Yuan creates Sunday comeback for victory
Mai shoots tournament low score
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headed south for the Central Florida Junior Classic on November 9-10. This tournament was played at Harmony Golf Preserve in Harmony, Florida, which featured the beautiful terrain, weather, and animals native to the region. Winners in the boys 15-18 division, girls 15-18 division, and boys 11-14 divisions all walked away with AJGA Performance Stars for their performances, as well as the top five competitors in the boys 15-18 division. Winners in all four divisions received an invitation to the 2013 Tour Championship and top 10 finishers in each received points towards end of the year honors and the Hurricane Cup.
After shooting one over par on the first round, Carl Yuan from Lake Mary, Florida shot an amazing 65 on the second day to clinch the Central Florida Junior Classic title in the boys 15-18 division. Yuan totaled 12 birdies on the weekend, also earning him the EFX Birdie Challenge title for his division. He led the field in performance on par-4 holes with a 3.9 scoring average and also averaged 4.2 on par-5 holes on his way to a -6/138 weekend. Finishing four strokes behind Yuan was Evaristo Rubio from Mexico. Rubio posted eight birdies, 24 pars, and had a 2.9 scoring average on par-3 holes. He also had a 21-hole bogey free streak. Gaetan Weydts from Belgium and Harry Xue from Lake Mary, Florida both finished in a tie for third with a final score of 146. Weydts posted eight birdies and 19 pars. Xue totaled 24 pars, six birdies, and a 4.0 scoring average on par-4 holes. Tate Smith from Pt. Charlotte, Florida was able to improve his score by 17 strokes on the second day, earning him the Golf Pride Grips Comeback Player of the Week award.
It was the Mai Dechathipat Show during the girls 15-18 round in Harmony, Florida. Dechathipat, from Howey in the Hills, Florida, shot back-to-back rounds of 65 for a weekend total of 136 and the lowest round out of all divisions this weekend. Mai, who was quoted saying she “just has fun” out on the course, posted a field best 12 birdies that earned her the EFX Birdie Challenge title. She also posted the field best performance on par-4 and par-5 holes with scoring averages of 3.9 and 4.1 respectively. Finishing 12 strokes behind Mai was Chelsea Adams from Windermere, Florida. Her five birdies and 27 pars contributed to her 75-73-weekend performance. Angela Luna-Colombia overcame a hurt knee to earn herself the third place title. Her weekend total of 150 was hard earned with 28 pars and a 4.0 scoring average on par-4 holes. Cosette Anderson improved her first round score of 83 by seven strokes to win the Golf Pride Grips Comeback Player of the Week.
Adding to his HJGT trophy collection, Ray Navis from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida wins his eight HJGT title this season. In a tie for first after the Saturday round, Navis was able to separate himself by shooting a 74 for a +1/145 for the weekend. Navis also won the EFX Birdie Challenge when he posted eight birdies total. Navis led the field in scoring average on par-3 and par-5 holes. Daniel Core from Sorrento, Florida finished in second with a 76-71-weekend for a total of 147. His six birdies and 4.0 scoring average on par-4 holes placed him two strokes ahead of his third place competitors Nick Bessire. Bessire, from Orlando, Florida posted rounds of 76-73 for a weekend total of 149. He posted a scoring average of 4.1 on par-4 holes.
Amy Zhang from Lake Mary, Florida outlasted her competitors with back-to-back rounds of 73 for a weekend total of 146 in the girls 11-14 division. Her 30 pars and performance on par-4 holes helped lead Zhang to her second win this season. Finishing three strokes behind Zhang was Lucy Hou from China. Her 76-73 rounds were a result of her five birdies and 22 pars. Her five birdies were enough to earn here the EFX Birdie Challenge title. Rounding out the top was Erika Smith from Orlando, Florida who shot a +7/151. She posted 25 pars and 3 birdies. Weather: Day 1- High 80, windy, partly cloudy Day 2- High 82, slight wind, sunny. Tournament Yardage: Boys 15-18: 6,854 yards Girls 15-18: 5,852 yards Boys 11-14: 6,256 yards Girls 11-14: 5,338 yards EFX Birdie Challenge: Boys 15-18: Carl Yuan Girls 15-18: Mai Dechathipat Boys 11-14: Ray Navis Girls 11-14: Lucy Hou Golf Pride Grips Comeback Player of the Week: Boys Division: Tate Smith Girls Division: Cosette Anderson About us: The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2008 with the intention of providing junior golfers between the ages of 11-18 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. Golfers who participate on the tour will compete in one of four age divisions: Boys 15-18, Boys 11-14, Girls 11-14 and Girls 15-18. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the nation, with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Ohio. For more information regarding the Central Florida Junior Classic, please visit our website at www.hjgt.org, call the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headquarters at (904) 379-2697, or email info@hjgt.org.