WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - In the first event at The Park, conditions were excellent and the weather was fantastic leading to great scoring. With incredible final rounds, Lawson Ford and Kayla Bryant captured the victories in West Palm Beach.
Boys (16-18)
With plenty of home course knowledge, Hampton Beebe got off to a blistering start Saturday. Birdies on his first three holes and another on the par-4 6th, got Beebe to the early lead. Playing in the same group, Lawson Ford also got off to a great start as he was 3-under through six holes. Plenty of players were interested in getting into red figures in Round 1 as Wylie Inman and Tom Dessez were under par early in the tournament.
Beebe would continue his great round on the back nine as he would add two more birdies and post a 5-under 66 to take the overnight lead. The 2027 graduate would have plenty of players within earshot as the aforementioned Ford, Inman, and Dessez posted 2-under 69 to sit three shots back. Luke Gossett would join them at 2-under thanks to three straight birdies on 16 through 18. Team Florida member, Clark Mason, would be the sixth player to post red figures as a result of five birdies in an eight hole stretch and sit at 1-under going into Sunday.
Despite an opening bogey, Hampton Beebe would pick up where he left off on Saturday. With birdies on five of the remaining eight holes on his opening nine Beebe would turn in 4-under and see his lead widen to five shots. Lawson Ford would continue to do what he could to put himself in the mix as he shot 2-under in his opening nine holes and birdie the 1st (his 10th hole) to get himself into solo second. Meanwhile, Ethan Tak was making a serious run for a podium position. Through 12 holes, the Nease High School team member would find six birdies and be at 4-under for the day and solo third.
Ford would continue his charge with a birdie on the short par-4 2nd. Aided by a bogey from Beebe, Ford would get to within two shots with
five holes to play. Another bogey on the 4th hole would see the duo just a shot apart as Ford played the 5th hole in the group ahead of Beebe. With a par on the 5th hole, Ford would see himself take a share of the lead as Beebe would make it three bogeys in a row.
A bounce back birdie by Beebe would see him take the lead with three holes to play. Lawson Ford would rise to the occasion with a birdie on the penultimate hole to regain a share of the lead. Ford would continue his momentum with a birdie on the final hole, forcing Hampton Beebe to make birdie to get into a playoff. Beebe’s second shot on the par 5 would find the greenside bunker. A bunker shot to 8 feet would set up the tying putt. However, the putt would slide by and crown Lawson Ford as the Champion. Ethan Tak’s final round 67 would give him solo third place for the weekend.
Girls (16-18)
In the early stages of the first round, Valentina Guertin would take the lead with three birdies on her opening nine holes to turn in 2-under 33. Yvette O’Brien would join in the action as she turned in 1-under and added a birdie on the par-4 10th to get to a share of the lead.
With a flurry of birdies to finish on 16, 17, and 18, Zoe Shamy would get her name into the mix as she would post 2-under 70 in Round 1. With birdies on 18, the aforementioned Guertin and O’Brien found themselves in a share of the lead with Shamy at 2-under through 18 holes. Multiple-time FJT Champion, Kayla Bryant, stuck around even par throughout a majority of the day but would birdie 18 as well to get to 1-under and one shot back headed into the final round.
Valentina Guertin would jump out to the quickest start of the leaders as she birdied two of the first three holes. She would face a few challengers looking to get their way back near the lead. Aliya Liberatore would make three birdies in her opening nine to make the turn at 3-under for the event. However, Kayla Bryant would be the story of the early morning play. A string of five straight birdies on Holes 5 through 9, would see her vault up into the lead at 6-under for the weekend as the final groups made the turn.
A steady back nine by Bryant would allow her to maintain her lead. With three holes to play, it was just one bogey and all pars to keep a three shot lead over both Guertin and O’Brien who had made a charge into second place with three birdies on the back nine. Bryant’s birdie on the par-4 16th would give her a four shot lead with two holes remaining.
In the end, Kayla Bryant would capture her second victory of the season after winning the 2023 FJT Tour Championship. With a birdie on the 18th hole, Valentina Guertin finished in second place and Yvette O’Brien would finish in third place, both players under par for the weekend.
