Aiken, S.C., to host the Carolina Spring Challenge at Woodbridge Plantation Golf Club. The course was in good shape, playing conditions were great, and it was also a great challenge for the weekend of golf. Both Saturday and Sunday we had beautiful weather. Top three finishers received an invitation to the 2016 Druh Belts Mid Season Invitational on June 11-13. Winners in all three age divisions received an automatic bid to the Tour Championship on Dec. 3-4. The weekend was unbeatable all around, and the top ten finishers also received points towards end year honors, which include state teams, all HJGT teams, and the Hurricane Cup.
Boys 16-18 Division
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Daniel Nam[/caption] In the Boys 16-18 division, we had a playoff for first between Daniel Nam from Milton, Ga., and Takafumi Shimoji from Suwanee, Ga. Both scored a two-day total of 150 (+6). Nam ended up taking home the first place trophy after winning the sudden death shootout. On Saturday, Nam had a round one score of 77 with three birdies and one bogey. Nam came into day two with a one stoke lead and posted a second round score of 73, including two birdies and a bogey. Shimoji started the tournament off with a 78 in round one, with three birdies and seven bogeys. He quickly turned it around on Sunday with a 72, which included four birdies and two bogeys. This allowed Shimoji to finish off the two-day tournament tied for first. He played great golf during the playoff and barely missed winning the title. Our third-place finisher out of eight in the division this weekend was Chad Couch from Bristol, Tenn. Couch had a very consistent weekend with a 79 in round one on Saturday and a 72 in round two. Smith finished the weekend off with a two-day total of 151, only one stroke off the lead. Overall, the boys 16-18 age division was very competitive this weekend, and all of our top finishers played impressive golf.
Boys 14-15 Division
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Owen Whitehead[/caption]
In the Boys 14-15 division, Owen Whitehead from Martinez, Ga., finished the tournament in the top spot. Whitehead came out on Saturday dropping two birdies and six bogeys on his way to a solid round of 78, which put him in first by four strokes. On Sunday, Whitehead was very consistent in posting a 77 with two birdies and seven bogeys. Whitehead’s two-day total was an 11-over-par 155, seven clear of second place. In second was Jay Beach from Augusta, Ga. Beach left round one in second with an 82, one stroke ahead of third, which consisted of six bogeys and two double bogeys. Beach was able to maintain his spot on the leaderboard after an 80 gave him a two-day total of 162 (+18), one stroke ahead of third yet again. In third was another Augusta native, Harry Jones. Jones had a round one score of 83, which consisted of one birdie and eight bogeys and a round two score of 80 with two birdies and 6 bogeys. This allowed Jones to secure his third place spot with a 163 two-day total (+19).
Girls 14-18 Division
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Grace Jones[/caption]
In the Girls 14-18 age division, Hayesville, N.C., native Grace Jones took home the first place trophy with two impressive rounds. On Saturday, Jones set the foundation for what would be a solid two-day total when she carded an 82, which saw her roll in one birdie and seven bogeys. Jones was in the lead coming into day two by 11 strokes and secured her first place title with a 91 on Sunday that featured 10 pars. Jones finished the tournament with a two-day total of 173 for a 10-stroke victory, her first win in four starts this season on the HJGT. Finishing in second was Jordan Guyton from Columbia, S.C. Guyton played a very consistent game all weekend, scoring a 93 on day one with ten bogeys. She shaved three strokes off of her first round tally on Sunday to post a 183 two-day total. Finishing in third place out of seven in the division was Mary Hunt Murray of Augusta, Ga., with a two-day total of 186. Murray had rounds of 95 and 91.
Weather Saturday: High 70’s, Sunny, Wind 5-10 MPH Sunday: High 70’s, Sunny, Wind 5-10 MPH
Tournament Yardages Boys 16-18/Boys 14-15: 6,721 yards Girls 14-18: 5,717 yards