Round 1 Saturday afternoon brought abnormally warm temperatures for January in Tallahassee. The 80 degree temperature with calm winds, as well as a unique par 73 layout, with five par 5 holes provided fantastic scoring conditions for the juniors. Leo Herrera, of Doral and Noah Zediker, of Panama City opened at 71 (-2) to share the overnight lead in the Boys Division. Megan Schofill, of Monticello, posted an opening 70 (-3) to lead by four strokes over Karoline Tuttle, of Lake Mary in the Girls Division.
Sunday morning brought slightly cooler temperatures, but saw the competition heat up on the golf course. In the Girls Division, Megan Schofill would go out in even par, 37, starting on #10, but saw a six-stroke lead over Izzy Pellot, who started the day in 3rd, cut in half to just three after Pellot went out in 34 (-3) with two birdies and an eagle on the par 5, 18th.
Schofill would falter on final nine, making bogies on four of her final seven holes, while Pellot continued the hot play making birdies on 4, 5, 8 & 9 en route to a 33 (-3) on the inward nine, to close in 67 (-6) and move her three ahead of Schofill for the victory (76-67—143 -3). Karoline Tuttle (74-72—146 E), playing alongside in the final group, matched Pellot 33 (-3) on the inward nine to move into a tie for second with Megan Schofill (70-76—146 E). This was Izzy’s third Florida Junior Tour victory at the age of 12, and second consecutive win to start 2017. Her final round 67 was her best score on the Florida Junior Tour by four strokes.
The Boy’s Division saw overnight co-leader Leo Herrera Open with a double-bogey 6, on the first hole, but a birdie on 8, along with seven pars, would see him only lose one stroke on the outward nine, matching Zediker who also opened in 37 (+1) after three bogies and two birdies. Aiden Kramer, of Oviedo, also playing the final group, had started the day one stroke back after an opening 72 (-1), went out in even par and quickly found himself in a three-way tie for the lead.
Kramer quickly claimed that lead for himself with a birdie on the par 5, 10th. He would also birdie the 12th and 15th, opening his lead to three strokes over Herrera, and four strokes over Zediker with three holes to play. However, things would change quickly on 16 & 17, Herrera and Kramer would have a quick four shot swing, as a result of back to back birdies by Herrera, while Kramer failed to convert for par on back to back holes, and made bogies, bringing Herrera to the 18th tee with a one-stroke lead. Both competitors would make pars on the par 5, 18th, giving Leo Herrera (71-72—143 -3) his first Florida Junior Tour victory by one stroke. Aiden Kramer (72-72—144 -2) claimed second place, while Brett Roberts, of Coral Springs (73-72—145 -1) used a final round 72 (-1) to grab third place. John DuBois, of Windermere (74-72—146 E) earned fourth place, while bogey on the final hole saw overnight co-leader, Noah Zediker (71-76—147 +1) fall to 5th.
The Florida Junior Tour 13-15 Age Division will head to West Orange Country Club, in Winter Garden, near Orlando, February 18-19, 2017. Click here to see the full 2017 Florida Junior Tour schedule.
