Taylor Szyndlar fired a second round 4-under par 68 to take the lead in the 53rd Florida State Boys Junior Championship at the Country Club of Ocala and Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club in Ocala. Hojin Kang moves into first in the junior division after posting a second round 2-under par 70. The Boys Junior Championship continues with the final round tomorrow, Wednesday, July 11 at the Country Club of Ocala.
After 36 holes, Taylor Szyndlar, of Jupiter, has a two-stroke advantage recording a two-round total of 3-under par 141. In the first round, Szyndlar, 17, posted a 73 at Golden Hills to trail the leaders by four. Szyndlar jumped into the lead with a second round 68 at Country Club of Ocala. In a tie for second place, Derek Nelson, 17, of Palm Beach Gardens, and Zachery Sobel, 16, from Clearwater Beach, each posted a two-round total of 1-under par 143. Nelson and Sobel shot similar scores of 70-73. First round co-leaders Louis Amira, 17, of Valrico, and Tyler McCumber, 16, of Ponte Vedra Beach, fell into a tie for seventh place after a second round 76.
In the 13-15 age division, Hojin Kang, 15, from Longwood, moved into first place recording a two-round total of 141. Kang, who holds two FJT titles, carded a 71 in the first round at Country Club of Ocala and claimed first after shooting a 70 at Golden Hills in the second round. First round leader Cole Engelhardt, 15, of Jacksonville, sits one back from Kang with a two-round total of 142. Engelhardt shot rounds of 69-73. Alex Slaton, 14, from Gainesville, is also under par for the two rounds at 143 and is in third place.
More than 340 entries were received for the 2007 Boys Junior Championship. Competitors first attempted to qualify for the Championship at one of six sites across the state in 18 holes of stroke play. The Championship field features 126 of the top male amateur golfers in the 16-18 age division and 42 top juniors in the 13-15 age division. In the Championship, competitors will play 18 holes on each course. The field was then cut to the low 54 scores and ties in the 16-18 age division and low 18 scores and ties in the 13-15 age division playing the final 18 holes at the Country Club of Ocala.
To enter, participants must be between the ages of 13-18 and not attending college. Also, the juniors must not have a handicap index higher than 17.4.
For pairings, tee-times and complete results, please see www.fsga.org .
Organized in 1913, the Florida State Golf Association is a not-for-profit organization that governs amateur golf in the state of Florida. In addition to conducting 25 championships for amateur golfers in the state, the FSGA is responsible for more than 40 qualifying tournaments for USGA National Championships and the Florida Junior Tour. The FSGA also maintains the USGA Handicap System, performs course ratings throughout Florida and assists in junior programs and scholarships.
