LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The Florida heat may have eased, but the wind held strong at Lakewood National, making for a tough test in the opening rounds of the 14th FJT Tour Championship. Despite the challenge, the field powered through 36 holes, a true marathon for this elite group of juniors.
Boys (16-18)
Round one was highlighted by Clark Mason’s 5-under 67. Mason was able to put together a bogey-free round, with five birdies spread evenly throughout his round. His last birdie came on his 18th hole, which would grab him solo first place as he started his second 18 holes of the day. Not far behind was Jack Ryan Donovan and Riley Sillaway, who both fired a 4-under 68, just one shot off the lead.
During the second round, the leaderboard began to take shape. Eddie Gu caught fire on his back nine, rolling in birdies on holes 1, 2, 4, and 7. Round one leader Mason kept the pressure on with another solid performance, but Gu’s 4-under 68 ultimately secured him the solo lead heading into the final round. Donovan and Mason met at 6-under total to share second place.
Girls (16-18)
Grace Carter, last year’s Girls (13-15) Division champion, picked up right where she left off, this time competing in the Girls (16-18) Division. A flawless, bogey-free opening round of 4-under 68 placed her atop the leaderboard. Close on her heels was Natalie Angelo with a 3-under 69, along with a pack of contenders ready to challenge in the rounds ahead.
Carter wasted no time in the second round, opening with a birdie on the first hole to reach 5-under overall. But Marley Pedrique wasn’t far behind, she caught fire on her front nine with four birdies and finished the day with a 3-under 69 to put herself firmly in contention. Also making a move was Angelina Pacheco, who joined Pedrique in a share of second by day’s end, both sitting at 4-under total.
Boys (13-15)
The Boys (13-15) Division turned into a battle, with nearly half the field hovering around even par for most of the round. In the end, Jack Mokris secured the top spot with a steady even-par performance. Ayden Febres followed close behind with a 1-over 73 to claim second, but the leaderboard was crowded with plenty of challengers still in the mix.
Febres delivered a strong performance in the second round, pulling away from the field and making a statement heading into the final round. His second round 4-under 68 gave him a commanding six-shot lead, with Gatlin Albright sitting in second at 3-over and a three-way tie for third at 4-over.
Girls (13-15)
Victoria Feng set the tone in the Girls (13-15) Division with the only under-par round of the morning, carding a 1-under 71. Just two strokes behind, Alexandra Snyder and Lilly Parker posted matching rounds of 73 (+1) to sit tied for second.
Feng came out strong in round two, firing four birdies in her first seven holes, but a few late setbacks left her with a 1-over 73. Still, it was enough to maintain a share of the lead with Snyder, who stayed composed and put together a steady 1-under 71 to reach even par. Meanwhile, Leah Gram made a strong move up the leaderboard with a 1-under 71 of her own after an opening 76, putting herself well within reach of a season-ending victory.
