Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend
Stephanie Carlozzi, Erica Stoner, and Auston Kim all went wire-to-wire to capture their respective titles at the Girls’ Junior Championship at Black Diamond Ranch, in Lecanto, June 11-12th.
Stephanie Carlozzi, from Naples, played solid golf throughout the week finishing the first round with a 71, two strokes ahead of Megan Berube, from Spring Hill. She increased her lead on the back nine during the final round with an eagle on 10, and two birdies on 14 and 16 to capture the 16-18 Age Division. Carlozzi’s mom commented on her win by saying, “She’s worked really hard on slowing her tempo down on her swing and felt really good about her play.“ The recent high school graduate ended up with a tournament total of four-under par, ten strokes ahead of the second place finisher Alexandra Papell, from Boca Raton.
In the Girl’s 13-15 Division, Erica Stoner defended her title with a tournament total of even par 144. After leading the first round with a 70, Stoner came out a little shaky on the front nine of the final round carding four bogies. Closely followed by Gianna Tomeo, from Bradenton, she regained her momentum by birdying three of the next six holes to post a 74 for the day.
Auston Kim, from Saint Augustine, held off Sophie Membrino, from Ponte Vedra Beach, to capture the Girls’ 6-12 Divison. Kim led the tournament after the first round with a 45, only two strokes ahead of Membrino. During the final round, both girls played consistently off the tee and matched birdies on number four to post matching 9-hole totals of 43. In the end, it was Kim’s first round lead that secured her the title as she finished with a tournament total of 86.
The Championship was played on the Ranch Course, for the Girls 13-15, and the Highlands Course, for the Girls 6-12. The Regular (16-18) and Junior (13-15) Divisions played 18 holes of individual stroke play each day, while the 10-12 and 6-9 Age divisions played 9 holes of individual stroke play each day. Full Story
The Ranch Course was carefully crafted to gently blend into its natural surroundings. Reminiscent of Pine Valley, the Ranch Course sports rolling fairways and dramatic elevation changes of over 100 feet. Strategy rules, with numerous two-tiered greens placing a premium on distance control for approach shots, and par is guarded by numerous sand traps, waste bunkers, and two pristine lakes. You will find more sand than most courses have on 18 holes. The Ranch's 16th, 17th and 18th holes "represent the three best finishing holes I've ever designed," according to Architect Tom Fazio.
Defending Champion
