Robin Wang prevailed in a three hole playoff, while Dylan Kim fires the only under-par round in the Girls' Division to win the Florida Junior Tour (FJT) event at Sugar Mill Country Club, in New Smyrna Beach, September 14-15.
Robin Wang, of Lake Mary, and Gary Daoust of Apopka opened with a pair of impressive 67, five-under par, rounds Saturday to share the lead. The course's great conditions and fast greens allowed sixteen other juniors to open with scores of even par 72 or better, leaving a plethora of players within striking distance heading into Sunday's final round.
In the final round Daoust started off hot, carding birdies on holes 3, 5, and 7 for a three-under 33 and a 3 shot lead going into the back nine. Daoust continued his back nine with birdies on 10 and 15, but also had two bogies heading into his final hole. Wang birdied 11 and 12 and was 2 shots behind Daoust going into the 18th hole. Both players missed the fairway on 18, Daoust finding the fairway bunker and Wang the rough. Wang stuck his shot to 8 feet and drilled the birdie putt. Daoust found the back right of the green from the bunker but was left with a difficult and fast 40 foot putt for par. Daoust missed his par putt, tapping in for bogie and forcing a playoff. Both players fired a two round total of seven-under par 67-70-137.
After a brief rain delay, both players headed to 18 for their first playoff hole, each making par. A pair of birdies on the par-4 10th led to the a third play-off hole. After both players approach's found the green. Daoust missed his birdie putt from 12 feet while Wang birdied from 10 feet below the hole to capture the title. This was Robin Wang's first victory of 2013, coming off of multiple wins in 2012 including the year end Tour Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
In the girls division, Maho Hayakawa, of Lake Mary, was the first round leader posting a two-over par, 74. In the final round, teeing off the 10th hole, Dylan Kim, of Winter Garden, made 9 pars on the back nine, carding a 36. Even with a double on the first hole, Kim birdied 2, 4, 8 and 9, finishing with a one-under par, 71. Kyra Anderle, of Windermere, came in second place posting a two round total 76-77-153. Cynthia Navis, of Ponte Vedra Beach, finished third carding a 77-78-155. This was Kim's first victory of the 2013 FJT Season after posting numerous top 3 finishes and winning the 2012 Tour Championship.
