This week the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour hosted the South Georgia Junior Classic (SGJC) on the quaint Jekyll Island of Southern Georgia. The staff and players had a blast playing the exotic Indian Mound Golf Course at the Jekyll Island Golf Complex. A combination of fantastic golf and the wonderful atmosphere of the bayou made for a very entertaining event. The SGJC had a total field of 68 players and both days were an eight o’clock double tee. This was a great way to deal with such a big field and allowed our staff to get the players around under our desired pace of play two rounds in a row. The consistent stellar weather as well as the Jekyll Island staff also contributed a lot of help, making this a very successful event. In accordance to the players, this week they played for a bit more then they would have in other events. The stakes for the SGJC were Junior Golf Score Board Ranking (JGS), a bid into the 2014 Tour Championship, South Caroloina Junior Golf Association Heritage Points (SCJGA), year-end honors, which include state teams, all HJGT teams and the Hurricane Cup. Boys 15 – 18
In the Boys 15 – 18 division Daniel Oh out of Seoul, SK would take the title of individual medalist for the South Georgia Junior Classic with a two-day total of 139 (-5). A commanding five shot victory over second place finisher Brett Krekorian was the definition of a stellar tournament. Oh simply deserved this win as he made very few mistakes in his two rounds. Casually carding ten birdies, only five bogeys and an abundance of pars is certainly one way to gain some recognition and some first place hardware. I am sure we will be hearing more about Daniel Oh in the upcoming events as he continues to excel as a wondrous junior golfer. Krekorain playing out of Andover, MA deserves a lot of credit for his performance this weekend. Firing a two-day total of 145 (+1) is something to be proud of, especially on a course as tricky as Indian Mound. Competing with Oh in the birdie race, Krekorian carded seven himself, but it all came down to the small things that one must pay attention to when battling for the gold. Krekorian had a devastating two double bogeys, one each round that took him out of contention. Taylor Kay-Green out of Needham, MA and Austin Daniel out of Saint Simons Island, GA came in a two-way tie for third place with two-day totals of 146 (+2). Both of these competitors had a great tournament but it seems they just made too many bogeys and too few birdies to catch Oh and Krekorian. Girls 15 – 18
For the Girls 15-18 division Anita Uwadia was crowned this weekends victor with a two-day total of 146 (+2). She earned first place honors with a seven shot margin over Chiles Isidora Quevedo. After the first day, there was a lot of promise for an exciting showdown in round two. But after it was all said and done, it turns out that Uwadia did not want the company at the top of the leaderboard. Having a rough first day shooting 77 (+5), she could not get any type of momentum started. Only carding two birdies, five bogeys, and a lonely double was not the way she wanted to end day one. Coming back with absolute vengeance in round two, she posted an exhilarating 69 (-3), carding six birdies, nine pars, and three miniscule bogeys. It was sn exciting comeback for Uwadia and will be her fifth victory this season. Quevedo squeezed out a second place finish with a two-day total of 153 (+9) over Layne-Marie Carter of Lyons, GA. Only escaping with two shots, Quevedo meekly made fewer mistakes in the first round, specifically not making any doubles. This finish will only add to her already impressive tournament resume. Carter, being the slight underdog in comparison to Uwadia and Quevedo played with style and grace both days. Hanging in there during the end of round two, finishing one under through her last five holes gave her the edge to churn out yet another third place finish. Girls 11 – 14
For the Girls 11 – 14 division, the competition was minute, but nonetheless riveting. However, the outcome to the South Georgia Junior Classic was not as riveting as we would all have hoped for. Sloan Lanier of Blackshear, Georgia absolutely ran over her competition Savannah Hylton by a shattering twenty-one shots. With both having an equal amount of birdies, it would come down to whoever made the most pars. This happened to be Lanier for two days in a row totaling fourteen pars. Hylton was less fortunate carding only five pars. Indian Mound at Jekyll Island is not the place you want to find yourself when your game is struggling because it will take advantage and fight back. Lanier seemed to have the smarter strategy this week from tee to green, conquering the unique challenges that Jekyll had to offer. Although Hylton had a rough weekend, I have no doubt that she will go home with her head held high and comeback next event even stronger. Boys 11 – 14
For the Boys 11 – 14 division, Bumin Choi out of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea will be earn first place honors with a two-day total of 154 (+10). Firing a stellar first round of 75 (+3) turned out to be the ticket that would end up saving him from a playoff. Choi’s first round was the best out of the field, holding a four shot lead over Justin Ortiguera out of Ponte Verda Beach, Florida. His opening nine 34 (-2) was the kicker that earned him a first place victory. No one even came close to this score, giving Choi a distinct advantage over the rest the players in his division. At the start of round two, Ortiguera as well as Jackson Quarles of Chatsworth, Georgia, who was only five shots back, were eager to make a push and put some pressure on the leader. Unfortunately, Choi put on an incredible display of defensive golf and did not allow any shots to be made up by his two close competitors. Choi and Ortiguera would both end up shooting a second round of 79 (+7), and Quarles would one up them both with a 78 (+6). When this intense firefight had ended and the smoke cleared, Ortiguera and Quarles split second place honors with a two-day total of 158 (+14) annulling any chance for a third place finisher. Weather: Saturday – Sunny and 75 Sunday – Sunny and 75 The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2008 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 four age divisions: Boys 15-18, Boys 11-14, 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, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut. For more information regarding the HJGT 2014 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.