Avon Park, Fla. – Yuma Nemoto and Grace Carter raised the trophies at the FJT Highlands Ridge Open on Sunday, October 1. Nemoto captured his second Florida Junior Tour win of the year while Carter collected her first win in her first Florida Junior Tour event of the year.
Boys Division
The first round came with difficulty as play was suspended due to weather and subsequently darkness. The players had to finish round one on Sunday. Spencer Ives held the lead after the first round carding a three under 69. Ives carded seven birdies in the first round to take the lead by one stroke over Chase Bauer and Yuma Nemoto. Bauer and Nemoto both carded first round scores of two under 70.
Nemoto played 27 holes on Sunday and finished tied for the lead after carding a three under par 69. William Lisle moved three places up the leaderboard shooting the low round of six under par 66 in the final round. Lisle carded six birdies and no bogeys over his final eighteen holes and found himself at five under par for 36 holes and in a playoff for the victory with Nemoto.
Lisle’s birdie putt lipped out on the first playoff hole to force another hole. However, Nemoto stuck his shot to 12 feet and made birdie on the second playoff hole to grab the victory. After a long day, Nemoto left as a champion capturing his second Florida Junior Tour victory in one month.
Girls Division
Grace Carter held the first round lead after posting a score of two under par 70. Carter had four birdies over her first eighteen holes. Elyse Meerdink sat in second place only two strokes behind Carter with a first round score of 72. In addition, Natalie Angelo and Elli Chon shared third place with rounds of one over par 73.
Carter closed out her wire-to-wire victory on Sunday shooting an even par 72 and a tournament total of two under par. She captured her first Florida Junior Tour win in her first event of the year. Natalie Angelo finished in second place shooting a final round of two under 70 and Emma Sanabria moved up the leaderboard three places to secure third place with a final round of two under 70.
