Godwin finishes three under for win Buchanan goes low to steal the show
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour was in Gainesville, Florida on May 10-11 for the College Prep Series at the University of Florida. Due to inclement weather on Sunday, play had to be suspended, but winners in each division were determined. Winners in all divisions received an invitation to the 2014 Mid-Season Invitational and 2014 Tour Championship. Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and Florida Junior Tour Exemptions were awarded to all divisions as well. Four AJGA Performance Stars were awarded to the Boys 15-18 winner as well as one Performance Star for the top ten percent of the field. Four AJGA Performance Stars were awarded to the Girls 15-18 division winner and one Performance Star was awarded to the top ten percent of the field. The Girls 11-14 division winner earned one AJGA Performance Star. Additionally, the top 15 finishers received points toward year end honors which include state teams, ALL HJGT teams and the Hurricane Cup.
The Boys 15-18 division was very competitive throughout the entire 36 holes, but it was Colton Godwin of Ocala, Florida who was able to seal the victory. Godwin was impressive throughout the tournament. During round one, he fired a two under, 68 with three birdies and 14 pars. On Sunday Godwin had five birdies for a one under par round, 69. Godwin's two day total of 137, three under, was four strokes better than second place finisher Carlos Ardila of Apopka, Florida. Ardila improved his first round score, 73, by five strokes to claim the second place trophy. His final round improvement of 68 was attributed to four birdies and 12 pars. In third place was Brandon Mancheno of Jacksonville, Florida. Mancheno's consistent play throughout the weekend was the reason why he claimed a trophy this weekend. He had rounds of 73 and 70 with four birdies. He finished the tournament at 143.
The Girls 15-18 division was won by Jenny Buchanan of Loudonville, New York. Buchanan had three birdies and two bogeys on Saturday put her atop of the table for the weekend. She was also the only player in her division to fire an under par round of 69. Viviana Vazquez of Winter Garden, Florida posted a score of 73 to give her a share of second place. Vazquez's round was highlighted by an eagle on hole number three after she recorded a birdie on the par three second. Ariadna Fonseca of Venezuela also posted a round of 73 to tie for second place. Her consistent play of 36 and 37 on the front and back was impressive in this large field size.
The Boys 11-14 division saw a tie for first place between Nick Bessire of Orlando, Florida and Miguel Maisterra of Apopka, Florida. Maisterra’s round was highlighted by two birdies on holes seven and 12. Bessire also had two birdies on holes four and 12 respectively. Both Bessire and Maisterra carded 72’s in their tie for first. Joe Pagdin of Orlando, Florida and Matthew Singer posted a round of 74 in a tie for third place. Pagdin was able to post two birdies and played well on Saturday. Singer had three birdies on Saturday including two on the front nine.
The Girls 11-14 division was won by Cindy Kou of Windermere, Florida. Kou had two birdies and two bogeys that led her to an even par round, 70. Kaysie Harrelson of Tifton, Georgia finished in second place. She used 15 pars on Saturday to post a round of 73. In a heated battle, Mimi Chen of Longwood, Florida and Alyssa Lamoureux of Seminole, Florida posted rounds of 74 to tie for third place. Each girl had one birdie and 12 pars on Saturday. Chen’s birdie came late on the par four 17th hole while Lamoureux’s birdie came early on the par four fifth hole. Weather: Day 1- High 80s sunny with slight humidity. Day 2- Mid 80s with severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tournament Yardage: Boys 15-18: 6,609 yards Boys 11-14: 6,126 yards Girls 15-18: 5,600 yards Girls 11-14: 5,079 yards 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 15-18, and Girls 11-14. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events across the nation, with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut. For more information regarding the HJGT 2014 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