Palm Beach County Junior Open

Under the South Florida sun at Village Golf Course, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Palm Beach County Junior Open delivered exactly what championship golf should: pressure, volatility, and a finish that required extra holes to decide. Jack Corcoran didn’t win it easily. He earned it. The Huntington, New York native fired rounds of 78-73 to finish at +7 (151), matching Bronxville’s Tommy Ruhanen stroke for stroke over 36 holes. Both players posted identical scorecards — steady opening rounds of 78 followed by composed 73s under Sunday pressure — forcing a playoff to decide the title. In extra holes, Corcoran executed. One mistake is all it takes in sudden death, and he avoided it. The playoff victory capped a composed weekend that separated him not by dominance, but by discipline. Behind them, the margin was razor thin. Reed Burton of Boca Raton and Fletcher Weins of Rochester finished just one shot back at +8 (152). Burton leaned on local familiarity to stay in the hunt, while Weins steadied himself after a strong opening 77. Both were within reach of a playoff until the final stretch. From there, the leaderboard told the story of Village Golf Course — a layout that doesn’t allow momentum to run unchecked. Water hazards guard aggressive lines, approach shots demand precision, and small misses quickly compound. Scores climbed into the mid-teens over par for much of the field, with every round becoming a test of patience. Players from Florida, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina — even Quebec — filled the board. The geographic diversity underscored what the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour consistently provides: a national competitive stage where players measure themselves outside their local bubble. But this week belonged to Corcoran. In a tournament where the lead never felt safe and the margin never felt comfortable, he proved steady when the moment tightened. That’s what wins playoffs. That’s what wins championships. The Palm Beach County Junior Open didn’t produce fireworks. It produced grit — and sometimes, that’s far more revealing.

The margin wasn’t wide. The scoring wasn’t easy. And at Village Golf Course, nothing came without work. Maximilian Landry didn’t overpower the field — he outlasted it. The Nassau, Bahamas native posted rounds of 79-80 to finish at +15 (159), navigating a weekend that demanded patience from start to finish. Village Golf Course has a way of tightening the field, and in the Boys 14–15 division, it became a test of emotional control as much as ball striking. Landry’s consistency proved decisive. While others surged and stalled, he avoided the big number. In a division where no player finished under par in either round, minimizing mistakes was the strategy — and Landry executed it better than anyone. Mervin Lee of Great Neck, New York made the strongest early statement, opening with a 76 — the low round of the tournament — before battling to an 85 on Sunday to finish at +17 (161). That first-round 76 showed the scoring potential was there, but Village doesn’t let players cruise. Every hole resets the pressure. Two players tied for third at +19 (163): Adrien Ellis of Penfield, New York and Palm Beach Gardens’ Tommy Morrissey. Both mirrored each other with 79-84 scorecards, staying within striking distance but unable to close the gap late. At +20, Tyler Ehlers and Hudson Vargas rounded out the top five, each showing flashes of control before the course demanded something back. The story of this division wasn’t fireworks. It was attrition. From Florida to New York to the Bahamas, players were forced to grind through narrow landing areas and guarded greens. Momentum rarely lasted more than a few holes. Those who chased too aggressively paid for it. Those who stayed disciplined remained in contention. Landry stayed disciplined. And in a tournament where conditions and course setup rewarded maturity beyond the age group, that discipline translated into a championship. The Palm Beach County Junior Open once again proved that at this level, talent matters — but composure wins.

Championship golf doesn’t check birth certificates. At Village Golf Course, the Boys 12–13 division at the Palm Beach County Junior Open proved that even the youngest competitors feel the weight of closing. Juan Raul Boyd traveled the farthest — and left with the trophy. The Panama City native put together rounds of 77-80 to finish at +13 (157), separating himself late with steady control in Round 2. His opening 77 set the tone — the low round of the division — and while Sunday brought tighter scoring conditions, Boyd never allowed the lead to slip. Charlie Reich of Boca Raton kept the pressure on. His 80-80 consistency earned him a runner-up finish at +16 (160), staying within range but never quite closing the three-shot gap. In a division where momentum can shift quickly, Reich kept himself in the conversation until the final holes. Royce Spitzer of Jupiter finished third at +27 (171), battling through two demanding rounds of 85-86, while Matthew Gallant rounded out fourth at +40. For this age group, Village Golf Course offered little margin for error. The layout forced precision off the tee and punished misjudged approaches, creating score separation as the weekend progressed. The story here wasn’t just about winning — it was about composure. At 12 and 13 years old, players are learning how to manage tournament nerves, how to respond to a double bogey, how to reset after momentum stalls. Boyd handled those moments best. His ability to limit damage and maintain pace across both rounds ultimately defined the event. The Palm Beach County Junior Open once again showcased the depth of international talent within the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour pipeline — from Panama to Florida and beyond — building competitive maturity one event at a time. At this level, development is the mission. But make no mistake — Boyd didn’t just develop this weekend. He won.

Some wins are scrappy. Some are dominant. Emma McKoan’s was controlled. At Village Golf Course, the Naples native separated herself from the field with poise and precision, finishing at +2 (146) to claim the Girls 14–18 title at the Palm Beach County Junior Open. Her scorecard told the story: 74-72. After a steady opening round of 74, McKoan made her move on Sunday. An even-par 72 — the low round of the division — wasn’t just solid. It was decisive. While others fought to maintain ground, she tightened her grip on the tournament. Only one player finished within single digits. Maya Gaudin of Massachusetts battled to +9 (153) with rounds of 77-76, staying composed but unable to close the seven-shot gap. Nina Lang (Wisconsin) and Blake Zarkowsky (New York) rounded out the top four, both navigating Village’s demanding setup but finding little margin for aggressive play. Village Golf Course doesn’t reward impatience. Narrow landing areas, guarded greens, and constant visual pressure off the tee force calculated decisions. In this division, the course became less about chasing birdies and more about limiting damage. McKoan limited it better than anyone. Behind the top tier, the leaderboard reflected the grind. From Florida to Wisconsin to California to Barbados and the Dominican Republic, the field showcased international reach — but consistency separated contenders from the rest. What stood out most wasn’t just the score. It was the control. At +2 in a field where the next closest competitor was seven shots back, McKoan didn’t just win — she set the standard for the weekend. The Palm Beach County Junior Open once again delivered championship conditions. And in the Girls 14–18 division, one player rose clearly above them.

Development stage or not, closing still matters. At Village Golf Course, the Girls U13 division at the Palm Beach County Junior Open demanded resilience from start to finish — and Amelia Lecavalier delivered it. The Tampa native posted rounds of 92-86 to finish at +34 (178), improving by six shots on Sunday and separating herself with a composed second round. That closing 86 wasn’t just better — it was controlled. In an age group where momentum swings quickly, Lecavalier steadied hers. Sophia Brooks of New York finished second at +53 (197), carding rounds of 99-98. The consistency kept her firmly in the runner-up position, though the margin remained significant. Mila Mangual rounded out the field, battling through two demanding rounds as Village Golf Course showed little flexibility. And that’s the point. Village does not soften based on division. The same water-lined corridors, guarded greens, and visual pressure apply across every age group. For U13 players, that means learning to recover from doubles, resetting after tough holes, and finishing rounds with focus intact. Lecavalier did that best. In junior golf, especially at this stage, improvement across rounds often tells you more than the final number. Her six-shot drop from Round 1 to Round 2 showed adjustment, composure, and growing tournament maturity. The Palm Beach County Junior Open once again provided the platform. In the Girls U13 division, one player used it to take a clear step forward.