Boynton Beach, Fla. - After coming into the final round one shot back, both Henry Robards and Gabriella DeGasperis overcame that deficit to become a part of Pam's Champions at The Club at Quail Ridge. The win comes with a lifetime membership to The Club at Quail Ridge, in honor of late Head Professional Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan.
Boys (16-18)
With a field full of past FJT Champions, players knew it was going to take two low rounds to bring home the victory. No one got off to a better start than Tristan Wieland. The Jupiter native birdied his first four holes and added four more birdies, for a total of eight on the day. Those birdies offset a double and two bogeys for a 4-under 68 total. Joining Wieland would be the long-hitting Jayden Freedman. Another South Florida resident, Freedman turned in 3-under 33 despite a short miss on 18 for birdie. An up-and-down back nine was still good enough for a share of the lead at 4-under with Wieland. Evan Raynor was keen to join him as the Jacksonvile resident made seven birdies on the way to his 4-under 68. The trio would sit atop the leaderboard but chasing would be nine FJT Champions within three shots.
The two chasers that got out of the gates were Henry Robards and Parker Severs. The duo playing together were posed for a shoot-out on Sunday at The Club at Quail Ridge's South Course. Severs struck first with a birdie on the 1st but Robards would jump right past Severs with an eagle on the par-5 3rd. Both players would go on to birdie the 6th and Severs would convert back-to-back birdies with another on the 7th to take a share of the lead. A birdie by Robards on the 9th would give him the outright lead as the group made their way to the back nine.
Severs was the first to make a move on the back nine with a birdie on the short par-3 12th hole to set up a six hole race between the two players. As soon as Severs tied the lead, Robards took off in front by making birdies on 3 of the next four holes. Severs matched one of those birdies on the 16th hole but was going to need Robards to give him an opportunity. That opportunity looked to be possible as Robards second shot tailed off right on the par-5 18th. After receiving relief under the Rules for the cart path, Robards was looking at a tough third shot with an uphill pitch into a front flag. The Episcopal High School Senior would leave that pitch short of the green. Needing an up-and-down to secure the victory, Robards would accomplish that and become the newest addition to Pam's Champions. Parker Severs would continue a great year with a second place finish at 8-under for the weekend. Tristan Wieland captured another top-3 with two rounds under-par and a third place finish.
Girls (16-18)
Fresh off a win across the state in the Panhandle, Emma Rynn continued her momentum early on Saturday. The Windermere native started 1-under through seven holes and had the early lead of the day. However, that was before Madison Moman got going in the opening round of the Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Open. A member of the victorious South Team at the Junior Florida Cup, Moman went out in even par on the front nine but knew the back nine had scoring opportunities. Two birdies on her bogey-free back nine put her at 2-under 70 for the day and would hold the overnight lead. Gabriella DeGasperis would sit just one shot back after a 1-under 71 in the opening round.
An opening bogey for DeGasperis would lengthen Moman's lead to two shots right out of the gates. However, DeGasperis would find two birdies on the players' opening nine holes to combat one for Moman and with Moman's bogey on the par-5 18th, the duo would be tied with just nine holes to play. DeGasperis would go birdie-bogey on both the 1st-2nd and 4th-5th holes at Quail Ridge but would maintain the lead as Moman began to struggle coming towards the finish. Moman would go on to bogey four holes in a row from the 5th hole to the 8th opening the door for DeGasperis. Despite a double-bogey on the 8th hole, Gabriella DeGasperis would post a second round 1-over 73 for an even-par total for the weekend and three shot victory. Madison Moman adds to a long FJT resume with another second place with Honorine Nobuta Ferry, the reigning FJT Tour Championship winner.
