Major Championship at Gettysvue – May 2-3, 2015
Battle to the finish at Gettysvue Polo Golf and Country Club
Knoxville, TN: (May 3, 2015) The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to Knoxville, TN on May 2-3 for the Major Championship at Gettysvue Polo Golf and Country Club. Saturday’s round began right on time at 11:30 AM with beautiful weather and eager junior golfers. The weather was even better Sunday, with clear and sunny skies, little to no wind, and temperatures climbing into the 80’s. Add this to the fact that the Gettysvue Polo Golf and Country Club was beautiful and immaculate, setting the stage for an amazing two rounds of golf. Trophy winners in all five divisions received an invitation to the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational and first place winners additionally received an invitation to the 2015 HJGT National Championship. Additionally, the top ten finishers in each division received points towards year end honors which include state teams, ALL HJGT teams and the Hurricane Cup.
The Boys 15-18 Division was a tight battle both days at the Gettysvue Polo Golf and Country Club. After Saturday’s opening round, Dougan Anaan and Cade Puryear were both tied at the top after an opening round of 77. The biggest charge on Sunday came from Quinn Eaton who birdied his first, second, and fourth holes. Cade Puryear grabbed the early lead on Sunday after playing the first 6 holes at level par. Dougan Anaan began Sunday’s round with a double bogey on the opening hole but rebounded with birdies on the third and eighth holes. After 36 holes, Dougan Anaan would come away with a 2 shot win over Codey Popplewell and Adam Hooker. Quinn Eaton would hold the most birdies made over the weekend with 7 total. Alex Wells and Dougan Anaan would share the lowest par three scoring average over the weekend at 3.0. Adam Hooker would hold the par four scoring average lead at 4.2.
In the Girls 15-18 Division, Lizzie Loy and Kelli Ann Pearson would out-distance themselves from the rest of the field. After Saturday’s opening round, Lizzie Loy led all girls in her division with an 81, with Pearson trailing close behind shooting an 84. On Sunday, Loy would use a solid front 9 of 38 to give herself a comfortable lead heading into the back 9. Loy would finish with a final round of 80 while Pearson would finish with an 85. Behind Pearson on the leaderboard was Natalie Kratts who would have a two day total of 181. Loy’s victory at Gettysvue was her third victory in an HJGT major championship in the last two years. Natalie Kratts would lead with the most birdies made with 3 total. Kratts and Loy both went on to share the lowest par 3 scoring average at 3.2. Loy would hold the lowest par 4 scoring average at 4.6.
The Boys 13-14 Division featured outstanding play by Gavin Noble and Braedon Wear on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Gavin Noble, coming off of a second place finish last weekend, would birdie 5 of the first 6 holes to open his round. Braedon Wear would hold the overnight lead after Saturday’s round with a 74 followed by Noble, who shot a 76. Noble would gain control of the event after birdies on his eighth, ninth, and tenth holes on Sunday to finish with a final round of 74. Wear would follow Noble on the leaderboard with a two day total of 155, followed by Jackson Skeen, who had a two day total of 162. Noble would hold the most birdies for the entire event with 9 made and would also lead in par 3 scoring at 3.1. Both Noble and Wear would share the low par 4 scoring average at 4.2. Noble and Fielden Bowman would share the low par 5 scoring average at 5.0.
In the Girls 11-14 Division, Kennedy Anne Noe would lead wire to wire to claim her second title of the 2015 season. Noe would post a first round of 86, followed by a final round of 85. Behind Noe on the leaderboard was Savannah Howell with a 36 total of 221. Noe would lead in par 3 scoring (3.6), par 4 scoring (4.8), and par 5 scoring (5.8). This marks the second win of Noe’s 2015 season to go along with a runner-up finish at the Hilton Head Jr. Shootout.
The Boys 11-12 Division was another tight battle from start to finish. After Saturday’s opening round, Lance Simpson of Knoxville, Tennessee would hold the lead over Evan Reed by 2 shots. Simpson’s opening round of 81 was highlighted by a birdie on the 11th hole. On Sunday, six-time winner Evan Reed led a charge with a front 9 of 40, including a birdie on the uphill ninth hole. Reed would finish with a final round of 83 and an 8 shot win. Following behind Reed on the leaderboard was Simpson (174 total) and Jackson Hughey (184 total). Simpson would lead in par 3 scoring with an average of 3.2 and par 5 scoring with an average of 5.5. Evan Reed went on to lead par 4 scoring with an average of 4.6. This marks Evan Reed’s sixth win of the 2015 season. Weather: Day 1- Low 58. High 72. Sunny skies. Wind 5mph Day 2- Low 63. High 80. Sunny skies. Wind 5mph Tournament Yardages: Boys 15-18: 6,492 yards Boys 13-14: 6,190 yards Boys 11-12: 5,679 yards Girls 15-18: 5,679 yards Girls 11-14: 5,679 yards About us: The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2007 with the intention of providing junior golfers between the ages of 11-18 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. The tour’s vision is to provide superb hospitality and make every event a memorable one. With play open to both males and females, nearly every junior golfer is eligible to participate on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. Currently the HJGT is the largest junior golf tour in the United States hosting more 2-day nationally ranked events than another other tour. The HJGT has been able to achieve this goal by running the most professional events and providing an exceptional value to all of our players and families over the last 8 years. There are several factors that set us apart from the competition which we call #TheHurricaneDifference. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the country. In 2015 the HJGT will conduct events in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Juniors will compete in 1 of 5 divisions which are: Boys 15-18, Boys 13-14, Boys 11-12, Girls 15-18, and Girls 11-14. Memberships for the 2015 season start at $139 and tournament fees range from $189-$229 for 36 hole events. The HJGT season is based on a calendar year and players earn points throughout the season towards year end honors beginning January 1. For more information regarding the HJGT, please visit our website at www.hjgt.org, call the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headquarters at (904) 379-2697, or email info@hjgt.org