Junior Team Champions Named in Disney

Fifty-four junior teams, comprised of three players per team, represented various  junior golf programs from around the state in the Junior Team Championship at the Walt Disney World Golf Resort on August 8th and 9th. The competition on the course was fierce and four teams came away victorious in their respective age divisions at the “happiest place on turf.”

In the Boys 16-18 age division, The Junior Golf Association of Broward County was able to claim the title with a two stroke victory over the Eagle Junior Golf Club on the Palm Course. Broward County team member, Luke Ashworth, played incredibly well both days, firing back to back rounds of even par 72 to lead the team. The other two team members, Jonny Cachon and Anthony Wells, also shot even par rounds of 72 in the final round and helped the team finish at a stellar 2 over par (290) for the event. 

The twelve teams competing in the Boys 13-15 age division on the Magnolia and Oak Trail courses provided the most drama throughout the event. Three teams, including Lakewood Ranch Golf Association, Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, and Palm Beach County were tied with a tournament team total of 306 after 36-holes of stroke play and went into a sudden death playoff! The playoff only lasted one hole, as Lakewood Ranch player, Ryan Kinkead, hit a miraculous shot from the right rough to within three feet of the hole to make a birdie and take home the championship. Teammates Kyle Jarrett, and Max Coutsolioutsos were ecstatic to see the putt roll in and both players contributed greatly to the team’s victory! It is important to note that this is the second year in a row in which Lakewood Ranch has gone home the champion in this division.

In the Girls 16-18 age division, capturing the title by two strokes with a tournament total 305 was the Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour. The First Tee of Miami battled extremely hard on the Magnolia and Oak Trail courses, but Emerald Coast golfers Abigail Herrmann, Ailsa Clark, and Sarah Pabst played very consistently to narrowly beat The First Tee of Miami and the other thirteen teams competing in their division. Ailsa Clark rebounded nicely after posting an opening round 85 by knocking eleven shots off her score to lead the Emerald Coast team to victory with a 2 over par 74 on Sunday afternoon!

Of the nine teams playing in the Girls 13-15 age division on the Palm Course, it was the Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association that ended up being the team to beat! The team comprised of Alyssa Mercado, Julie Zhang, and Lillian Berry all played very fine rounds of golf to place three shots ahead of the Junior Golf Association of Broward County with a tournament total 302. Alyssa Mercado was zoned in during her final round, posting a 1 under par 71 for the Greater Tampa team.

Teams of three, representing their junior programs, competed in 36-holes of stroke play with the total of the low two of the three gross scores counting for each round. This event is open to junior programs that provide organized tournaments, instruction or clinics which are open to all junior golfers in the community. There are four divisions; Boys 16-18, Boys 13-15, Girls 16-18 and Girls 13-15. Competitors played on the Magnolia, Oak Trail, and Palm Courses at the Walt Disney World Golf Resort.

Link to Full Results.