HERNANDO, Fla. - This weekend, the final Florida Junior Tour event of the year for the (16-18) Division took place at the challenging Skyview at Terra Vista. Elevation changes, strong winds, and slick greens became the ingredients for a competitive tournament, and in the end two deserving winners, Jaden Peterson and Sophia Dyer, would punctuate 2024 with a win.
Boys (16-18)
After the completion of the first round, Nolan DeForest would sit atop a cluttered leaderboard thanks to a 1-over par, 73, performance that included a stretch of three birdies in five holes. With five top-three finishes, but no victories, in FJT events this year, the 2027 graduate from Crystal River would have to continue his stellar play on Sunday to hold off a slew of competitors closely following him on the leaderboard. Three players (Gabriel Prisciandaro, Jaden Peterson, and Gordon Goetz) sat just one stroke behind the leader; meanwhile, six additional players would head to the final round within four shots of the lead.
On Sunday, DeForest and others near the top of the leaderboard struggled out of the gate, completing their first nine holes over par. This opened the door for Jaden Peterson, a 2027 graduate from Port Saint Lucie, who, after completing the front nine at 1-under par, would assume the top spot on the leaderboard and a four-stroke lead with just nine holes to play. The Port Saint Lucie native continued his impressive and consistent play through the end of the final round to ultimately secure a three-stroke victory. Peterson has now won all three of his starts on the Florida Junior Tour in 2024, including the FJT Tour Championship.
Girls (16-18)
Through 18 holes, 2024 Florida Women’s Amateur Champion Sophia Dyer laid claim to a three-shot lead thanks to a consistent round (12 pars) during which she birdied two of her final three holes of the round. The 2026 graduate from Saint Petersburg, who competed in two USGA Championships in 2024, would be searching for her first-ever FJT victory. Madison Roach sat in solo-second place after a birdie on the first hole of the day powered the 2025 graduate from Naples to a score of 6-over par, 78. Two players (Elena Zreik and Krystine Basteiro) would head into the final round five strokes behind the leader in third.
With nine holes remaining in the final round, Dyer had maintained a three-stroke lead thanks to her even-par performance through the first nine holes (#10-#18). The round-one leader was able to pull away from the majority of the field except for Zreik, a 2028 graduate from Windermere. Her 2-under par through the first nine holes, which included four birdies, kept the 2028 graduate within striking distance. Despite the charge from Zreik, Dyer would ultimately extend her lead over the final nine holes to secure a five-stroke victory. This is the Saint Petersburg native’s first win on the Florida Junior Tour.
