Drummond & Wachter Pick Up Major Victories at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Memorial Day Weekend, for many, marks the beginning of summer. For the Florida Junior Tour, this weekend marks not only the end of the spring season but also the time for the second *54-Hole Major* event of the year. This time around, the (13-15) Division traveled to Innisbrook Resort, where competitors would compete on the Island Course during the first two rounds and the famous Copperhead Course, host of the Valspar Championship, for the third and final round. The heat and humidity, combined with the difficulty of each course, made for an exciting tournament. In the end, Nathan Drummond and Lily Wachter would outlast their competitors to claim victory.
Boys (13-15)
At the completion of Saturday's first round, Andy Dai, a 2027 graduate from Bradenton, jumped out to a solo lead as the only player to turn in a score at even-par. Dai, who has a win in each of his previous two starts, recorded a par on all but four holes, showcasing a consistent style of play that he would look to replicate throughout the remainder of the tournament. Two players trailed the leader by just one stroke. Daniel Barcenas, a 2030 graduate from Weston, carded a birdie on both his first and last holes, adding two others throughout his round; meanwhile, Nathan Drummond, a 2028 graduate from Tampa, got off to a blazing start to his round with a birdie on three of his first six holes. The two would join Dai in the last pairing on Sunday at 1-over par.
Dai would remain the leader through 36 holes. Despite pouring in two more birdies than he did on Saturday, the 2027 graduate would record more bogeys as well, ultimately leading him to a score of 1-over par, 73. With a cumulative score of 2-over par, Dai would hold a 2-stroke lead heading into Monday's final round. Aaron Umholtz, a 2029 graduate from Tampa, made his mark on the field today by becoming the first player to record a score under-par. The Tampa native's score of 2-under par, 70, which vaulted him into a tie for second at 4-over par, was highlighted by a stretch of three birdies over his final five holes. Brookman Tyrer, a 2028 graduate from Plantation, and Drummond would begin the final round four strokes behind the leader at 6-over par.
Throughout a large majority of the final round, Dai once again showcased a consistent style of play that proved successful, allowing him to hold a multi-stroke lead that sat at three with just four holes to play. Most of the rest of the field would drop back from the leader to an unrecoverable position; however, Drummond continued to fight to stay in contention. Then, on the par-3 15th hole, a two-stroke swing would occur when Drummond birdied and Dai bogeyed, leaving the Bradenton native with a one-stroke lead. Dai would bogey a second consecutive hole on the par-4 16th, and then both Dai and Drummond would bogey the par-3 17th hole, leaving them tied coming down to the 54th hole. A birdie from Drummond and a par from Dai on the last hole would seal the deal for the 2028 graduate. With a final score of 6-over par, Drummond picks up his third FJT win, and first of 2025. Dai finished in second place at 7-over par, and Bax Clement, 2028 graduate from Valdosta, GA finished in third place at 10-over par.
Girls (13-15)
Through 18 holes, Catalina Dolan, a 2029 graduate from Saint Petersburg, had created a four-stroke lead thanks to a score of 3-over par, 75. Her round was highlighted by an eagle on the difficult par-5 11th hole, making her the only player to do so across both divisions. The 2029 graduate led a trio of players that completed the first round with scores of 7-over par, 79. Sofia Macapagal, a 2028 graduate from Orlando; Boonyanuch Smitasin, a 2028 graduate from Orlando; and Lily Wachter, a 2030 graduate from Saint Augustine, would look to challenge the leader on Sunday.
On Sunday, Dolan would struggle to repeat her success from the day prior, allowing the rest of the field to play their way back toward the top of the leaderboard. By the end of the round, three players found themselves in a tie for the lead at 13-over par. Macapagal and Wachter would each record scores of 6-over par, 78, improving on their Saturday scores by one stroke. The two were joined in the tie for first by Qiaoyi Lyu, a 2030 graduate from Celebration. Lyu would improve on her first round score by seven strokes by recording a 3-over par, 75, in the second round, highlighted by the Celebration native playing her first nine holes bogey-free at 1-under par.
With the three leaders beginning the final round tied for the lead, an exciting finish was in store. At one or more points throughout the round, each of the three players would hold the solo lead, but none of them were able to build an extended stretch of momentum to pull away from the others. With just two holes to play, Lyu and Wachter had created separation as the pair held a share of the lead with Macapagal two strokes back, and they would ultimately head to a playoff after being tied through 54 holes with scores of 15-over par for the tournament. On the first playoff hole, the par-4 10th, Wachter would stick her second shot on the green close to the hole and sink a birdie putt to claim victory. This is the second consecutive victory for the Saint Augustine native, and second victory overall on the FJT. Lyu's second place finish marks an impressive ninth top-10 finish on the FJT in 2025. Macapagal finished in third at 17-over par.
