This weekend at Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee marked the opening for the 2014 Florida Junior Tour’s season for the 16-18 year old divisions, after the 13-15 year old divisions kicked off last weekend at Belleair Country Club. Saturday’s First Round was canceled after heavy rains and Thunderstorms left unplayable course conditions.
On Sunday’s breezy cool morning, the course had drained well and the field was set to play. By the early afternoon, the sun was shining as were the juniors on the course.
In the Girls 16-18 Division Alison Armstrong of Tampa lead the way with a 2 under par 70. Armstrong’s round included a birdie on 1, then a string of three in a row on 9, 10 & 11, before closing with her fifth birdie of the day 18 helping her edge out Katie Holt of Clermont by 3 strokes. Hayden Gibson of Clearwater took 3rd place with a 3 over par 75 on Sunday. Armstrong’s last victory in a Florida Junior Tour Event came at Southwood in the December 2012 13-15 event.
The Boys 16-18 Division saw Jordan Batchelor of Saint John’s and Henry Westmoreland of Wacissa both post even par rounds of 72 to tie for runner-up honors. Batchelor played steady all day carding just one bogey, before making a birdie on 18. Westmoreland starting on 10, carded three birdies on his first four holes en route to a front nine 33, a few bogeys on the back would bring him to the clubhouse at even par. John Mancinotti of Toledo, Ohio wasted no time winning on the Florida Junior Tour in his first event. Mancinotti starting on 10 made 2 birdies on each side (16, 18, 1 & 7) going out in 35 and in in 36 to post a 1 under par 71 giving him a 1 stroke victory.
The Florida Junior Tour will stop next at Brooksville Country Club in Brooksville on January 25-26.
