NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Besides a brief suspension of round one due to dangerous weather, we lucked out with two great days that led to some fantastic scores. Chase Bauer overcame an eight shot deficit with a final round 64 while Marley Pedrique's steady play earns her spot back in the winner's circle.
Boys (16-18)
On Saturday, players battled the heat throughout the day. Even with these conditions, our first round leader, Jack Gibbs, fired an impressive score of seven-under par 65. His round included eight birdies that propelled him to a two-shot lead heading into the final round. Sitting in solo second is Jeremiah Smith who finished with a stellar round of five-under par 67. Turin Duber and Luke Splane both played some solid golf sitting at one-under par in a tie for third. A host of players finished at one-over par looking to make a charge in Sunday’s final round.
Perfect conditions throughout the day lead to some great scores. Chase Bauer took full advantage coming back from eight down: this comeback was the second longest in the Boys (16-18) division in FJT history. Bauer posted a bogey free eight-under par 64 that included six birdies and an eagle. Bauer finished at seven-under par. Three players finished three back of Bauer at four-under par to secure a tie for second. Jack Gibbs, Gabriel Prisciandaro, and Luke Splane all played tremendous golf securing the second place finish.
Girls (16-18)
After the first round, there was a tight race in the Girls division. Marley Pedrique posted a one-under par 71 to take a two-shot lead into Sunday. Her impressive round included four birdies. Keira Shavitranuruk played some solid golf as she finished with a one-over par 73. Ashley Balcom and Hannah Booth sit in a tie for third four shots off the lead. They look to make a push on Sunday.
Marley Pedrique was able to hold on to win in wire-to-wire fashion. Her final round of 73 proved to be enough as she captured a three-shot victory. Pedrique finished at even par for the tournament. Ashley Balcom and Keira Shavitranuruk played solid golf throughout both days. In the end, they finished in a tie for second both finishing at three-over par.
