New Jersey Kickoff at Twisted Dune – April 4-5, 2015
Kim captures victory Daclan drives to winner’s circle
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) traveled to the Garden State on the first weekend of April, as Twisted Dune Golf Club hosted the 2015 New Jersey Kickoff event. Players combated fierce, blustery conditions all weekend, though complemented with an abundance of sunshine. The top three winners in each division received an invitation to the 2015 Mid-Season Invitational and first place winner in each division received an invitation to the HJGT National Championship. All divisions were ranked by the Junior Golf Scoreboard. 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.
Intensity remained high and was very apparent in the Boys 15-18 division. Sun Kim of Québec emerged victorious by one stroke over Forrest Swisher of Titusville, New Jersey. Kim maneuvered his way up the leaderboard with a 75, +3 performance on Sunday to rival Swisher’s 80, +8. Swisher sustained ground on Kim through the front nine, netting four birdies. The Titusville native had a back nine to forget however, carding five bogeys and two double bogeys while Kim netted a birdie and multiple pars to put himself over the top. An eagle on the fourth hole also highlighted Kim’s masterful comeback on Sunday afternoon. Kellen Jordan of Spring Lake, New Jersey netted third place with a two-day total of 165, +21 with three birdies.
Elsewhere, in a field pitted with three natives of New Jersey, Marybelle Daclan of Galloway showcased her skills to grab the win in the Girls 15-18 division. With her two-day total of 175, +31, she obtained her first win of the 2015 HJGT season by a eight-stroke margin. Daclan had three birdies throughout her stay in the tournament. Camille O’Halloran of Northfield took second-place honors with her 183, +39 while Bella Bettino of Pennington walked away with third with her two-day total of 207, +63.
William Huang won the Boys 13-14 division by a five-stroke margin over Baldwin, New York native Liam Boyle. A resident of Princeton, Huang shot a two-day total of 171, +27 with a second-round 80 to put him at +8 on Sunday. Huang’s day included an impressive three birdies, including two on the back nine. Despite bogeying on the last three holes, Huang was still able to win the division by a comfortable enough margin. Boyle had two birdies on Sunday afternoon but was troubled by a host of bogeys on the back nine. Cherry Hill native Noah Schwartz grabbed third place with a two-day total of 182, +38 with an 88 on Sunday.
Jennifer Cleary of Wilmington, Delaware won the Girls 11-14 division with a total of 161, +17. That 161 was the top total in any division, boys or girls. Cleary shot a second-round 75, tied for the top score on either day in all divisions with Sun Kim’s 75 on Sunday as well. Cleary shot two birdies on Sunday to help give her the day-best and tournament-best scores she posted. She outpaced Taylor Miano of Dobbs Ferry, New York by seven strokes, as Miano shot a two-day total of 168, +24. Rylie Heflin rounded out the podium with her 177, +33, which was aided by a first day total of 88.
Finally, in the Boys 11-12 division, Luke Sample battled his brother Andrew Sample as well as Union, New Jersey’s Joaquin Matti. The pair of New Yorkers were 1-2 in the end, with Luke winning much to the chagrin of his brother, Andrew. Luke upended Andrew with his 173, +29 while Andrew had a 197, +53. Luke earned two birdies during his weekend in New Jersey, while Andrew had one. Matti, the lone Jerseyan in the field, had a total of 215, +71 after the end of the weekend. Weather: Day 1- Low of 45 to high of 68, Sunny, winds 30-40 MPH Day 2- Low of 39 to high of 60, Sunny, winds 20-30 MPH Tournament Yardages: Boys 15-18 -6659 yards Boys 13-14- 6096 yards Girls 15-18, Boys 11-12- 5728 yards Girls 11-14- 5053 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. 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 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 Experience #TheHurricaneDifference