STREAMSONG, Fla. – The Black Course at Streamsong Resort and the Florida heat proved to be a tough test, but it was Kiko Francisco Coelho who came out on top on Thursday at the 66th Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship. Coelho fired a 13-under 206 to capture the three-shot victory and his first FSGA Championship.
“It means a lot,” Coelho said. “It’s one of the greatest junior tournaments in Florida. I felt great about my game coming into it and I played really well this week.”
Starting the day one shot behind the leaders, Coelho got off to a quick start with three birdies in the first five holes to move into the top spot on the leaderboard. He posted a bogey-free front nine, carding five birdies.
“I knew being one-shot back was nothing on this course,” Coelho said. “I just tried to start well and I played really good on the front nine.”
The Lake Mary resident had a rocky start to his back nine, with back-to-back bogeys. Coelho turned it around with key birdies on the seventh and ninth to hold on to his lead. He finished par-par to secure the win. A key stretch of holes for Coelho proved to be hole 12 through 15, as he was a combined 10 under on those four holes in three days.
Coelho put together three under-par rounds, 66-72-68, to earn the win. His first-round 66 was the low round of the championship, where he birdied seven holes on the back nine. This is Coelho's second-straight victory, after taking the Florida Junior Tour win at Mission Inn on the previous weekend.
Brendan Valdes and Nicholas Gabrelcik both made a run at the title in the final round, finishing the championship at 10-under 209 to take home second place with Leo Herrera. Valdes, who began the day four shots back of the leaders, posted a bogey-free front nine with five birdies, including four straight to close out his front nine. The Orlando native used an even-par second nine to earn a share of second place and a final-round 68.
Gabrelcik, the 2019 Junior Player of the Year, also put together a bogey-free front nine with four birdies. After a bogey to start the back, the Trinity rebounded quickly with back-to-back birdies. He finished the day with a second-nine 35 to shoot a final-round 68.
Herrera, who shared the 36-hole lead, carded a final round 72 to take home a runner-up finish. The Doral native birdied the 10th hole to move up in a tie for second with Gabrelcik and Valdes.
