The Florida Junior Tour has only been in existence for 10 years and already we can't turn the Golf Channel on without hearing a Florida Junior Tour alum being mentioned. The Florida Junior Tour (FJT) was started in 2004 to provide a place for the top junior golfers in Florida to compete in their own state at affordable entry fees. Now one of the premier tours in the country, the FJT runs over 30 nationally ranked events per year. The Tour’s premier event is the Tour Championship, held annually in December at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach. Since 2004, hundreds of players have gone on to earn college scholarships and find success at the collegiate and top amateur levels. Below are six players who are proving themselves on the professional stage who have played on the Florida Junior Tour.
Alexis “Lexi” Thompson (Class of 2013) - pictured right
Earning 6 victories in 15 Florida Junior Tour starts, Lexi was a fixture in Florida Junior Tour events from the almost beginning, winning twice in 2005 at the age of 10 and 4 victories in 2006. She turned professional at 15 in 2010. Now in her third full season since gaining LPGA membership in 2012, Thompson has won four times on the LPGA Tour, and once on the LET (Ladies European Tour). In 2014 she won the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship, her first major and became the second youngest major winner at the age of 19.
Cindy “Yueer” Feng (Class of 2014)
Cindy competed in 52 Florida Junior Tour events, capturing an impressive 30 wins from 2007-2013. Turning pro at 17 after earning status on the Symetra Tour through LPGA Tour Q-School in the fall of 2013. Just completing her first season as a professional on the Symetra Tour, Feng finished 7th on the year end money list, earning her LPGA Tour Card for the 2015 season. Her season highlights included at T-13 finish at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship and winning the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in March at Lake Wales Country Club.
Erica Popson (Class of 2009)
Erica played in 23 Florida Junior Tour events from 2006-2009, and won 11 times. In 2006 & 2008, she also captured the FSWGA Junior Girls’ Championship (now the FSGA Girls’ Junior). Popson is in her first season on the LPGA Tour. Erica earned her 2014 LPGA Tour Card in the fall of 2013 at LPGA Tour Q-School after a standout college career at the University of Tennessee. Her career saw Popson claim 8 tournament wins including the 2011 SEC and 2011 NCAA West Regional Championships. She was a two-time All-American selection and was a member of the 2012 U.S. Curtis Cup Team.
Blayne Barber (Class of 2008)
Blayne competed in 20 Florida Junior Tour events from 2004-2008, capturing 5 victories. Barber also won the 2006 & 2008 Boys’ Junior Championships, and went on to win the 2009 Amateur Championship. Blayne would go on to be a 4 time All-American, his Freshman year at University of Central Florida and then at Auburn in each his Sophomore, Junior & Senior seasons. Barber also had 1 career win at Auburn. Barber was selected to the U.S. Walker Cup Team in 2011. After advancing through Web.com Tour Q-School in the fall of 2013, Blayne would breakout in 2014 on the Web.com Tour, earning his first Web.com Tour victory at the South Georgia Classic, and 11 top 25 finishes, placing him 7th on the year end money list and earning his 2014-2015 PGA Tour Card. In 5 starts on the PGA Tour, Blayne has made 3 cuts, and just had consecutive T-9 finishes at the Sanderson Farms Championship and the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.
Brooks Koepka (Class of 2008) - pictured right
Brooks competed in 14 Florida Junior Tour events from 2004-2007. Although never winning, Koepka was always knocking on the door and posted 3 runner-up finishes. Brooks would go on to play at Florida State University where he captured 3 wins and was a 3 time All-American. Brooks qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open as an amateur at the Florida sectional qualifier at Black Diamond Ranch. Koepka took a different route, turning professional in the fall of 2012, and electing play the European Challenge Tour rather than go to Q-School. He won his first start on the Challenge Tour, and then quickly picked up three wins in 2013, earning him a promotion to the European Tour for the remainder of 2013 and all of 2014. Koepka would again qualify for the 2013 U.S. Open. During the 2013-2014 PGA Tour Season, Koepka led the Frys.com Open after the third round and would finish 3rd, his best finish on the PGA Tour. A T4 finish in the 2014 U.S. Open would earn Koepka PGA Tour Membership for 2014-2015 and a invite to the 2015 Masters. On November 16, 2014, Brooks would hold off a charge by Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter to win the Turkish Airlines Open. Koepka now a full member of both the PGA Tour & European Tour is currently ranked 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Daniel Berger (Class of 2011)
Daniel Berger would make 20 appearances on the Florida Junior Tour from 2007-2010, and claimed 1 victory. Berger like Koepka would go on to play at Florida State University, and was Koepka’s teammate for the 2011-2012 campaign for the Seminoles. Berger was a two-time All-American and won twice in his breakout spring of 2013 before turning professional. After advancing through Web.com Tour Q-School in the fall of 2013 like Barber, Berger would find success in 2014 on the Web.com Tour. His 21 starts saw Berger make 15 cuts, including 10 top 25’s, 5 top 10’s, a runner-up finish at the Stonebrae Classic. Berger advanced through U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at Quail Valley Golf Club, in Vero Beach, and would go on to finish T28 in the championship. After finishing in the 15th position on the year end money list, Daniel earned his 2014-2015 PGA Tour Card. In 5 events thus far, Berger has made 3 cuts and has posted 1 top 25.
