HJGT Results

At Hermitage Golf Club, consistency wins. Samson Milleville proved it. The Dover, Tennessee native posted rounds of 76-77 to finish at +9 (153), capturing the Boys 14–15 division at the Nashville Junior Shootout with balanced play across both days. There was no dramatic swing in momentum. Just control. Hermitage’s design places a premium on positioning off the tee and disciplined approaches into guarded greens. Milleville avoided the big number, stayed in the proper sections of the course, and forced others to chase. Jesse Shurman of Pennsylvania made a Sunday push, improving from an opening 85 to a 77 to finish second at +18 (162). Mason McPherson secured third at +21, while Grayson Kennedy finished fourth after tightening his play in Round 2. The scoring gap reflected the course’s demand. Missed approach angles at Hermitage can quickly compound. Greens require confident speed control. Players who pressed for birdies often found themselves scrambling for bogey. Milleville didn’t press. Two controlled rounds, no collapse, and steady execution delivered the title. At Hermitage, that formula works. This weekend, it belonged to Milleville.

At Santa Lucia River Club, steady golf rises to the top. Blake Waidlich proved it. The Keene, New Hampshire native posted rounds of 77-76 to finish at +9 (153), separating himself across two disciplined days at the Santa Lucia River Junior Open. There was no dramatic surge. Just control. Santa Lucia’s layout forces commitment off the tee, with water shaping several key landing areas. Approach shots demand precision, particularly on holes where the green complexes fall off sharply around the edges. Waidlich avoided the big number and improved by a shot on Sunday — often the clearest indicator of adjustment and composure. Xeve Perez of Port St. Lucie finished second at +16 (160), delivering matching rounds of 80-80. Neil Sullivan secured third at +19 (163) after a strong Sunday 78, the low closing round among the top contenders. From there, the scoring gap widened. Broden Spink and Charles Ballard rounded out the top five, but the course continued to expose inconsistency. Water penalties and missed approach angles created separation as the weekend progressed. The story wasn’t low scoring. It was management. In a division where momentum can shift quickly, Waidlich maintained position, trusted conservative targets, and let others chase. At Santa Lucia, that formula works. This weekend, it delivered a championship.

At Links of Lake Mary, patience wins. Julian Bugara proved it. The Prospect Heights, Illinois native posted rounds of 79-80 to finish at +15 (159), navigating two steady days to capture the Boys 14–15 division at the Central Florida Junior Open. It wasn’t flashy. It was controlled. Lake Mary’s layout presents visual intimidation off the tee, with water guarding multiple landing areas and approach angles that demand commitment. In this division, the margin between par saves and double bogeys widened quickly. Bugara avoided the stretches that can derail a round. Dario Salazar of Melbourne, Australia made the strongest push, closing with an 81 after an opening 86 to secure second at +23 (167). The international presence once again defined the event, with competitors from Australia, Canada, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois all represented near the top. Brooks Billinger finished third at +31 (175), while Woojun Jin and Dayson Loose tied for fourth at +33. The scoring gap told the story. This wasn’t a low-scoring shootout. It was a survival test. Wind shifted across the weekend. Greens required precise distance control. Miss in the wrong quadrant and recovery became the focus. Bugara stayed ahead of that curve. In a division where momentum can swing quickly, he stayed balanced across both rounds, avoiding the kind of number that forces a chase. At Lake Mary, steady golf wins. This weekend, steady belonged to Bugara.

At FarmLinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms, the leaderboard tightened — and Mason Bankston responded. The Chattanooga native opened with a steady 74 before closing with a one-under 71 to finish at +1 (145), capturing the Boys 14–15 division at the Birmingham Spring Junior Open. That Sunday 71 was the difference. FarmLinks demands disciplined iron play and confident putting on contoured greens that can quickly expose tentative strokes. Bankston improved when the course began to firm up and the wind shifted, a sign of adjustment rather than reaction. Tate Sinfield-Day, also of Chattanooga, kept pressure on the final pairing, finishing just two shots back at +3 (147) after rounds of 75-72. The head-to-head battle gave the division a clear two-player storyline, with both posting strong closing rounds under tougher afternoon conditions. After the top two, separation widened. George Birdrow IV finished third at +16 (160), while Ethan Green and Andrew Coshatt rounded out the top five. FarmLinks’ elevation changes and risk-reward holes created scoring swings that punished aggressive lines and rewarded patience. Bankston didn’t chase. He managed yardages, trusted conservative targets, and capitalized when opportunities presented themselves. On a layout that tests both distance control and course management, that approach proved decisive. At FarmLinks, finishing strong matters. This weekend, Bankston did exactly that.