On October 10th and 11th, 2015, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to beautiful Montgomery, Alabama to host the Major Championship at Montgomery CC in Montgomery, Alabama. The course was in good shape, playing conditions were good, and it was also a well-challenged tournament for the long two days of golf. On Saturday, the first day of the tournament, it was overcast with a steady breeze to make the first day enjoyable. On Sunday, we were blessed to have another great day of playing conditions again with beautiful bright skys, 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 divisions from Dalton, Georgia Davis Smith was able to capture the title as champion here in Montgomery, Alabama. Smith was able to faze out everything from swirling winds to college football halftime music and continue to shoot fantastic golf. Smith caught fire on the back nine on the first day and was able to shoot an even par while snagging two birdies along the way. He matched those two birdies on Sunday scoring one on each of the nine holes he played to finish with a strong round of 71. Smith played outstanding golf this weekend and was able to figure out the speed of the tricky greens this weekend to really edge out his competition. Coming in second place was Sam Murphy from Decatur, Alabama who also shot two very strong rounds to just miss forcing Davis to a playoff. Sam is a big, strong player who can absolutely crush a ball down the fairway. He was able to use his strength to his advantage this weekend and give himself some great looks on the green. Sam was able to round out day 1 with four birdies and snag two more on Sunday for a total of 6 on the weekend. Last but not least was Matt Copeland from Maryville, Tennesee who came out of nowhere to capture third place. Matt struggled a bit on the front nine during Saturday’s round but was able to get two birdies on the back and end the day with a round of 81. But Matt was not pleased with that and came out Sunday on a mission and got off to hot start shooting 2 under through five holes. He then turned up the heat again on the back nine where he was bagging birdies like it was nothing. Matt birdied five of his final nine holes rounding out Sunday with an incredible score of 67! Overall the boys 15-18 division had a very exciting week, and every competitor in the field displayed two high quality rounds of golf.
In the boys 13-14 age division Braedon Wear who is also from Maryville, Tennessee captured the title after two fantastic rounds of play and a two day total of 143. Wear came out confident both days and shot consistent golf all weekend long. Never shooting over a score of 36 through nine holes of golf will always help you at the end of the day and Wear made sure he stayed right around there. Capturing 4 birdies along the way Wear was able to use his precise approach shots to ease his way to a 1st place spot. Following in second place was Luke Dasher from Macon, Georgia with a two-day total of 149. Dasher was up and down dealing with the wind on Saturday but when he was up he made it count and ended the day with four birdies. He was also able to take advantage of the perfect conditions we were given on Sunday and grab one more, finishing the day with a round of 73. After shooting two impressive rounds this weekend it’s safe to say we will be talking about Luke Dasher in the near future. Finishing up in third place was Jay Spivey from Macon, Georgia. Jay is another player full of potential and only getting better each time we see him. After dealing with some tricky greens and swirling winds on Saturday Jay knew it was time to buckle down and shoot some lights out golf, which is exactly what he did. He was able to come out Sunday and shoot a 73 and pick not one, not two, not three, but four birdies along the way. The boys 13-14 division had a very exciting week, and every competitor in the field displayed two high quality rounds of golf.
In our girls 15-18 division Emily Lankford from Huntsville, Alabama was certainly here to make her presence known. As our champion she set the tone on the first day despite the tough conditions with a round of 73. After starting a little rough on hole 1 there was no looking back and she scorched the rest of the course snagging 3 birdies along the way. Emily is a very smart player and is able to really zone in on each shot. Her ability to read and adjust on the green was ever present on Saturday making some unbelievable putts. She gave herself a solid lead after the first day and was able to continue shooting great golf with another round in the 70’s on Sunday. Playing next to Emily both days and finishing in second place this weekend was the competitive but friendly Sophie Burks from Montgomery, Alabama. Sophie had one of the strongest swings we saw this weekend, which really helped her on some of the longer holes this weekend placing the ball on the green. After going birdie-less on the first day Sophie was able to snag 3 on Sunday. She shot a total of 6 strokes better on her second day and I believe I even saw her going out for another round after the tournament was finished. Needless to say her determination is going to take her far and we can’t wait to watch her play again. Last but not least was Sydney Fairchild from Gadsden, Alabama who took third place this weekend. Sydney played strong competitive golf and able to improve her score by 3 strokes on Sunday. Overall, the girls 15-18 division had a very exciting week, and every competitor in the field displayed two high quality rounds of golf.
Last but not least we had the girls 11-14 division with Faith Scott from Columbus, Georgia taking home the first place trophy this weekend. Faith’s charisma is felt all over the course with her bright smile and friendly presence. But don’t let that fool you, she means business on the course. Every time I turned my head around I was watching Faith’s drive whiz right down the fairway to set herself up for great approach shots all weekend long. Faith was even able to birdie the par 3 on the eleventh hole after an incredible tee shot. Following right behind Faith and in second place was Emma Pittman from Pike Road, Alabama. Emma was right there on Faith’s heels all weekend with the two battling it out to create a real competitive matchup. Emma had a persona that allowed her to keep her cool no matter the circumstance and I can definitely see her tapping into the potential that can take her far. We look forward to seeing both of these great junior girls back again soon and always improving on their game. Overall, the girls 11-14 division had a very exciting week, and every competitor in the field displayed two high quality rounds of golf. Weather: Saturday: Low 80’s, Overcast, Wind 10-15 MPH Sunday: Low-Mid- 80’s, Clear Skys, Wind 1-5 MPH Tournament Yardages: Boys 15-18- 6,429 YDS Boys 13-14- 5,973 YDS Girls 15-18 - 5,509 YDS Girls 11-14- 5,160 YDS 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.org Kyle Bellows Hurricane Junior Golf Tour 2015 Experience #TheHurricaneDifference