Beginning Friday, July 7th, 168 of Florida's top male junior golfers will tee it up with dreams of becoming the 2017 Boys' Junior Amateur Champion. Playing Bent Pine Golf Club & Orchid Island Golf Club in Vero Beach, the first round of the Boys' Junior will take place Friday morning with the final round concluding Sunday afternoon.
50 junior golfers were exempt to play in this year's championship, however six courses throughout the state held qualifiers for the remaining 300 participants that wished to qualify for the event. Those individuals who were exempt or qualified will begin the championship at either Bent Pine Golf Club or Orchid Island Golf Club on Friday. After the completion of the first round, players will switch and play 18 holes on the opposite course on Saturday. Following the first 36 holes of the championship, the field will be cut to approximately the low 50 players and ties in the Boys 16-18 division and approximately the low 20 and ties in the Boys 13-15 division. The final round on Sunday will take play at Bent Pine Golf Club for both divisions.
Two past champions are back to compete in the 2017 championship. The 2016 champion in the 13-15 division, Fred Biondi, is back to defend his title after shooting a six-under par, 210 total, last year, however he will be competing in the 16-18 division this year. Alberto Martinez is the other past champion in the field as he won the 2015 Boys' Junior in the 13-15 division as well.
The average age at the Boys' Junior is 16.67 years old with the youngest participant being Wyatt Plattner and the oldest being Dalton Shettle. Of the 168 players competing this week, 28 have recently graduated high school. Six sets of brothers attempted to qualify for the championship, however only one group of brothers will be making the trip to the Boys' Junior together. The Slayden brothers, Spenser, Stewart, and Lucas, will be making the championship a family affair after Lucas grabbed the last qualifying spot at Amelia National Golf Club. Lucas and Stewart will be competing in the 13-15 division while Spenser will be in the 16-18 division.
The participants will have the opportunity to play two of the finest courses in the state, Bent Pine and Orchid Island in Vero Beach. Bent Pine opened in 1979 and was named after a distinctive tree on the eighteenth fairway while Orchid Island will proudly host the 2018 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship.
Live Scoring will be available for the duration of the tournament after players complete each nine holes. However, for the final round, hole-by-hole live scoring will be available for the lead groups.
Spectators and media are welcome to come out and watch Florida's most talented junior golfers compete for the title of the 2017 Boys' Junior Amateur Champion.
