SUMMERFIELD, Fla. - Eagle Ridge Golf Club’s Champions and Heritage courses served as the host for this weekend's Florida Junior Tour event. This is Eagle Ridge’s first time hosting a Florida Junior Tour event, and the courses provided a fun playground for golf this week. As the tournament drew to a close, it was Ayden Febres and Leonie Tavres who would secure the wins.
Boys (13-15)
As the day began, players saw the opportunity that Eagle Ridge possessed and did their best to take advantage of it. Daniel Barcenas would start his day with three birdies on the first three holes and continue to push on from there. With only one bogey on hole five, the Weston native would post the leading score in the clubhouse after round one, shooting a stellar four under-par. Dane Mohap would also be vying for the front spot, but a bogey on his 18th hole would leave him a three-way tie for second place with Aaron Umholtz and Ayden Febres at three under-par.
A cool, dewy morning would start round two for the competitors. As the day charged on, the humidity picked up, but the scores kept dropping. Daniel Barcenas would grow his lead with a birdie on his fourth hole, but a bogey on six, would put him back just one above the rest of the field. As he approached the turn, Ayden Febres birdied hole eight to launch him into a tie for the lead with Barcenas as they reached hole nine. Febres and Barcenas would make the turn tied for the lead with nine to play. Barcenas would take a double bogey on hole 11, but retaliate with a birdie on 12, dropping him to a tie for second, with Nathan Drummond, after he birdied hole 12 as well. The pair would be one shot off of Febres in the lead heading into the last six holes. Febres would see an opportunity and take it; the Saint Cloud native would birdie hole 13 to take the lead by two over Barcenas and Drummond. Ayden Febres would birdie hole 18 to secure his first FJT Win.
Daniel Barcenas and Nathan Drummond would finish the event tied for second.
Girls (13-15)
Coming off a win at the Jacksonville Beach Open at the beginning of the month, Leonie Tavares would not let up. Tavares would take charge early, birding holes two and three. The Canadian would continue to press as she birdied holes 12,13, and 14. As she entered the clubhouse, Tavares would post an impressive five under-par. Danica Becker, however, would sit just three strokes back heading into the final round after shooting two under on the day.
As Round two charged on so would Tavares. Tavares would birdie her third hole to extend her lead to four strokes. The Canadian would take advantage of the par fives and continued to make birdies. She would birdie holes nine and ten, extending her lead to six ahead of second place. Leonie Tavares would reign victorious in the girls division, winning her third FJT of the season!
Danica Becker would take solo second, and Fay Noti, Nicole Uminski, Sofia Macapagal, and Sophia Christy would all finish in a tie for third.
