Major Championship at Birdsfoot
(June 8-9)
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour was in Freeport, Pennsylvania at Birdsfoot Golf Club for a major championship June 8th and 9th. There was a great turnout as over 70 golfers from all over the Northeast came out in search of a major championship victory. The weather was perfect all weekend and the course was in great shape which presented the opportunity for players to go low. The players showed great competitiveness and were professional all weekend which created a great atmosphere for a major championship. Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings were at stake as well as an exemption into the 2017 National Championship December 2-3, 2017 for the top three finishers in each age division. Also, the top ten finishers received points towards year end honors which include state teams, ALL HJGT teams, and the Hurricane Cup. Boys 16-18
In the Boys 16-18 age division Adam Bushee of Cranberry Township, PA was able to overcome a 5 stroke deficit on Sunday in order to secure the major victory. Bushee was able to bear down on Sunday and put together an incredible round in which he accumulated seven birdies and an eagle to shoot 75-68-143 on his way to victory. Alex Kiepert of Ebensburg, PA also had a great weekend finishing second with rounds of 71 and 74 for a 145 total. Kiepert opened with a great round which included six birdies and he was able to finish strong on Sunday shooting two over with four birdies. Coming in third was Donnie Professori of Wexford, PA. Professori was the leader after round one after posting a terrific two under round with four birdies. He was able to follow that up with a solid 5 over round which was good enough to earn him a 3rd place finish. All of these boys put on a show for staff and spectators alike with their great skill. Boys 14-15
It all came down to a playoff in the Boys 14-15 age division. Luke Lestini of Bridgeville, PA and Ian Wagner of Medina, NY went face to face in a playoff after being tied after 36 holes. Lestini posted scores of 76-76-152 and Wagner 77-75-152. In the end Lestini was able to put his second shot on the playoff hole to about 10 feet and then went on to birdie to secure the victory. It was great to see two competitors going at it all weekend and it could not have ended in better fashion for Lestini. Both players played hard and showed great respect for each other especially after the playoff hole. In third place was Inigo Rivero who posted great scores of 77-80-157 which was good enough to earn him the third place finish. This age division brought great excitement to Birdsfoot this weekend. Boys 11-13
For the Boys 11-13 age division it was Carter Pitcairn of Pittsburgh, PA taking first place. Due to a few withdraws Carter was forced to play with the 14-15 Boys but it did not seem to faze him. Carter shot 98-85-183 for the weekend and was able to shoot 13 strokes better on Sunday. Carter battled throughout the weekend and it was truly impressive to see him hold his own with the older boys, especially on Sunday when he put together a very solid round. Girls 14-18
For the Girls 14-18 age division it was another tight race that came down to a few shots on Sunday. Ivana Shah of Silver Lake, OH had a three stroke lead going into the second round and was able to hang on for a two stroke victory. Shah posted impressive scores of 76-79-155 and it was her consistency that earned her the victory. In second place was Christina Lewis of Wexford, PA. Lewis was able to put together a great second round, shooting 7 strokes better than her opening round 82, which put pressure on the leader and made for an exciting finish. Lewis posted scores of 82-75-157 which was good enough to earn her a second place finish. In third place was Danae Rugola of Uniontown, PA. Rugola had a similar weekend to Lewis in that she was able to improve on Sunday by six strokes. During her second round, Rugola was able to make two birdies and an eagle on hole six. It was a great weekend all around for the top three finishers and it was great to see the final few holes decide a winner. Girls U13
In the Girls under 13 age division it was a two horse race between Allison Poon of Venetia, PA and Mya Morgan of Elizabeth, PA. In the end Poon was able to secure the victory posting scores of 99-87-186. It seemed as if a lot of players were able to improve their scores on Sunday and Poon was no different. She was able to improve by 12 strokes on Sunday and was able to post a birdie on 16. Morgan posted scores of 102-107-209. Morgan was able to put together a better round on Saturday in which she posted two birdies and followed that up with a birdie on Sunday as well. The girls competed hard all weekend and it was great to see that they were having fun and enjoying the moment with their caddies.
Weather July 8-9, 2017
Round 1: Low 65, High 82. Sunny, Wind 5-25 Mph
Round 2: Low 65, High 81. Sunny, Wind 5-22 Mph
Tournament Yardages
Boys 16-18: 6,619
Boys 14-15: 6,619
Girls 14-18: 5,669
Boys 11-13: 5,669
Girls 13U: 4,962
Boys 10U: 4,866
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 2017 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
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