HJGT Results

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour rolled into Winder, Georgia, for the North Georgia Holiday Junior Classic at The Chimneys, and the weekend delivered exactly what late-season HJGT golf is known for—pressure, grit, and a dramatic playoff finish in the Boys 16–18 division. After two days of battling tight fairways and swirling winds, it all came down to Drew Corbel and Matthew Runckel, tied at +5 (149). Corbel, the Dacula native with a fearless short game, rose to the moment in sudden death, draining the decisive putt to claim the championship in one of the most hard-fought HJGT playoffs of the fall. Runckel’s final-round 71—the low score of the entire division on Sunday—forced the playoff and nearly stole the title, but Corbel’s consistency from tee to green all weekend ultimately carried him to the trophy. Behind them, Davis Blackmon finished solo third at +9, turning in a resilient 74–79 performance that kept him inside striking distance until the closing holes. The leaderboard was stacked with notable efforts: Cooper Hawkins and Roane Taylor shared fourth at +10 after matching closing 78s; Nolan Henderson posted +11 to secure a top-six finish; and a talented cluster including Reid Sanfilippo and Haoran Zhang came in at +12, showing the depth of Georgia and Southeast-region talent on display. As the field pushed toward the finish, the back nine on Sunday turned into a survival test. Players like Sean Brown, Chip Dickens, and Naman Sharma held their ground to secure top-10 position, while Charlie Price and Grayson Enns battled through tough stretches to stay inside the top tier. From the opening tee shot to the final playoff putt, The Chimneys Golf Course proved to be the perfect stage for another standout HJGT showdown. And with the holiday season approaching, the North Georgia Holiday Junior Classic once again reminded the junior golf world why the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour continues to be the proving ground for the sport’s next wave of high-level competitors.

The HJGT’s Eagle Creek Junior Open delivered a finish worthy of a championship stage, as Kainan Huang of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, survived a tense playoff to capture the Boys 16–18 title after tying Talen Beane at +3 (149) through regulation. Huang had been circling the lead all weekend, opening with a steady 75 before tightening the screws on Sunday with a composed 74—a round built on fairways, center-of-green targets, and zero fear of the moment. When the final group posted their numbers and the playoff was set, Huang walked to the extra hole with the body language of a player who knew exactly how he wanted the story to end. One hole later, it did—Huang dropping the clinching putt to emerge as champion. Beane, the consistent ball-striker out of Kentucky, made Huang earn every inch of it. His 74–75 performance was as steady as anyone in the field, and he looked every bit the eventual winner for stretches of Sunday’s round. But in the playoff, a single swing separated contender from champion, and Beane walked off having played championship-level golf from start to finish. Two Canadians, Hudson Kelahear and Julian Simone, kept pressure on the leaders throughout the weekend, finishing tied at +5 (151). Kelahear flashed early control with a sharp 73, while Simone’s rock-solid 75–76 showed he was never far from striking distance. Behind them, Joshua Cohen quietly put together one of the most efficient tournaments in the field with matching 76s for +6, and the pursuit pack—Sachin Kundra, Gabriel Rodriguez, Joseph Hansen, and others—scrapped for every position as Eagle Creek’s narrow corridors and penal water lines punished even minor mistakes. In the end, the story belonged to Huang—a player whose poise under pressure translated into a playoff victory and a well-earned HJGT trophy. On a weekend when Eagle Creek offered nothing freely, Huang took the moment, took control, and took home the win.

The Boys 16–18 division saw Ryder Rose of Edina, Minnesota rise above a field that battled cold air, heavy moisture, and the demanding doglegs of Lake Tansi Village Country Club. Rose delivered one of the most consistent performances of the weekend, posting matching rounds of 75–75 to finish at +6 and claim the division title. His ability to control trajectory in the wind separated him from the field and marked one of the steadiest two-day efforts across any division. Behind him, the leaderboard tightened dramatically. Hayden Bowman of Georgia opened with a strong 72 but was forced to fight through a difficult Sunday 84, finishing at +12 for solo second. Cillian Carmack of Tennessee stayed in contention with rounds of 74 and 83, closing at +13 for third. Further down the board, Georgia’s Minjun Choi finished fourth at +15, while Parker Brandon and Josh Franks shared fifth at +18—each managing to rebound with competitive stretches on Sunday despite the challenging conditions. Lake Tansi delivered a punishing test throughout the weekend, but Rose’s steadiness and control ultimately defined the division as he secured a well-earned victory.

At the Fort Myers Fall Junior Open, hosted by the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour at Cape Royal Golf Club, Henry Liebwein delivered a wire-to-wire performance built on discipline and control, claiming the Boys 16–18 title at +3 with rounds of 73–74. Liebwein handled the shifting coastal winds with maturity beyond his years, leaning on crisp irons and steady lag putting to stay clear of the congestion forming behind him. Just two shots back, Joseph Hansen of Cumberland Center, Maine, put pressure on the leader throughout the weekend, finishing at +5 after posting 74–75. Hansen’s blend of aggressive lines and resilient recovery shots kept him firmly in contention until the final holes. Blake Pecaro (Naples, FL) rounded out the podium at +7, carding a notable 74 on Sunday—the second-lowest score of the final round—highlighting a strong closing push. A competitive cluster followed, with Brady Grippo (Kinnelon, NJ) landing fourth at +11, while Alan Higgins (MD), Grant Noren (FL), and Camden Tegt (IN) shared fifth at +13 after grinding through demanding pin positions on the Queen course. From the top of the leaderboard through the final pairing, the division showcased the depth and competitiveness that continues to define the HJGT. Liebwein’s consistency made the difference, but the weekend belonged to a field full of players who refused to back down from championship pressure.