NAPLES, Fla. - Parker Severs and Ann-Sophie Bourgault came away with victories at Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club. Severs came from behind on Sunday for victory while Bourgault outlast two other overnight leaders to win her first FJT in 2023.
Boys (16-18)
On a beautiful Saturday morning at Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, Kylan Johnson got off and running into the lead. The Clermont native made three birdies in a row on Holes 11 through 13 and followed that up with an eagle on 15. Johnson held a four shot lead at 5-under through six holes before half the field even started their round.
Oscar Crowe was not deterred by seeing red numbers on the leaderboard early. Crowe went out on Saturday and made six birdies on the way to a 3-under 69. With Johnson’s struggles on the back nine, Crowe’s round would be enough for the overnight lead. In the final group on Sunday he would be joined by two Team Florida members, Lorenzo Rodriguez and Parker Severs, who both shot 2-under 70 to be on shot behind.
The final group got off to a slow start on Sunday morning with all three players making bogeys on the 1st hole. The player to bounce back the fastest would be Parker Severs with an eagle on the par-5 4th to leapfrog his way to the top of the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Elijah Zamarron is making a jump up the leaderboard with birdies on the 3rd and 7th holes to sit one shot back of Severs. Crowe’s birdie on the 7th hole as well would put him tied with Zamarron.
Zamarron would begin the back nine with some ups and downs. Birdies on the 11th and 15th would be offset by a bogey on the 10th and a double-bogey on the 13th. Severs continued to make pars and hold the lead until a birdie on the 13th hole provided a 3 shot swing between himself and Zamarron in the group ahead to give him a 2 shot lead with four holes to play.
Despite two bogeys on his way in, Parker Severs would hold on to his lead and add another victory to his Florida Junior Tour career. Elijah Zamarron would finish second at 1-under for the event and one shot behind Severs. Lorenzo Rodriguez finished in third with an even par weekend.
Girls (16-18)
The first 18 holes on Saturday didn’t see much separation in the Girls Division. After the first round there was a three-way tie for the lead at 1-over 73. Sara Vitasek, Eva Lye, and Ann-Sophie Bourgault all navigated their way to the overnight lead. However, 10 players would sit within 4 shots of the lead including three FJT Champions.
Similar to the final group in the Boys Division, the leaders struggled with their opening hole of the final round. Both Lye and Bourgault made bogeys at the par-4 10th to leave Vitasek with the solo lead in the final round. Lye would make a birdie on the short par-3 12th hole to get herself back in a share of the lead. However, a triple bogey on the 14th hole would see her relinquish her share of the lead and fall back into 3rd place.
Both Bourgault and Vitasek made bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes to open the door for a climbing Sydney Young. Despite a bogey-double bogey stint in the middle of the front nine, Young had four birdies through 10 holes to sit at 1-under for the day and one shot back of Vitasek as they made their way through the back nine.
Bourgault would make a run at Vitasek on the final 9 of the event. Birdies on the 2nd and 4th holes would propel her into the lead as Vitasek and Young made bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes. Bourgault and Vitasek would bogey the par-3 5th hole and with four holes remaining Bourgault would have a two shot lead over Vitasek, with Young three shots behind.
Bourgault held on to her lead down the stretch and would claim her second Florida Junior Tour victory. Sydney Young, Sofia Cherif Essakali, and Sara Vitasek finished in a tie for second two shots behind and 6-over for the weekend.
