South Fends Off Rally To Win Again
NAPLES, Fla. – With a hard-fought 15.5–14.5 win, the South Team defended their title once again and raised the Cup to close out the 19th Junior Florida Cup. That makes four in a row for the South, who are officially on a streak.
Four-Ball Matches
The board quickly lit up blue as the South Team came out swinging. Grace Carter wasted no time, birdieing her first three holes to give her and partner Angela Chu Po Nip (South) an early lead over Angela Yiting Wang and Iris Lee. A chip-in eagle from Carter on the 14th hole sealed the momentum, and the duo closed it out with a 4 & 3 victory.
But it was Darrin Zhou and Dane Mohap (South) who were the first to put points on the board, firing a blistering 30 on the front nine on their way to a dominant 7 & 5 win over Cooper Franklin and Charlie Hipp (North).
The South continued to control the morning, with only two matches going the North’s way. Jaspreet Kondal and Chase Bauer (North) delivered a 3 & 2 win over Josh Orgen and Andy Dai, while Dannika Hines and Keira Shavitranuruk (North) posted a 5 & 4 victory over Natalie Angelo and Valentina Marie Guertin.
When the dust settled on Monday morning’s Four-Ball Matches, the South Team held a commanding 6 to 2 lead. Still, with plenty of golf left on the schedule, the North wasn’t out of the fight just yet.
Foursomes Matches
As the afternoon Foursomes Matches teed off, the North Team came out determined to turn the tide. After a less than favorable morning showing, red began to take over the leaderboard as matches tilted in the North’s favor.
The first point on the board came from Cooper Franklin and Stella Moritz (North), who secured a 2 & 1 victory over Ariana Silva and Dane Mohap. At that same moment, four more matches leaned North’s way, signaling a shift in energy.
Fueled by a renewed sense of urgency, the North Team kept their foot on the gas through a brief weather delay. That momentum turned into results. Charlie Hipp and Qiaoyi Lyu (North) closed out a 3 & 2 win, while the duo of Giancarlo Aguirre and Chase Bauer (North) edged out a 1 up victory, helping to narrow the overall margin.
But the South Team wasn’t going quietly. Three duos clawed out hard-fought points to keep the defending champions ahead. Jaden Peterson and Grace Carter (South) earned a 2 & 1 win, while Angela Chu Po Nip and Kaden Latreille (South) delivered 2 up victory. Lawson Ford and Ignacio Hurtado (South) also held strong to win 4 & 3, ensuring the South would hang on to the overall lead, at least for now.
By day’s end, the North had mounted a significant comeback, trailing by just two points with the scoreboard reading South 9, North 7. With Singles Matches left to decide it all, the stage was set for a thrilling finish at the 19th Junior Florida Cup.
Singles Matches
As the matches got their start, they were flipping often, reflecting how evenly matched the players were. By 9:15 AM, with all matches on the course.
Darren Zhou put the first point on the board for the South with a commanding 6 & 5 win over Chase Bauer. Not long after, the North responded as Riley Sillaway defeated Dane Mohap 2 & 1 to even things out.
Momentum began to shift in the North's favor as matches continued to wrap up. The score tightened to 10.5 to 10.5. It wasn’t long until the North held their first lead of the tournament, North 13.5 to South’s 11.5. Dannika Hines and Iris Lee helped sway this, with crucial points for the North with wins over Grace Carter and Angela Chu Po Nip, respectively. Wylie Inman gave the South a boost, taking down Charlie Hipp 3 & 2 to keep things close.
In one of the most thrilling finishes of the day, Keira Shavitranuruk clawed back from 4 down to tie her match with Valentina Marie Guertin after winning the 18th hole. That halved point brought the overall score back tied, 14 to 14, just before dangerous weather brought play to a halt.
As players returned to the course with four matches still in play, the outcome remained uncertain. Jaden Peterson (South) and Jaspreet Kondal (North) halved their match shortly after the restart, keeping the tension alive.
But the deciding moment belonged to Ariana Silva, who edged out Stella Moritz 1 up to secure the South’s 15.5th point, clinching a thrilling victory and sealing the Cup for the fourth consecutive year.
A standout once again, Dannika Hines finished undefeated for the second straight year, bringing her perfect Junior Florida Cup record to 6–0.
With the win, the South Team continues to chip away at the all-time series, narrowing the overall record to 12–6–1 in favor of the North.
Vineyards Country Club
We would like to express our gratitude to Vineyards Country Club for their exceptional hospitality in hosting this year's Junior Florida Cup. The club's pristine facilities provided the perfect location for a memorable event. Another thank you to the maintenance team ensured that everything ran seamlessly. Thank you to all staff members involved, and to Vineyards CC Members!
