Phoenix Jr Open
March 18th & 19th, 2017
On Thursday, March 16, The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour arrived in Phoenix, AZ to host the Phoenix Junior Open, which took place at Arizona Biltmore Golf Course. Forty-seven junior golfers arrived early on Saturday morning ready to take advantage of a short course with ideal golf weather. The tournament consisted of five divisions: Boys 16-18, Girls 14-18, Boys 14-15, Boys 11-13 and Boys 10 and Under. The entire tournament took advantage of the straight forward course and fantastic weather conditions in route to a fun and exciting tournament. Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings were on the line for the Boys 16-18, Boys 14-15, Girls 14-18 and Boys 11-13 Divisions. AJGA Stars were available for the Girls 14-18 Division. Boys 16-18 Division The Boys 16-18 Division consisted of sixteen golfers, with plenty of talent up and down the leaderboard. At the top of this division after round two, sat Austin Greaser. Austin took advantage of the conditions to post both scores under par. Austin had rounds of 71 and 64 for a total of 135, and a well deserved victory with the performance he had this weekend. Coming in second place was Tyler Leach, who also posted both rounds under par. Each day Tyler shot a 69 for a total of 139. Tyler came all the way from Wisconsin to play and it was a great way to start out his tournament play for 2017. Third place was shared by John Menne and Willis Rogers. John had rounds of 73 and 71, while Willis shot a 72 on both days. Both golfers finished with an even total of 142 and in this highly talented field, they should be highly satisfied with their finish. We wish all the competitors the best of luck in the rest of their tournaments this year and we hope to see them back with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. Boys 14-15 Division
The Boys 14-15 Division had ten competitors, who were all ready to score low on a forgiving course. Many low rounds were posted this weekend and it took a playoff hole to determine our champions. After 36 holes, Jonathan Curran and Ryan Berry were tied at an overall score of 1 under. The boys got to their total of 133 by different routes, Jonathan shot rounds of 72 and 71 and Ryan had rounds of 68 and 75. These junior golfers battled again, on hole 1 for the playoff hole. Jonathan ended up edging Ryan for the win. After a tremendous showing, both golfers should have a great deal of confidence as they continue their play in 2017. Coming in third place was our last week’s champion, Connor Wierman. Connor had a first round of 78, which put him into contention for the final day. Connor came back Sunday and shot a 1 under 71, to thrust him into third place. We want to thank all the golfers that came out and participated with us this weekend and we hope to see them soon.
Girls 14-18 Division
The Girls 14-18 Division had fourteen junior golfers who came out this weekend. Many familiar faces were back from our Wigwam tournament and they were ready to shoot low scores in ideal golf weather. Millburn Ho had a consistent weekend and shot rounds of 75. This consistent play and her grand total of 150 crowned her this tournament champion in a field of strong golfers. Millburn was able to take advantage of this shorter course by staying in the fairway and putting her approach shots close to the pin. Coming in second place was Abbey Schutte, who had a final total of 154. Her first day total was 79, which leaves her second day round to be 75. Abbey closed out her final round by going three under in the final five holes, which included an eagle on hole 14! Rounding out the top three was Emily Cons, who had a first-round score of 81 and improved that score to a 78 on the final day. Emily had her best nine hole score on the back nine of the final day, which helped her seal her place in the winner’s circle. Boys 11-13
The Boys 11-13 Division contained six junior golfers who came from all over the country to participate this weekend. The champion this weekend was Cole Ekert, who traveled with his father all the way from New Jersey to claim his first place trophy. Cole had fantastic rounds of 74 and 68, which included two eagles! Cole is a powerful swinger and his long and straight drives really helped attack this course. Coming in second place was Nate Stevens, whom also traveled cross country from Minnesota to compete. Nate posted rounds of 78 and 71, which show his resilience in his game and his ability to learn from the course. Nate’s back nine on the final day was an exciting round to watch. Nate shot a three under, 33, which solidified his second place finish. Coming in a tie for third place was Jordan Campbell and Avery Lazarski. Jordan and Avery both finished with a total score of 153. Jordan had rounds of 77 and 76, while Avery shot a 75 on the first day, then a 78 on the second day. Good luck to the boys in this division while they compete in their tournaments across the country.
Boys 10 and Under The Boys 10 and Under division had just one competitor, Alec Hilgers. Alec is another familiar face, he participated in our Wigwam tournament. Alec is a fantastic young player and he is always exciting to watch! His scores of 76 and 84 were very respectable this weekend. Alec is always in a cheerful mood and he shows great knowledge of the game while picking what type of shot to hit in certain situations. He drove the ball very well this weekend and this led to his approach shots being accurate. We would like to thank Alec for playing with us this weekend and we hope to see him again. Weather: January 28-29, 2017: Round 1: Low 62, High 95. Hot and sunny, Wind 5-10 mph. Round 2: Low 61, High 96. Hot and sunny, Wind 15-35 mph. Tournament Division Yardages Boys 16-18: 6,478 Yards Boys 14-15: 6,478 Yards Girls 14-18: 5,731 Yards Boys 11-13: 5,731 Yards Boys 10 and Under: 4,993 Yards
About Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
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 Experience #TheHurricaneDifference