Summer Classic at Eagle Creek
(July 2-3, 2016)
The Competitive Grind
On July 2-3, 2016 the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) hosted the Summer Classic at the lovely Eagle Creek Golf Course in Orlando, FL. Aside from a few scattered showers, the weather held up nicely, as temperatures remained in the low 90s all weekend. The HJGT would like to thank the Eagle Creek staff for allowing us to host our tournament at a great venue. Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings will award each division winner with an exception into the 2016 Tour Championship on December 3-4, 2016. The Top 10 players will also receive points towards year-end honors which include, all HJGT teams, and the Hurricane Cup. The humidity was high, and the smiles were often, as everyone enjoyed the sight of some great competitive golf this weekend at Eagle Creek.
Boys 16-18 Division
After a lengthy playoff, Nicholas Diebel of Winter Park, FL edged out Yuancheng Liu of Lake Mary, FL to become the champion of the boys 16-18 division at Eagle Creek. Diebel and Liu both shot a 143 combined total for the first and second rounds, finishing three under par. It was a tightly fought contest through the first round and six players were all within three shots off the lead. Bozhou Li of Howdy in the Hills, FL stayed within three shots from the lead, shooting a 73 on both days to finish even par for the tournament. Diebel shot a 70 the first round and a 73 during the second. This gave Liu, who shot a 71 the first round, a chance to take the lead. Liu shot a 72 on the second day to force the deciding playoff. There were many great competitors at Eagle Creek, as players showcased their skills in some well-played rounds of golf this weekend
Boys 14-15 Division
Tianyu Wu, after a tightly fought two rounds of golf, became the champion of the 14-15 division of the Summer Classic at Eagle Creek. John Miller of Windemere, FL came in second place shooting a 72 the first round, and 74 on the second. Miller finished plus one for the event, three shots behind Wu, who shot a 72 the first round and a 71. Drew Lanier of Maitland, FL came in third place, as he stayed in the mix throughout. Lainer shot a 73 the first round, standing only one shot back of Wu and Miller. However, Lainer eventually fell behind both Wu and Miller, after shooting a 76 during the second round. Shots were flying off the tees all day with intensity, as players found themselves enjoying some welcome competitive competition at the Summer Classic.
Boys 11-13 Division
Consistency signifies progression. Brendon Valdes of Orlando, Florida consistently nailed down key shots during both rounds at Eagle Creek to become the boys 11-13 division champion. Following close behind was Tiago Barni of Windermere, FL who came in second place. Tiago went two under par on the first round shooting a 71, staying within three shots of the lead behind Valdes. However, shooting even on day two for Tiago was not going to be enough to overcome Valdes’s great consistent play throughout both rounds. Valdes shot a 70 during both rounds, to go six under par to a clear victory. The play of Valdes could not be denied, but he was not the only player to have a strong outing in this division. Aaron Zang of Lake Mary, FL came in third place, as both Zang and Tiago shot even par during the second round. It was a great day of sinking putts, and killer drives.
Girls 14-18 Division
Jenny Kim of Heathrow, FL was the girls 14-18 division champion at Eagle Creek, as she stright up dominated the course from the starting tee. Caroline Hwang of Orlando, FL came in second place shootinig a 71 and a 72 to go three under par for the tournment. Jordan Cornelius of Bethesda, MD came in thrid place, as she shot a 71 and a 73 to go two under par for the tournament. However, no one could catch Kim after shooting a dazeling 67 during the first round. The presure for Kim was immense, with her overwhelming lead going into the second round. Kim finished the second round two under par, shooting a 71 to go eight under par for the tournament. She was able to effectively come back and maintain her dominance from the first round to become the divison champon of the Summer Classic at Eagle Creek.
Girls 13 Under Division
Alex Crafton of Lake Mary, FL was the girls 13 under division champion, edging out both Bela Mead of Aventura, Fl and Gabriela Shortridge of Orlando, FL. Craften kept cool under presure, as she shot an 81 duriing the first round, and an 82 during the second. She was consistant, and maintained her confidence, and cool under presure throughout both rounds. Mead who won second place, shot a 91 the first round, as she came storming back into the mix after shooting a 79 the second round. Shortridge made a comeback as well, improving by four shots. However, her 87 and 83 for both rounds was not enough to edge out Bela’s cameback to win second place. It was a fun filled divison, with girls who all have the drive and heart to win.
Weather July 2-3, 2016:
Round 1: Low 81, High 92. Mostly Sunny Skies, Wind 5-10 mph
Round 2: Low 82, High 91. Mostly Cloudy, Wind 10-15 mph
Tournament Division Yardages
Boys 16-18: 6,824 Yards
Boys 14-15: 6,824 Yards
Boys 11-13: 5,816 Yards
Girls 14-18: 5,816 Yards
Girls U13: 5,274 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