LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – When the final putts dropped, four champions emerged at Lakewood National, each earning season-ending victories. Darren Zhou captured the Boys (16-18) Division title, while Ayden Febres claimed the Boys (13-15) title. On the girls’ side, Grace Carter took home the Girls (16-18) crown, and Alexandra Snyder prevailed in the Girls (13-15) Division.
Boys (16-18)
Clark Mason set the early pace with a bogey-free 5-under 67 in the opening round, highlighted by five birdies. Close behind, Jack Ryan Donovan and Riley Sillaway each posted 68s to stay within one shot. In the second round, Eddie Gu surged up the leaderboard with four birdies on his back nine, carding a 4-under 68 to take the solo lead at day’s end. Mason and Donovan ended the day tied for second at 6-under.
The final round quickly turned into a shootout. Through 10 holes, Sillaway caught fire, playing 6-under on the day and reaching 9-under total to take the lead. Just one shot back, Zhou matched the pace at 5-under through 10.
Donovan made his move with three straight birdies on holes 11, 12, and 13 to reach 10-under and take the outright lead, setting up a thrilling finish down the stretch.
When the dust settled, Zhou and Mason birdied the 18th to join Sillaway at 8-under, forcing a three-man playoff. Mason was eliminated with a bogey on the first hole, and Zhou sealed the victory on the second playoff hole with a steady par to Sillaway’s double bogey. Mason and Sillaway shared second place honors.
Girls (16-18)
Last year's Girls (13-15) champion, Grace Carter picked up right where she left off, opening with a bogey-free 4-under 68 to take the early lead. She backed it up with another strong round to sit at 5-under heading into the final day. Marley Pedrique and Angelina Pacheco surged in round two with matching 3-under 69s, positioning themselves one shot back and setting the stage for a tight finish.
But Carter never wavered. She fired a commanding final-round 5-under 67 to post 11-under overall, cruising to an eight-shot victory. With the win, the 15-year-old now owns both the Girls (13-15) and Girls (16-18) Division titles...at just 15 years old.
Pedrique finished runner-up with rounds of 71-69-73--213, while Iris Lee and Angela Chu Po Nip shared third place.
Boys (13-15)
After a closely contested opening round, Ayden Febres took control in round two with a 4-under 68, building a six-shot lead heading into the final day. Jack Mokris, the first-round leader, fell back as Gatlin Albright moved into second at 3-over, followed by a trio of players tied at 4-over.
Febres never looked back, staying composed to post rounds of 73-68-71--212, becoming the only player in his division to shoot under par in two of the three rounds. Michael Shane Frasure finished second, while Albright rounded out the top three.
Girls (13-15)
Victoria Feng came out strong on the first day, rolling in birdies early. A few late setbacks left her at even par by day's end. Still, it was enough to maintain a share of the lead with Snyder, who stayed composed and would meet Feng at even par heading into the final round.
The two battled closely throughout the final round, with Feng holding a narrow edge most of the way. But Snyder delivered a dramatic finish, draining a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff.
On the first playoff hole, Snyder secured the victory after Feng was forced to take an unplayable from a fairway bunker. Feng finished runner-up with rounds of 71-73-72--216, while Leah Gram took third place.
