Celebration GC (Boys 13-15 & 16-18)

 Bakich and Core Seize Victories

The Florida Junior Tour gathered both Boys’ Divisions at Celebration Golf Club for a weekend of tough competition. On Saturday and Sunday, there were an  impressive five rounds under-par across both divisions and a hole-in-one on Saturday.

Exceptional scores were posted across both leaderboards at the end of round one. In the Boys’ 16-18 division, Nilo Sanchez, of Lutz, and Spencer Alexander, of Port Charlotte, sat tied for first place with an impressive two-under-par 70. Matthew Mourin tied Travis Wells for third place with a score of 71. There was a four-way tie in fifth place at even par.

In the 13-15 division, Sharif Amastha had his first ever hole-in-one on hole 13. He finished the round in first place with a one-under-par 71. Just like the 16-18 division, the field was in a tight race. Trailing one shot from Amastha, of Miami, was Thomas Regan, Joseph Pagdin, and Daniel Core each shooting 72.  Leopoldo Herrera III claimed fifth place at one-over-par 73.

Round two saw a change at the top of the leaderboard. Tyler Bakich blew away the field, coming back from a four-shot deficit to win by four strokes. Bakich, of Valrico, fired a seven-under-par 65 to capture the victory with a tournament total of 139. First round leader Nilo Sanchez faltered with a final round score of 77 to finish tied for eighth place. Spencer Alexander dropped to second place after shooting a 70-73—143. Andre Leveque tied Alexander with consistent rounds of 72-71.

The final pairing in the 13-15 division did not fair too well on Sunday. Joseph Pagdin held on with rounds of 72-74 to finish in second place with a tournament total of 146. Amastha struggled in round two with a score of 83. Daniel Core kept up his steady play and shot a one-under-par 71 to claim first place by three strokes, 72-71—143. Cody Carroll and Dhruv Patel each shot a final round 71 to tie for third place.

Next in line for the Florida Junior Tour players is the Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship at LPGA International, June 29-July 1 and the Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship at Black Diamond Ranch, July 7-9.

For Full Results click here.

Entries Open:  Wednesday, April 15th
Entry Deadline:  Wednesday, April 29th

Boys 13-15 & 16-18 Age Division
$95 or $115 entry fee (GHIN vs non-GHIN price)
Membership is required

Opened in 1996, Celebration Golf Club is the final collaboration between Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior. From the onset, their belief was that “every hole should be a hard par and an easy bogey.” The layout is protectively framed by borders of native trees and natural wetlands and speckled with clusters of native oaks, pine and magnolia trees. Featuring strategic hazards and challenging greens, this championship caliber course demands accurate approach shots and consistent putting. This event is a week before the State Amateur Public Links which will be held on the same course. This event would be a great way to get a competitive feel for the golf course before the championship.

Click here to view the club's website.

Format

• 36 holes of individual stroke play
• 84 total players (typically 50 boys 16-18 and 34 boys 13-15)
• 13-15 & 16-18 age division (age calculated by the last day of the tournament)

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys 16-18 Age Division - 6,900 yards (gross only)
• Boys 13-15 Age Division - 6,600 yards (gross only)

How Entries are Accepted

• Players with an unused FJT exemption will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis (if submitted before the entry deadline).
• Players without an FJT exemption - all other entries are held until the entry closing date.  Shortly after the closing date, a computer-generated random draw is performed to determine which entries are accepted, and the order of the alternates. All players are notified of their status after the random draw is conducted,
• An alternates list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information".
• Entries submitted after the entry deadline will be added to the bottom of the alternates list or used to fill any openings in the field.

Click here for more details.

How to Enter

Entries must be submitted through the FSGA website. To enter, each player must have an account on this website (free to setup), and a current FJT Junior Membership ($40). Click "Enter" above in the Tournament Links box.

Entry Fee

The entry fee of $95 (for GHIN handicap members) or $115 (non-GHIN handicap members) includes tournament rounds, range balls prior to tournament rounds, crystal trophies for the top three finishers, and a tee gift. 

To receive the GHIN handicap price, the player, or one of the player's parents must have an active GHIN handicap at a club in Florida. The seven digit GHIN number must be included and active when the entry is submitted. Click on the Handicaps tab above in the main menu for more information.