Southern California Kickoff at River Ridge Golf Club
January 28-29th, 2017
On Thursday, January 26th, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour arrived in Oxnard, CA to host the Southern California Kickoff, which took place at River Ridge Golf Club. Sixteen junior golfers arrived early on Saturday morning ready to conquer the windy and hilly course, which was equipped with views of both snowy mountains and sunny beaches. The tournament consisted of four divisions: Boys 16-18, Girls 14-18, Boys 11-13 and Girls 13 and Under. The exceptional play by the golfers was complemented with the fantastic weather that we experienced, with both days reaching 70 degrees. Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings were on the line for Boys ages 16-18 and Girls 14-18. Boys 16-18 Division
The 16-18 year old age division consisted of six competitors this weekend, who were the first participants to attempt to conquer the tough course at River Ridge Golf Club. Devin Schaffer of Simi Valley, CA was able to stay composed during his initial round, and maintained par (72) through eighteen holes. Michael Sun of Camarillo, CA was seeking to catch Devin after finishing a mere four strokes behind. They were both closely followed by Diego Renteria of Stevenson Ranch, CA who completed the first round with a 77. All three competitors returned on Sunday with great weather to put on a terrific round. The wind played a huge factor throughout the day and each player was faced with difficult shots that they needed to buckle down for. Devin put together a final round of 77 and a total of 149 to take home first place and secure an invite to the HJGT national championship’s taking place in Orlando, FL. Michael’s two-day total of 154 earned him a second place trophy and Diego’s two-day total of 156 earned him a third place trophy. Girls 14-18 Division
The California wind did not pick favorites as it affected all the competitors in the Girls 14-18 Division. These young girls had to adapt to the strong winds and play their shots lower than usual. This change may seem mere to a person who doesn’t know golf, but this is no easy task. Without missing a step, Kasey Torres of Los Angeles, CA and Nicole Suppelsa came ready to compete and put on a terrific show. Kasey finished with a round one total of 75. Nicole was five strokes behind resting at an 80 for the first round. Day two seemed to bring a late struggle for Kasey as she bogied 5 of her last 7 holes. Even though this was the case, she held off Nicole and secured first place with a two round total of 158. Nicole was a mere two strokes behind and secured second place finishing with a 160. Course knowledge proved to be a big factor for both competitors as they recognized the wind and started to hit their shots differently. These two players put together two solid days in order to take home first and second respectively. We hope to see these great competitors compete against each other again. Boys 11-13 Division
The Boys 11-13 year old Division had a highly competitive tournament. The boys were back and forth for the entire first round, as it gave spectators an exciting match to watch. Luke Powell ended up shooting a solid 85 for the first round and Luke Montoya was right on his heels with an 88. Given the consistency of their accuracy off the tee and the touch they each posses around the green, we knew this match would end close. In the final round, Luke Montoya had an exceptional day and shot an 81. This included two chip-in birdies that helped him stay within reach of Luke Powell. Powell began round two on a tear, with only one bogey on the front nine. He endured a rough stretch on the back nine, but showed great mental focus to regain his composure and close out the tournament with a final round score of 83. Powell edged out Montoya by a single stroke and we hope to see these young men again, as they continue to go low throughout their playing careers. Girls 13U Division
The Girls 13 and Under division was a two-horse race between the Tan sisters, Eden and Haven. They were accompanied by their loving caddies, who were their parents. They were excited to be able to share this time on the course as a family, yet compete in tournament that would result in both girls gaining experience. Haven had an exciting final round that included playing a ball in the water and a tee shot that, somehow, bounced five times on a bridge, without going in the water! Eden played well throughout the entire tournament. On the first hole of the first round, she carded a birdie which propelled her to her tournament best 9-hole score of 39. On the final day, she solidified her terrific play with another birdie on hole 16 and this boost of confidence will help her in her upcoming events! Weather: January 28-29, 2017: Round 1: Low 48, High 76. Clear skies and sunny, Wind 5-20 mph. Round 2: Low 54, High 79. Clear skies and sunny, Wind 10-30 mph. Tournament Division Yardages Boys 16-18: 6,671 Yards Boys 11-13: 5,683 Yards Girls 14-18: 5,683Yards Girls 13U: 5,161 Yards