San Francisco Junior Shootout at Skywest Golf Club
(September 17-18, 2016)
On Thursday, September 15, 2016, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour arrived in Hayward, CA to host the San Francisco Junior Shootout at Skywest Golf Club. A sizeable field showed up across various age divisions to compete under near perfect weather conditions. At stake for the Boys 16-18 division, Boys under 10 division, Girls 14-18 division, and Girls 13 and under division were National Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings. But lets not forget northern California bragging rights, shiny trophies, and HJGT National Championship invitations that were up for grabs as well.
Boys 16-18 Division
The 16-18 year old boys proved to be the largest field in the tournament with 17 players competing to take home the gold. Trey Davis of Olivehurst, CA gained an early edge on his peers after shooting a first round 69. Saransh Saxena of Dublin, CA and Dean Bottini of Stockton, CA carded 75 and 77 respectively to stay within reach on the final day. However Trey’s 10 total birdies for the weekend and his phenomenal final round 68 propelled him to a 1st place finish. Dean Bottini finished his Sunday round at two under to slide into second place and Saransh took home third. The players all seemed to love the competitive athmosphere in the last couple pairings as they expressed an interest in playing against each other in future tournaments. We wish them the best as they continue to develop their respective games.
Boys 11-13 Division
Ronit Gagneja of Cupertino, CA and Vince Wibawa of Pleasanton, CA both put on a great performance throughout the weekend. On his way to a two-day score of 179, Vince continually showed great sportsmanship towards his opponent and was a joy to follow around the course. Ronit was able to play consistently over the two-day span, helping him achieve a first place prize with a 164 overall. We are lucky to fill our tournament with players carrying such great attitudes and we look forward to seeing them again.
Girls 14-18 Division
The ladies of the 14-18 division stole the show during the weekend with a high level of play across the board. Mika Jin of Fremont, CA started off her weekend with an impressive score of even Par. That landed her in the final threesome on day two with fellow competitor’s Alexis Browne of San Ramon, CA and Annika Borrelli of Alamo, CA. These ladies seemed to enjoy themselves during their round sharing many laughs and compliments. Their play followed suit, making for an interesting last couple of holes. Mika held on down the stretch scoring a 75 for a two day total of 147 which was good enough to take home the gold. Annika had the best round of her age group on the day with a 74 that slid her into 2nd place posistion. Alexis shot a quality 77 and took home third place. We wish these ladies luck as they move into their high school season’s and hope to see them at our future events in the area.
Girls 13 and Under
The Girls 13 and under division saw a familiar face this weekend with Lisa Rudometkin returning to action this week after winning last week’s event in Los Angeles. After making adjustments for the much cooler weather in this week’s event, she seemed ready for a repeat performance. Linette Jun of Cupertino, CA had her eyes set on first place. The two were in a stalemate after round 1 after each shooting an 83. The stalemate continued as the players headed to the back nine on day two all square. Linette was able to edge out Lisa by two strokes in the final couple holes to take home a first place trophy of her own. Madison Starke of Walnut Creek, CA shot a respectable two day total of 180 and brought home a third place finish. This type of down the stretch excitement is what we love to see at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and we look forward to seeing these familiar faces even more as our season continues.
Boys U10 Division
For a second week in a row, the Boys under 10 division brought in arguably the most excitement throughout the tournament. All five competitors finished within 3 strokes of one another in a match that came down to the very last hole. Matthew Almajano of Fremont, CA carded the only eagle of the tournament on day 2. His 2nd shot on the Par 4 13th found the bottom of the cup and landed him some high fives from his fellow competitors. Luke Montoya of Arroya Grande, CA made his second consecutive start in an HJGT event after playing last week in the LA Junior Shootout as well. Eden Cui of Los Altos Hills, CA made just enough shots down the stretch to squeeze into a second place tie with Luke. Matthew’s eagle turned out to be the deciding factor as he went on to win by two strokes. After watching these young guns, we can rest assured that the future of golf is in very good hands.
Weather September 17-18 2016:
Round 1: Low 60, High 74. Mostly Cloudy in the morning with more sunshine in the afternoon, Wind 5-12 mph Round 2: Low 63, High 79. Mostly Sunny Skies, Wind 5-12 mph Tournament Division Yardages Boys 16-18: 6,749 Yards Girls 14-18: 5,513 Yards Boys 11-13: 5,513 Yards Girls U13: 5,513 Yards Boys U10: 4,973 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