The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour made a stop at Willowbrook Golf Club in Manchester, TN to host the Tennessee Summer Classic. Both days were hot and humid, and other than a one hour weather delay during round one, the playing conditions were ideal. The tournament saw a lot of close competition in all divisions. All the winners of each division received an invite to the 2015 HJGT National Championship at Champions Gate.
Despite a stoppage of play due to inclement weather in the middle of the first round, players were able to maintain their high level of play throughout the day. The Boy's 15-18 division was claimed by Cal Rieke, of Nashville, TN. Rieke shot an impressive 2 under par 70 in round one, highlighted by an impressive 16 pars. Rieke’s impressive play continued into round two after he started out 2 under thru four holes on his way to shooting a +3, 75 on the day, for a two day total of 145. Following Rieke this weekend was Chase Wheeler of Estill Springs, TN and Charlie Linde of Spring Hill, TN both tying for second place this weekend with two day totals of +6, 150. On day one Wheeler shot a +2, 74 highlighted by a 1 under par front nine. On day two Wheeler shot a +4, 76 to vault himself into a tie for second. Linde joined Wheeler in the tie for second with rounds of +1, 73 and +5, 77 in round two after going 1 under par on his front nine. The Boy's 15-18 division was very competitive throughout the weekend, and Cal Rieke was able to come out on top.
In the Girl's 15-18 division Earlena Sheets from Mayfield Kentucky, led the rest of the field by 9 with a two day score of 151. Sheets played very well on both Saturday and Sunday with her best score of 75, +3 on Saturday after getting par on 12 of the 18 holes and a 76, +4 on Sunday. Jacque Crossland finished second with a two day score of 160. Crossland from the host city Manchester Tennessee, had her best day of the tournament on Saturday with a 77, +5 and was able to keep a one stroke lead over third place despite scoring a 83, +11 on Sunday. Coming in with third place was Katelyn Gilmore from Muscle Shoals Alabama. Gilmore, similar to Sheets, had very similar scores on both days with a 81, +9 on Saturday and an 80, +8 on Sunday. Despite only scoring under par twice during all 36 holes, Gilmore only finished one stroke behind second place which made for an exciting finish to the tournament.
The Boy's 13-14 division saw an exciting finish all the way down to the end with three players separated by just a stroke each. Alex Hadden of Eminence, KY was able to hold off the competition by one stroke after shooting a +4, 76 in round one and a +3, 75 in round two for a two day total of 151. Ethan Rimmer of Knoxville, TN came up just short of the win after shooting a two day total 152. Rimmer shot + 3, 75 in round one and a +5, 77 in round two. Jay Nimmo also came up just short this weekend after shooting a two day total of 153. Nimmo recorded a +5, 77 in round one and followed it up with a +4, 76 to claim third place. After an exciting finish Alex Hadden was able to claim the victory in the Boys 13-14 division.
In the Girl's 11-14 division Catie Craig from Niceville Florida came out on top with a 6 stroke lead and a two day score of 158. Craig was consistent with a 79, +7 on both Saturday and Sunday. After struggling on a couple holes on the front 9 on Sunday, Craig was able to improve on the back 9 from Saturday which was a big part in her securing the win. Madilyn Newman from Knoxville Tennessee came in second. Newman had an 83, +11 on Saturday and an 81, +9 on Sunday. Both girls had a hard time on the back 9, as Craig had trouble on Saturday and Newman had the hard times on Sunday, but Craig’s ability to improve on the back nine on the second day ended up being the difference in the tournament. Weather: Day 1- Low of 85 to high of 95, Short Severe Thunderstorm, Partly Cloudy, winds 10-15 MPH Day 2- Low of 85 to high of 95, Partly Cloudy, winds 10-15 MPH Tournament Yardages: Boys 15-18-6649 yards Boys 13-14-6137 yards Girls 15-18-5577 yards Girls 11-14-5152 yards About us: The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2008 with the intent 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 13-14, Boys 11-12, 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, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Connecticut. For more information regarding the 2014 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