FJT Tour Championship (16-18 & 13-15)

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – After battling Innisbrook’s Copperhead and Island Courses, four players were crowned champions at the Florida Junior Tour Championship on Tuesday. Will McGriff captured the Boys 16-18 division, while Justin Sui took home the Boys 13-15 title. On the girls’ side, Jacqueline Putrino won the 16-18 trophy, and Mi Li secured the 13-15 title.

McGriff secured the win in the Boys 16-18 division, carding a 1-under 214 for the three-day championship. The Ponte Vedra Beach native fired a second-round 67 on the Island Course to move to the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. He began the final round with a two-stroke lead over the field.

The 2022 graduate started the day on Copperhead with two birdies on the front nine and added another on the back nine. McGriff secured a six-stroke victory with a par on the final hole and finished the round with a 2-under 70. His 1-under 214 for the championship was the only under-par score in the field.

Austin Cherichella and Nicholas Gabrelcik both posted red numbers in the final round to finish in a tie for second place at 5-over 220. Cherichella used a bogey-free front nine and two birdies on the back to finish with a final-round 2-under 70. Gabrelcik recorded the low round of the day to move five spots up the leaderboard. The 2019 Boys’ Junior Player of the Year carded a bogey-free front nine and finished the day with three birdies.

Sui recorded a final-round 3-under 68 on Tuesday to earn the win in the Boys 13-15 Division. He entered the final round in a tie for fourth at 12-over 156 and five shots back of the leader. After a bogey on the second hole, the Michigan native birdied four of his next six holes to head to the back nine at 3-under.

He added another birdie and bogey on the back nine to secure a four-stroke victory at 9-over 224. Sui’s final-round 68 was the only under-par round in the Boys 13-15 Division over the three-day championship.

Maxmilian Jelinek took home a second place finish with a 13-over 228, while Jake Manelas and Carson Brewer finished tied for third at 16-over 231.

Putrino took home the title for the Girls 16-18 division, finishing the championship at 1-over 216. Heading into Monday’s final round, she sat three shots back of the leader in third place. Putrino started the day with a bogey-free front nine before birding her first hole of the day on the 10th.

The Sarasota native finished the day with three birdies to post a 3-under 69 and secure a five-stroke victory. Her final-round 69 was the low round of the day in the Girls 16-18 Division. Madison Tenore took home second place with a 6-over 211, while Andie Smith finished one shot behind Tenore at 7-over 222.

Li captured her fourth victory of the season with a win the Girls 13-15 division, posting a 2-over 217 for the championship. After the second round, she sat just one shot behind the leader in second place. The Orlando native used the low round of the day, 2-under 70, to secure the four-shot win. Li carded five birdies in the final round, including birding four of five holes to close out the front nine and start the back.

Bridget Ma finished second with a 6-over 221, while Kaitlyn Schroder took third place with a 7-over 222.

Results

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16-18 & 13-15 Age Division
$250 entry fee - see Field Determination Summary below
Membership is required.
Course rotation - Island/Island/Copperhead

FJT exemptions are not used in determining the field. See the field determination policy below. 

Click here to visit the club's website.

Entry Fee

The entry fee of $250 includes:

• Tournament rounds
• Pair of FootJoy golf shoes
• FJT tee gifts

Field Determination Summary

The field is determined in the following method:

1.  FJT winners from the current season (16-18 & 13-15 age division only). A spot will be reserved for the boy and girl winners of the events that are held after the entry deadline. If the winners decline the reserved spot then the next alternates will be accepted.

2. Winners of the current years Boys' & Girls' Junior Amateur Championship receive automatic entry.

3. A spot will be held for the junior who is in first place on the 11-12 Boys & Girls FJT Points List (points from events during the Fall of 2018 through the 2019 Futures Championship). Junior MUST have already turned 13 or be eligible to play up.

4.  All other entries are held until the first Wednesday of October. Players are then accepted based off of their standing on the 16-18 & 13-15 FJT points lists. Approximately 63 boys (16-18 & 13-15) and 27 girls (16-18 & 13-15) will be accepted into the field.

5.  An alternates list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information".

Click here for further details.

The FSGA reserves the right to modify the selection process and field sizes. 

Playing Up

A 13-15 year old can only "play up" in to the 16-18 age division if they have met the following criteria.

• Win a 16-18 FJT in the current year. 

or

• Earn enough points in the 16-18 age division to qualify.

Schedule of Play

Saturday, November 9th (Island Course)

6:45 AM - 9:00 AM - Tournament registration (near clubhouse)
7:30 AM - 9:36 AM - Round one tee times off the 1st and 10th tees

Sunday, November 10th (Island Course)

7:30 AM - 9:36 AM - Round two tee times off the 1st and 10th tees

Monday, November 11th (Copperhead Course)

7:30 AM - 9:36 AM - Final round tee times off the 1st & 10th tees
*Awards ceremony immediately following play*

Practice Rounds

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the tournament on a space-available basis. Tee times are available one week prior to the event & after 12:00 PM on the weekend prior.  The price for a practice round is $45 + tax. Please call (727) 942-5235 to arrange your practice round. The proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range, hitting multiple shots on the course, not filling divots, and not repairing ball marks are unacceptable and may cause removal from the tournament without a refund. 

Parents staying on property may play for the price of $90+ tax and off property parents may play for $115+ tax.

Walking and Pull/Push Carts

Players must walk and carry their clubs during the competition rounds (pull/push carts are permitted). Caddies are not permitted.

Tees To Play

Tees are not selected until the tournament staff arrives on site. Tournament set-up may change, including yardages, to offset inclement weather or other course conditions (i.e. wet course conditions). Typical yardages are below:

• Boys 16-18 will play approximately 7,000 yards
• Girls 16-18 and Girls 13-15 will play approximately 6,000 yards
• Boys 13-15 will play approximately 6,700 yards

The Girls 13-15 & 16-18 divisions will play the same set of tees and the results will be combined for AJGA and ranking websites. The divisions will stay separate for FJT purposes (FJT points, exemptions, and awards).

National Rankings

This event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, WAGR, and GolfWeek.

AJGA - PBE (Performance Based Entrance)

Boys 16-18

• Champion receives 12 performance stars
• Top five receive 8 performance stars
• Top ten receive 4 performance stars
• Top fifteen receive 1 performance star

Boys 13-15

• Champion receives 4 performance stars
• Top 10% receive 1 performance star

Girls 13-18

• Champion receives 12 performance stars
• Top three receive 8 performance stars
• Top five receive 4 performance stars
• Top ten receive 1 performance star

The Girls 13-15 & 16-18 divisions will play the same set of tees and the results will be combined for AJGA and ranking websites. The divisions will stay separate for FJT purposes (FJT points, exemptions, and awards).

Spectator Carts

Spectators will be authorized to rent carts, but must follow the Spectator policies. Spectator carts will cost $25 a day, plus tax. Spectator carts may be limited, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rules

USGA Rules of Golf will govern play. Review the FSGA Hard Card and Pace of Play Policy. The Notice to Players (local rules and hole locations) will be distributed on the starting tee.

Hotel & Accommodations

Innisbrook Resort is offering rooms starting at $129++ ($24 Resort fee & 13% tax). 
To make reservations, please call 1-800-492-6899 and mention that you are booking for the Florida Junior Tour Championship. 

Directions

Innisbrook Golf Resort
36750 US Hwy 19 N.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683

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