On August 29th and 30th, 2015, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to beautiful McLeansville, North Carolina to host the Major Championship at Bryan Park Golf Course- Champions Course. The course was in good shape, playing conditions were great, and it was also a well-challenged tournament for the long two days of golf. On Saturday, the first day of the tournament, there was lots of sunshine and a nice breeze to make the first day even more enjoyable. On Sunday, we were blessed to have some great playing conditions again, which was a great cap to the tournament. Winners in all four-age divisions will receive an automatic bid to the Tour Championship on December 5th and 6th, 2015. 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.
In the Boys 15-18 division, the hometown hero from Greensboro, North Carolina Scott Campbell took home the first place trophy as he really expressed his talent on the beautiful back nine. On the last 4 holes in round two Scott was able to create some distance from his competition by shooting five under to solidify his victory. Saturday was all about consistency for Campbell who nearly shot par on every hole rounding out with a 74 to end the day with the lead. On Sunday, Campbell continued his sharp shooting by finishing the second round strong starting at hole fifteen with a birdie, followed by a tremendous second shot on sixteen from 180 yards out to sink it for eagle! He didn’t stop there either, birdieing both seventeen and eighteen to close secure his victory with a round of 73. Campbell had a total of five birdies and one eagle in the tournament. Finishing in second place was Grant Powell from Colfax, North Carolina. Powell finished the first round tied for third place but surged through on Sunday to claim second place as his own. Powell was paired with the champion Campbell on Sunday and the two were battling side by side the entire day finishing only one stroke apart. Powell definitely had this long course figured out Sunday where he torched the back nine shooting one under par. Last but certainly not least we have Sam McGee from Charlotte, North Carolina who really made a push on Sunday to make sure he took some hardware home. Sam got off to a good start Saturday with a round of 80 really turned the heat up on Sunday shooting a 73 with 5 birdies on the day. Sam was really zoned in on the green today and was able to make some clutch putts. Overall, the boys 15-18 year-old division was very competitive this week, and all of the top finishers played very polished, and quality golf.
In the Boys 13-14 age division Drew Hackett from Charlotte, North Carolina finished the tournament in the top spot. Hackett started strong with a round of 73 on Saturday and never looked back finishing with a round of 77. Hackett played very competitive and professional golf this tournament as he made smart shots to set himself up for great scores hole after hole. His first day efforts gave him a comfortable but necessary cushion to edge out the first place position by one stroke. Drew finished the tournament with 6 birdies total, three in each round. Finishing right behind Hackett, and in second place was Nikita Gubenko, from Great Falls, Virginia. Nikita brought a lot of confidence with him from Great Falls, as he has been a very strong, and competitive golfer inside of our Hurricane events. That being said, we were pleased to welcome him back onto our tour for this weekends major tournament. Nikita finished round one with a very strong score of a 78 and tied for second place. He then took his talents, and his confidence into the second day as he made a push for first place but finished just shy with a round of 73 on Sunday. Nikita also featured two birdies on his surge through the second round, and his game off of the tee box was polished. We then had a tie at third place with young but up and coming Zach Roberts and Zane Sullivan. Both Zach and Zane shot a strong and consistent 78 both rounds on both day with them both excelling on the beautiful back nine that Bryan Park had to offer. Both players shot two birdies each day totaling 8 birdies between them, Zane was able to stay ahead of the competition with his huge drives that set him up nicely for the approach. Zach’s slow and steady approach enabled him to be precise and efficient on the course. The Boys 13-14 division had a very exciting week, and every competitor in the field displayed two high quality rounds of golf.
Arguably one of the most impressive golfers this whole tournament was from Waxhaw, North Carolina Roshnee Sharma in our Girls 15-18 year-old division. She shot a 75 in her first round only to follow with a 76 in her second. Shooting one of the lowest total scores in the entire tournament Roshnee was able to distance herself and set up her road to victory on Saturday by beginning with a five stroke lead. Roshnee finished the tournament with a total of 5 birdies throughout and breezed her way to the podium. Finishing behind Roshnee, and leaving the course with the second place trophy was Alyssa Campbell, from Lake Wylie, South Carolina. Alyssa played great golf this tournament as she competed in both rounds, shooting a 80 on Saturday only to improve and score a 79 on Sunday. Alyssa really has a future in golf ahead showcasing her awesome attitude on the course and of her ability as she scored 3 birdies throughout her rounds this tournament. Leaving the course in third place was Madison Branum, from Lexington, South Carolina. Branum started the tournament strong with a round of 82 on Saturday and was able to improve the already impressive score with one even lower on Sunday at 79. Branum was very impressive off the tee box all tournament, as her drives were powerful, and really turned some heads. Branum really took a very competitive edge to the course this week and she didn’t fail to impress. Madison was able to finish strong on her last nine holes and where she claimed a birdie on 12. The girls were arguably the most impressive competitors this week as their scores almost matched the boys, which is always great to see. Weather: Saturday: Low 90’s, Clear, Wind 5-10 MPH Sunday: Mid 80’s, Overcast, Wind 5-10 MPH Tournament Yardages: Boys 15-18- 6,886 YDS Girls 15-18- 5,724 YDS Boys 13-14- 6,393 YDS About Us: The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2008 with the intent 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 five age divisions: Boys 15-18, Boys 13-14, Boys 11-12, Girls 15-18, and Girls 11-14. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the nation, with stops in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information regarding the 2015 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.orgExperience #TheHurricaneDifference