Major Championship at Bulle Rock–
Bulle Rock Golf Course
(April 8th and 9th, 2017)
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to Havre de Grace, Maryland to host a Major Championship at the beautifully challenging Bulle Rock Golf Course. Pete Dye creatively designed Bulle Rock GC and it is one of the most challenging and well-known courses in the state of Maryland. This weekend’s field featured 56 competitive players throughout five age divisions, all of whom would need to bring their A game in order to beat the field. Wind was a major factor during the opening round on Saturday, with wind hovering around 20mph and gusts reaching upwards of 25 mph. Fortunately, Sunday came with warmer and just a light breeze which gave players an opportunity to jump up the leaderboard. The HJGT staff would like to extend a special thank you to the staff members at Bulle Rock Golf Course for being so accommodating and provided a fantastic course for the players to compete on. At stake during this tournament an exemption into the 2017 National Championship December 2-3, 2017 and exemption into the 2017 Mid Season Invitational at Sea Island Plantation, June 11-13 for the top three finishers in each division, Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings, and points for top 20 finishers that go to end of the year honors. Boys 16-18 Division
The Boys age 16-18 Division provided exciting play and impressive scores during both days of the event. After round one, Karsen Rush held a 2 stroke lead over four players in the field after shooting a first round 75. Two strokes back after day one, your champion Ford Bennett played incredibly Sunday to earn himself the victory with a one over 73 for a two-day total of 150. With calmer winds on Sunday, Bennett was able to attack holes more aggressively and get the job done. Bennett’s round was highlighted by an 18th hole birdie to cap off a one stroke victory. Finishing in a tie for second place with a two-day total of 151 was William Mirams and Nicholas Mejia. Mirams, from Stroudsburg, PA, began Sunday in the final grouping after shooting an opening round 77 and was in first place contention the duration of the weekend. Mejia, from Woodstock, MD, found himself battling back come Sunday after finishing 4 strokes off the lead Saturday with a 79. Back to back bogey’s on holes 13 and 14 would come back to haunt Mejia as he finished just shy of first. The Boys 16-18 Division was competitive all around this weekend. Boys 14-15 Division
The Boys 14-15 Division featured 9 players this weekend, all of which faced challenges that made the leaderboard open for the taking. Seeing his opportunity and taking it was first place winner Marshall Meisel from Chevy Chase, MD. Meisel finished first two weeks prior to this event, at the Laurel Hill Junior Shootout and his experience came into play this weekend. After shooting a first round 75 to gain a 4 stroke lead over his next competitor, Meisel knew if he played consistently the next day he could be walking away with another first place trophy. He managed to do just that, shooting a second round 76 to finish with a two-day total of 151 and the first place trophy. Following up in second place from Woodbine, MD was Caleb Taylor with a two-day total of 159. After shooting a first round 79, Taylor couldn’t put it all together on Sunday and finished with a second round score of 80. Taylor’s putting was his biggest downfall this weekend, but with time three putts will become two putts and Taylor should be on the top of the leaderboard. Wrapping up the Boys 14-15 Division was Ryan Feldman from Rockville, MD. Feldman finished the first day with an 11 over 83 and improved Sunday with an 8 over 80, but he is capable of shooting in the 70’s and will as the season rolls on. With a nice swing and a great competitive spirit, expect to see Feldman in contention in future events. Boys 11-13 Division
The Boys 11-13 Division featured 14 competitive golfers and the two lowest rounds of the weekend. After shooting a first day even par 72, Kelly Chinn found himself in an unusual spot, one stroke behind day one leader Sihan Sandhu. Chinn took his game to a next level on Sunday and fired a 6 under 66 to finish the event with a 6 under two-day total of 138. Chinn’s marvelous Sunday was highlighted by an incredible start of 4 birdies in a row. Finishing 5 strokes off the leader at the end of Sunday with a 1 under two-day total of 143 was Sihan Sandhu from Ashburn, VA. Sandhu did just about everything right over the weekend and his impressive outing should be a strong indicator of a bright future for this young man. Rounding out the Boys 11-13 Division was Corey Minkoff from Gaithersburg, MD with a two-day total of 149. Despite finishing 11 strokes off the leader, Minkoff played extremely well all weekend, especially given the conditions. If Minkoff continues to play this well in future events, it won’t be long before he has a first place trophy of his own. Girls 14-18 Division
The Girls 14-18 Division featured 4 players this weekend that battled through windy conditions at an already long course. Taking home the first place trophy was NoNo Nolan from Wilton, CT with scores of 86-85 to finish with a two-day total of 171. Nolan played consistently during both days but couldn’t seem to get on any sort of streak throughout the event. Despite not having a hot streak, Nolan did what she needed to do and earned herself a first place finish at very difficult course. Finishing in second place behind Nolan was Sarah Houle from Sandy Hook, CT. Hook struggled Saturday in the winds and posted a first round score of 91, but came back composed on Sunday and finished with an 81 for a two-day total of 172, just one stroke shy of the champion. Coming in third place was Kayleigh Zeman from Silver Spring, MD with a two-day total of 176. Zeman finished round one with a one stroke lead over her field after shooting an 85, but couldn’t put together a similar round come Sunday. Girls U13 Division
The sole competitor in the Girls U13 Division this weekend was Victoria Matthews from Great Falls, VA. Matthews may have been in the only competitor in her field this weekend, but she proved she could keep up with just about anyone in the event. Finishing with scores of 82-80 for a two-day total of 162, Matthews flashed signs of future greatness at such a young age. With impressive scores and great ball striking abilities, Matthews is always a a pleasure to watch play.
Weather April 8th and 9th, 2017
Round 1: Low 41, High 55. Cloudy and Windy
Round 2: Low 37, High 68. Sunny
Tournament Division Yardages
Boys 16-18: 6,500yards
Boys 14-15: 6,500 yards
Boys 11-13: 5,674 yards
Girls 14-18: 5,674 yards
Girls U13: 5,175 yards
About Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
In 2017, The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour announced a partnership with Nexus, an international hospitality and entertainment company backed by financier Joe Lewis and Tavistock Group, golfing great Tiger Woods and musician and entertainer Justin Timberlake, which will further our collective goal of growing the game of golf, broadening the Tour’s reach across the U.S. and around the world. 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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