Saint Louis Junior Classic
(August 27-28, 2016)
Putting through the Gateway Arch
This weekend the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour traveled to Caseyville, Illinois, to take on Far Oaks Golf Club. It was a beautiful weekend as the golfers were able to handle the tough challenges the course had to offer. Thank you to Far Oaks for allowing HJGT to host this event at their wonderful course. With Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings being at stake in three age divisions, there was a lot on the line. The top ten finishers in each division will receive points towards the Hurricane Cup. Additionally, the winner of each division will be invited to play in the National Championship held later this year in December.
Boys 16-18 Division
Reilly Ahearn was the winner of the Boys 16-18 division. Ahearn was able to keep the trophy in the city, as a native of St. Louis. During his first round he shot a 73 and followed that up by posting a 71 to capture the title with an overall score of 144 for the weekend. Austin Hoerstkamp out of Washington, Missouri was able to solidify second place after finishing with an overall score of 149. Hoerstkamp shot a 76 in the first round, then closed the tournament out with a 73. Rounding out the top three was Kinder Jones out of St. Louis. After Saturday afternoon, Jones had the best score of the day in the age group with a 72. He ended the tournament with an overall score of 151. None of the top three contestants shot over 80 for the weekend. There were two eagles throughout the tournament, both came on hole 1 to start the day. One was the champion Reilly and one from another participant Jake Chapman. During an interview with Ahearn, he stated he really enjoyed hole one which also happened to be the hole he was able to eagle on. Jones lead all participants with going Bogey free for 13 holes. All the young men showed excellent sportsmanship throughout the tournament. It was a pleasure to watch all participants this weekend.
Boys 14-15 Division
Chase Venn was able to withstand all competitors this weekend and bring the trophy back home to Columbia, Missouri. After the first round Venn was tied for first with a score of 77 through 18. Closing the tournament with an overall score of 152, Venn was able to lead the pack by 4 strokes. Will Harding out of Prairie Village, Kansas was the other participant tied for first place after the first round. Harding finished the second round with a 79 while posting a 155 score through 36 holes. Finishing the top three for the Boys 14-15 division was Matthew Garside from Vadnais Heights, Minnesota. After the first round this young man was only one shot behind both leaders, shooting a 78. The second day of the tournament Garside shot an 81, finishing with a total of 159. Garside was able to place by his diligent work during the front 9 he lead all competitors in his age group. This age group was very competitive, there were a total of 23 birdies. The most coming from Chase Venn and Ray Winter, each finishing with 4. To explain even further there were over 6 players to finish Bogey free for at least 4 holes during the two-day event. All of the golfers had a great time competing against one another and look forward to competing again in the future.
Boys 11-13 Division
Braden Hoisington from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri was able to keep the trophy nearby. Hoisington was on a mission from day one, finishing the day with 7 birdies and a score of 67. Day two of the event he would not let up on the competition. Braden both rounds with a total score of 139 after shooting a 72 on day two. Blake Behrens was showcasing his talents out of Clinton, Iowa and captured second place after struggling through day one, but on day two he turned things around. The second day he bettered his score by 11 stroked scoring an 80 on day two while had received a 91 on the first day of competition. Finishing third in the age group was Trip Sanfelippo out Wildwood, Missouri. While speaking with Sanfelippo he did not believe he had played well day one of the competition, but he finished strong with a 172 after 36 holes. First day of completion he finished with a score of 93 and went low to shoot a 79 for round two. Trip finished second in Birdies for his age group to withstand his competitors and take home the third place trophy. These young gentlemen will continue to follow their passion on and off the course. Do not be surprised when we are watching these guys on the television in a few years. Each participant throughout the competition showed their love for the game.
Weather August 27-28, 2016:
Round 1: Low 71, High 91, Partly Cloudy, Wind 5-10 mph
Round 2: Low 71, High 90, Cloudy, Wind 5-10 mph
Tournament Division Yardages:
Boys 16-18: 6,710 yards
Boys 14-15: 6,710 yards
Boys 11-13: 5,756 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 2016 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