OCALA, Fla. – Candler Hills Golf Club played host to 82 juniors over the weekend as The Florida Junior Tour headed to Ocala for the FJT Candler Hills Open (13-15) event. With beautiful weather greeting the players over the two days, two champions were rightfully crowned.
Boys (13-15)
Saturday's first round would see Tyler Creavy take the solo lead at the end of day's play after firing an impressive 5-under par, 67. The Orlando native would get off to a quick start with birdies on holes 1, 4 and 7 and an eagle on the par 5, 6th hole. Making the turn at 5-under par, the 2028 grad would quickly falter with bogies on holes 10 and 11. Creavy would bounce back however, picking up two more birdies on the 12th and 14th holes to give him a 1-shot lead heading into Sunday, as he aims to earn his first FJT victory. Riley Sillaway would also be looking to pick up his first win after an opening round of 4-under par, 68 to sit one shot back of Creavy. The Longwood native would make four birdies and an eagle on the day. In total, 8 players in the boys' division would finish the day in red numbers and would be looking to challenge for the top spot at the end of 36 holes.
Sunday's final round would bring some excitement as many players would challenge the lead throughout the day. Starting his round in second place, Riley Sillaway would have a tough start making a triple bogey on the par 5, 4th hole and a bogey on the 5th to put him back to even par for the tournament. The 2027 grad would quickly bounce back making four birdies in his next seven holes to get into a tie for the lead. After a bogey on the 13th hole, Sillaway would make an eagle on the reachable par 5, 15th hole to take the lead with three holes to play. The first round leader Tyler Creavy, would hold the lead for most of the day going out in 1-under par and 6-under par for the tournament. The Orlando native would stumble post turn, making a double-bogey on the 10th hole. Two bogies and two birdies later, Creavy would post a final round of 1-over par, 73 to finish the event in a tie for second place at 4-under par along with Sillaway. Starting his day in a tie for fourth place, Karl Stenson would stick around the top of the leaderboard all day and wait patiently for his turn to take the lead. The 2028 grad would play consistent golf on Sunday, after an early bogey, he would go on to make four birdies for the remainder of his round to post a final round of 3-under par, 69. The Orlando native would lead the boys' division in birdies made for the event at nine. Stenson's two day total of 70-69, 5-under par, would be enough to crown him champion and earn himself his first FJT win.
Girls (13-15)
A fixture near the top of leaderboards, Natalie Angelo would lead the way in the Girls' division after the first round. Still searching for that elusive first victory, Angelo would put together a steady first round of 3-under par, 67, consisiting of five birdies and two bogies. The Bradenton native's round was highlighted by a 4-under par, 32 on the back nine. The 2027 grad would have to continue her stellar play on Sunday with a packed leaderboard closely behind. Leah Gram would sit one shot back of Angelo after a consistent round of 2-under par, 70 with only one bogey on the day. Dannika Hines, Maria Antonia Gaviao and Keira Shavitranuruk all shot 1-under par, 71 and sit two shots back of Angelo.
Teeing it up in the final pairing on Sunday, Angelo would be determined to leave Ocala with the trophy. Starting on the 10th hole, the 2027 grad would make four birdies and two bogies on the opening nine holes to turn at 2-under par. The front nine would be no different as Angelo would go on to make a further three birdies with no blemishes on the side. The Bradenton native's two day total of 69-67, 8-under par would give her the comfortable victory as she cleared the field by four shots. Leonie Tavares would tie Angelo for the low final round at 5-under par, 67. The Canadian native would have a bogey-free final round, while making birdies on holes, 3, 4, 6, 14 and 16. Coming off a win at the FJT Florida State University (13-15) *54-Hole Major*, the 2029 grad would back it up with a T2 finish in Ocala. Joining Tavares in a tie for second place at 4-under par was Avery Banfill and Keira Shavitranuruk. Banfill would also put together a bogey-free final round 68, while Shavitranuruk would make her lone bogey of the day on the par 4, 18th hole on route to a final round 69.
