FJT Ocala Open (9-12)

OCALA, Fla. – Axel Monssoh, Zachary Netz, Leonie Tavares and Iris Lee prevailed through raindrops and wet conditions to earn the Florida Junior Tour wins at Ocala Golf Club on Sunday. The first round was suspended due to wet weather causing unplayable conditions and the tournament was shortened to 27 holes. The four champions claimed their first victories of the year in their respective divisions.

Boys 11-12

Despite wet conditions causing the players to return early Sunday to finish the first round and continue to play the final round, red numbers lit up the leaderboard. Jeremy Castellanos, Josiah Joseph, Darren Zhou and Monssoh tied at 3-under 69 to take the lead after round one. Following close behind were Noah Manly and Bento Assis with scores of 70 and 71, respectively.

A four-way tie for first made for an exciting finish in the final round. Zhou, of Bradenton, started the final round strong with a birdie on the first hole. Not letting the lead out of sight the 2021 Futures champion, Monssoh, fired birdies on the second and fifth holes to take the solo lead. Zhou followed a bogey on the second hole with birdies on the fourth and eighth holes to finish with a 2-under 34 and 5-under 103 total.

Monssoh, of Miami, finished with a birdie on the eighth hole to post a round two 3-under 33 and secure the win by one stroke over Zhou. Bento Assis moved up the leaderboard to finish in third with a 2-under 34 in the final round and 3-under 105 total. Joseph and Manly tied for fourth, four strokes from the lead. Monssoh added a second FJT victory to his resume with a 6-under 102 victory.

Boys 9-10

Netz, of Rockledge, captured the first round lead by five strokes after carding an even-par score of 72. The nine-hole final round saw Tobias Gordic-Ronderos climb up the leaderboard after finishing five-strokes back, tied for second, in the first round. Rio Buakhum, of Lake Mary, tied Gordic-Ronderos after round one with a 5-over 77.

The Bradenton native, Gordic-Ronderos, carded a final-round 37 to move only one-stroke behind Netz and claim second place for the tournament at 6-over 114. Baukhum tied JT Stricklin, of New Smyrna Beach, for third at 10 over. Despite the pressure from Gordic-Ronderos, Netz held onto first place finishing with a 5-over 113 total and capturing his first FJT win.

Girls 11-12

Tavares captured a win after finishing with a red number at the top. An even-par first round gave Tavares, of Davenport, the lead by three-strokes over Lilliana Ford. Vying to win her second FJT, Ford carded three birdies in round two to finish with a 1-under 35. Tavares tied Ford’s second round score of 35 and secured a first place victory at 1-under 107. Three-strokes separated Tavares at the top for her second FJT win at Ocala Golf Club.

Girls 9-10

The first round completed with one stroke separating Lee, of Orlando, and Alyna Yensabai, of Lake Worth, at the top. Lee finished in first at 2-over 74 and Yensabai in second at 3-over 75. In only her second FJT played, Lee did not waiver from the lead in round two. Carding a birdie on the first and fourth holes, Lee finished with an even-par second round and first place win. Yensabai posted a 38 in round two to claim second place at 5-over 113. This would mark Lee’s first FJT win by three-strokes at 2-over 110.

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys (9-10) - 5,000 yards (gross only)
• Boys (11-12) - 5,500 yards (gross only)
• Girls (9-10) - 4,200 yards (gross only)
• Girls (11-12) - 5,000 yards (gross only)

How Entries are Accepted

• Entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• Late entries will be accepted if space is available ($10 late entry fee).
• If entries have reached capacity, additional players will be placed on an alternate's list.
• The alternate's list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information."
• Entries close approximately 2 1/2 weeks prior to the tournament.
• At the close of entries, if the 9-10 division (boys or girls) has 3 or less entrants, those players must choose one of the following options: 1) Play up into the 11-12 division   OR    2) Withdraw from the event and receive a full refund.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, January 21st

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM - Tournament Registration (near pro shop)
11:00 AM - 12:57 PM AM Round one tee times off the 1st and 10th tees

Mandatory Meeting - 30 to 45 minutes prior to tee time, 15 minutes long (more information below)

Sunday, January 22nd

8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Final round tee times off the 1st and 10th tees
Awards presentation immediately following the completion of play

Mandatory Educational Meeting - Saturday

• Each golfer MUST attend a mandatory meeting with FSGA staff prior to their tee time on Saturday. 
• Topics to include: Etiquette, rules, pace-of-play, how to feel comfortable playing in events, care for the course, appreciation of club staff and volunteers.
• Meetings will generally take place near or on the practice putting green.
• Each player MUST attend the meeting associated with his/her tee time.
• Meetings will be approximately 15 to 20 minutes long. 
• Parents are encouraged to attend.

*If a players fails to make the meeting at their scheduled time, they will not be allowed to participate in the event.*

Five FJT Standards

Competing at beautiful clubs around the state is a privilege and it is important for all of our players and parents to place value on the following five duties:

• Say please and thank you to the club staff and our volunteers
• Rake bunkers
• Fix ball marks
• Step on/repair your divots
• Throw away your garbage! There should never be trash on the ground anywhere on the course (place trash in waste receptacles, golf carts or even your bag if no other place is available).

Showing Appreciation and Proper Manners - At all courses where juniors play, they should show appreciation to the members and staff. To all of our junior players, let's show the clubs that you are not only the most talented golfers in the country, but also the most respectful. A "thank you" to the club and taking care of the course are the best ways to make a positive impression on the club, fellow players, coaches and spectators.

How to Enter

Entries are submitted through the FSGA website. To enter, each player must create an FSGA account on this website (free to set-up), purchase a current Junior Membership ($40), and have an active Florida GHIN Handicap (included in membership if golfer does not already have one). To proceed, click the "Enter" button above once entries have opened.

Late Entry Fee: A late fee of $10 will be applied to entries submitted after the close of entries date. The entry fee and late fee will only be applied if the player gets accepted in to the tournament field.

Practice Rounds

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the tournament on a space-available basis. Tee times are only available after 12:00 noon the weekend prior.  The price for a practice round is $25.00 + tax. Please call 352-401-6917 to arrange your practice round. Only one child may ride in a cart with an adult. If you have multiple children you must have multiple adults to drive golf carts for them, otherwise they will need to walk. The proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range, hitting multiple shots on the course, not filling divots, and not repairing ball marks are unacceptable and may cause removal from the tournament without a refund.

National Rankings

Florida Junior Tour Policies

• Tournament & Entry Policies
• Hard Card
• Pace of Play
• Code of Conduct
• Spectator Policy
• Caddies are NOT permitted in FJT events

Host Hotel

There is no host hotel.

Directions

Ocala Golf Club
3130 East Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala, FL 34470
352-401-6917

Click here for directions.