Nemoto & Zhang Excel at Bent Creek
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - This weekend, the Florida Junior Tour’s (16-18) Division traveled to Bent Creek Golf Course where chilly mornings
turned into beautiful days and the challenges of the course revealed themselves. In the end, two golfers proved they were up to the task of outlasting their competitors as Yuma Nemoto and Ava Zhang each picked up their first FJT victories of the year.
Boys (16-18)
Through 18 holes, the leaderboard at the top of the Boys’ Division was tightly packed as 10 players would close out the round within three shots of the leader. Those players would all be chasing Eric Zhao, a 2025 graduate from Davenport, who was the only competitor in the Division to fire a round under-par with a score of 1-under, 70. Bruce Kwong, a 2027 graduate from Kissimmee, and Yuma Nemoto, a 2028 graduate from Bradenton, sat one shot back of Zhao with scores of even-par, 71, and would join the Davenport native in the final grouping on Sunday.
In the second round, Zhao would struggle to repeat his success on his first nine holes, opening the door for Nemoto to surge into the lead with nine holes remaining thanks to his 3-under par front nine. Ryan Houck, a 2026 graduate from Fleming Island who began the day four shots behind the lead, would also go 3-under par on his first nine holes to reach second place, three shots behind Nemoto, with nine holes to go. Despite the rising challenger, Nemoto did not relent in his quest for the trophy. The Bradenton native would ultimately complete a seven-shot victory, completing the final round bogey-free at 5-under par. This is Nemoto's second consecutive victory on the Florida Junior Tour. Houck, Emmet Kuhlenkamp, a 2025 graduate from Fleming Island, Ethan Weinberg, a 2025 graduate from Lutz, and Henry Crowe, a 2026 graduate from Boca Raton, would all finish in a tie for second at 6-over par.
Girls (16-18)
Unlike the Boys Division, at the completion of the first round one player had completely separated themselves from the field. Ava Zhang, a 2028 graduate from Lake Mary, bogeyed just one hole on her way to recording the lowest score of the day across all divisions, 3-under par, 68. This would be good enough for a five-stroke lead heading into the final round. Alexis Myers, a 2027 graduate from Sarasota making her FJT debut, sat in second place after her round of 2-over par, 71.
On Sunday, the battle for victory remained limited to the two players at the top of the leaderboard. With nine holes to play, Myers would cut Zhang’s lead from five to four, and eventually down to three with five holes remaining. However, that was the most the 2028 graduate's lead would diminish as Zhang would go on to birdie two of her final five holes, extend her lead even further, and secure a six-shot victory, her first FJT victory of 2025 and first victory competing in the (16-18) Division. Myers maintained her spot in second place with an even-par second round and 2-over par cumulative score. Sahana Chokshi, a 2027 graduate from Jacksonville, finished in third at 6-over par.
