From Saturday, March 30 – Sunday, March 31, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour held the New Jersey Kickoff at Seaview at Seaview Marriott Golf Resort in Galloway, NJ. The tournament was made up of a 36-hole, two-day format and the field was made from six divisions that included the Tiger Woods Division Boys 16-18, Will Smith Division Boys 14-15, Ernie Els Division Boys 11-13, Bryson DeChambeau Division Boys 10 and Under, Justin Timberlake Division Girls 14-18, and the Justin Rose Division Girls 13 and Under.
Tiger Woods Boys 16-18
Consistent play both days allowed Connor Bekefi of Toms River, NJ to win first place in the Tiger Woods Division, as he shot 70 and 72 over the weekend respectively. Just a few strokes behind him held second-place finisher Jason Lee of Westfield, NJ. Lee finished the weekend with a two-day total of 145 strokes. Rounding out the division was Lasse Lehmann of Manahawkin, NJ with 153 strokes.
Will Smith Boys 14-15
The competition was fierce in the Will Smith Division, as there was a champion and a two-way tie for the silver. Jack Ross of Medford Lakes, NJ won his division with 156 strokes. Matthew Vital of Bethlehem, PA and William Fenton of East Williston, NY tied for second, as they both finished with 159 strokes.
Ernie Els 11-13
There was a tight race for first in the Ernie Els Division, but John Keba of Emmaus, PA ended up on top with a two-day total of 159 strokes. Just two strokes shy of first was second-place finisher, George Siozos of Laval, Canada. The last spot on the podium went to Derek Gutierrez of Cranford, NJ with 166 strokes.
Justin Timberlake Girls 14-18
Isabella Diaz of Ballston Spa, NY was the champion of the Justin Timberlake Division, as she finished with 162 strokes over the two-day tournament. Sophia Li of New York, NY earned second d with 166 strokes. Just one stroke behind Li was third-place finisher Sarah Shao of Green Brook, NJ.
Justin Rose Girls U13
Jolie Pastorick of Rydal, PA captured the first-place finish in the Justin Rose Division with a 2-day total of 168 strokes. Isabel Brozena of North Reading, MA earned the second-place spot just two strokes behind Pastorick. Mariah Brownhill of New York, NY earned the last podium spot with just two strokes behind Brozena.
Boys 10 Under
The gold trophy for the Bryson DeChambeau Division belonged to no one but Zachary Berger of Remsenburg, NY. He improved over the weekend, as he shot 108 the first day and 98 the second.
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Tournament Yardages
About Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
In 2017, The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour announced a partnership with Nexus, an international hospitality and entertainment company backed by financier Joe Lewis and Tavistock Group, golfing great Tiger Woods and musician and entertainer Justin Timberlake, which will further our collective goal of growing the game of golf, broadening the Tour’s reach across the U.S. and around the world.
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) was founded in 2007 with the intent of providing junior golfers between the ages of 11-18, and now 10 and under, an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. Golfers who participate on the tour will compete in one of six age divisions: Boys 16-18, Boys 14-15, Boys 11-13, Boys U10, Girls 14-18, and Girls U13. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the HJGT administers events all across the nation, with stops in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In 2016, we have now expanded to the west coast and cover California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon.
For more information regarding the 2017 HJGT Tour, please visit our website at www.hjgt.org, call the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headquarters at (407) 614-2962, or email info@hjgt.org.
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