Warren Schutte Golf Academy Jr. Classic The Wigwam Golf Resort - Red Course
(February 25-26,2017)
On Thursday, February 23, 2017, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour arrived in Litchfield Park, AZ to host the Warren Schutte Golf Academy Junior Classic at Heritage Course at Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa. Forty-one junior golfers arrived early on Saturday morning ready to battle it out for the championship trophy. The players started their rounds, after an hour and a half frost delay. Players enjoyed full rounds on both days in the beautiful Arizona sun. AJGA performance stars were on the line for the girls 14-18 division as well as Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings for the boys ages 14-18 and girls ages 14-18. Boys 16-18 Division
The Boys 16-18 Division consisted of ten competitors this weekend, who were the first participants to get a taste of the action on Saturday morning after the delay. Nate Anderson of Paradise Valley, AZ started off the tournament by shooting an outstanding five under on Saturday to finish at 67 followed up by a 74 on Sunday to take home the gold with a combined score of 141 and an invite to the HJGT National Championship. He was followed up by second place winner John Menne of Surprise, AZ and third place winner Sam Diamond of Winnipeg, MB who shot 150 and 153 respectively. Boys 14-15 Division
Ten players made up the Boys 14-15 Division this week, all of whom showed up Saturday ready to compete. Jacob Tarkany of Scottsdale, AZ shot an awesome first day with the score of 75 and followed it up the second day with a 79 to take home the championship trophy on Sunday with the combined score of 154. Jacob was followed up by second place winner Hayden Schutte of Goodyear, AZ and third place winner Jackson Stugart of Scottsdale, AZ with scores of 166 and 168. These competitors held nothing back as they fought through the 36 holes in the Arizona sun with clear eyes and full hearts. Boys 11-13 Division
The Boys from the 11-13 Division provided for an exciting time. The first round ended with every player within five strokes of each other with no "fore"-gone conclusion on who would take home the prize. Sunday played out to be just as exciting as the previous day but it was Luke Powell of Laguna Niguel, CA who pulled off the win, shooting a 73 after an 82 the day before. Andrew Chayrez of Surprise, AZ finished second with a score of 161 followed closely by Jordan Campbell of Scottsdale, AZ who shot a combined 165. We hope to see these players continue to fight on as they go on playing their careers. Boys Under 10 Division
Alec Hilgers was the lone participant in the Boys 10U Division as he played in his hometown of Litchfield Park, AZ. As a very skilled athlete for his age, he did not hesitate to keep up with the older guys that he was paired up against for this tournament. His smooth swing gave him the ability to go flag hunting on greens of the course. He competed against the course this weekend and came out victorious, taking home a first place trophy with a 36 hole score of 164. We will be on the lookout for Alec Hilgers name to appear in future headlines as he showed the ability to compete a very high level in the near future. Girls 14-18 Division
The Girls 14-18 Division field players consisted of fourteen golfers, which made for an exciting tournament. This division came out swinging at every leaderboard position. Ashley Menne of Surprise, AZ set herself in a good position on Saturday as she shot one under with the score of 71 and great play into day two where she shot a 73 to finish as the Girls 14-18 Division Champion. It came down to a single shot between Megan Propeck of Leawood, KS and Breyana Matthews of Scottsdale, AZ, to determine the second and third place winners. On the second day Megan pulled off second place win with the score of 150 and Breyana came in third place with a 151. These ladies showed great competition all the way through the end of the tournament. Girls 13 and Under Division
Mattie Frick of Peoria, AZ and Gianna Clemente of Warren, OH claimed the first place throphy for the Girls 13 and Under Division. From day one these girls battled it out on the course. Saturday, finishers were within one stroke of each other with Gianna Clemente leading the pack. As the Arizona sun rose on Sunday each of these golfers were ready to get back to action. It was Mattie who took home the win after shooting a 77 on the final round for a total score of 160. Gianna finished right behind her taking home the second place trophy with the score of 166. This division made for an exciting head to head match up that lived up to the expectations. We wish the best to these ladies as they continue through the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.
Weather: February 25-26:
Round 1: Low 37, High 64. Clear Sky, Wind 5-10 mph
Round 2: Low 46, High 65. Partly cloudy, Wind 5-10 mph
Tournament Division Yardages
Boys 16-18: 6,606 Yards
Boys 14-15: 6,606 Yards
Boys 11-13: 5,774 Yards
Girls 14-18: 5,774 Yards
Girls 13U: 5,032 Yards
Boys 10U: 5,032 Yards