Columbus Junior Shootout
April 30 - May 1, 2016
This weekend the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour continued the Ohio swing at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Ohio. The 36-player field experienced a challenging course coupled with treacherous weather, but marched on impressively. We cannot thank the staff of Lancaster Country Club enough for the great shape of their course and the hospitable atmosphere for the players. The Boys 14-15, Boys 16-18 and Girls 14-18 age divisions were playing for Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. The 14-18 year old girls and 13U girls were playing for AJGA performance stars, with the 14-18 champion receiving four and top three receiving one, and the 13U champion receiving one. The four division winners received an invitation to the 2016 National Championship on Dec. 3-4. Invitations to the 2016 Druh Belts Mid Season Invitational on June 11-13 were also extended to the top three in each division. Finally, the top 10 finishers received points toward year-end honors, which include all HJGT teams and the Hurricane Cup.
Boys 16-18 Division
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Noah Frase[/caption] After the first round, the top four were only separated by four shots. Hometown competitor Noah Frase of Lancaster took home the title against the field of 15 this weekend by making birdie on the first playoff hole against Justin Griffith of Allison Park, Pa. Both shot first and second round scores of 78, with Noah shooting 39 on all four nines. Rounding out the top three were Ohians Miles DeMuesy of Clinton and William Sattler of Rossford, both shooting a 158 (+14) total. DeMuesy shot one-over-par 73 on the final day that included two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 17th. Sattler ended his tournament strong with birdies on two of the final three holes.
Boys 14-15 Division
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Gregor Meyer[/caption] Gregor Meyer got out to a hot start in shooting 75, the low round of the division, on the first day and maintained the lead as he cruised to victory. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native finished both rounds with a 155 total (+11). Meyer finished his first round with a bogey-free back nine, which included a birdie on the par-4 12th. After three top-10 finishes on the HJGT this season, Meyer finally broke through for victory. Second place out of 11 belonged to Ali Khan of Westerville, Ohio, who shot a 159 total (+15). Ali followed up his first round 80 with a 79. Rounding out the top three was Costa Coconis from Somerset, Ohio who shot a 164 total (+20). Costa followed up his first round 82 with another 82 and made two birdies both days.
Girls 14-18 Division
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Ashley Au[/caption] Ashley Au stole the show in the Girls 14-18 division by jumping out to a five-stroke lead and never looking back. The Westerville, Ohio, native followed her division-low 75 with a 78, giving her a two-day total of 153 (+9). Au opened the tournament with an even-par front nine and finished the day with three birdies, and would add three more on Sunday. Finishing in second place out of eight was West Bloomfield, Mich., native, Mikaela Schulz. After taking the title at the Cleveland Junior Classic on April 16-17, Schultz had another high finish. Schulz posted an 80 on day one and improved by five shots with a 75 on day two. She fought hard on Sunday by opening up with a front nine 35 that included two birdies. Coming in third place was Sophia Trombetta of Independence, Ohio. Trombetta shot a two-day total of 162 and had a second round score of 79. Trombetta had the highlight of the event thanks to a chip-in eagle on the par-4 6th hole!
Girls 13U Division
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Nicole Whatley[/caption] First and second place were only separated by one stroke after day one and ultimately Nicole Whatley prevailed with victory. Whatley, hailing from Northville, Mich., improved by four strokes on her first round score by firing a second-round 82. Whatley made three birdies on the weekend and finished strong with three pars. Mariana Vega of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, opened her tournament with an 87, just one shot out of first place. Vega’s tournament was highlighted by a birdie on No. 17 in the first round. She also played holes 14-17 at one-under-par during that stretch. Vega posted consecutive rounds of 87 to finish six back of Whatley. Whatley also notched her second victory on the HJGT this season in four starts.
April 30 - May 1 Weather
Round 1: Low 45, High 62, Winds 5-10 mph, Rain Cloudy Skies, Cool, Wet Course
Round 2: Low 51, High 72, Winds 5-10 mph, Sunny, Warm, Dry Course
Tournament Yardages
Boys 16-18 yardage: 6,630 yards
Boys 14-15 yardage: 6,630 yards
Girls 14-18 yardage: 5,681 yards
Girls 13U yardage: 5,186 yards