Boys' Junior Amateur Championship

Coultas & Strafaci Win Boys' Junior Titles

John Coultas captures the 60th Florida State Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship as Tyler Strafaci claimed the 13-15 division title at Belleair Country Club, in Belleair on July 8-10.

In the 16-18 age division, John Coultas (18), of Valrico, (pictured left) posted a tournament total of 12-under par 201, to win the Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship by four strokes. After his first round of four-under par 67 on the East Course, Coultas would trail the first round leader by three strokes.  Playing the West Course in the second round and also celebrating his 18th birthday, Coultas would post another great round of four-under par 67 which included birdies on 10, 14, and 18 and an eagle on the par-5 16th hole. With a 36-hole total of 134, Coultas would take a one shot lead into the final round.

Coultas got off to a hot start in the final round making birdies on 2, 6 and 9 to go with only one bogey. After turning at two-under par 34, Coultas would take a two shot lead into the final nine holes. Coultas put it into cruise control on the back nine playing the next eight holes in one-under par. Standing on the 18th tee with his first State Championship in sight, Coultas would put the icing on the cake making a birdie to cap off his round of 67. Coultas ended his junior golf career on a high note as he will be attending Florida Southern University in the fall to play golf for the Mocs. Tyler Backich, of Valrico, and Jack Comstock, of Jacksonville, finished tied for second place with a tournament total of eight-under par 205. Attempting to become the first player to win the Amateur Championship and the Boys’ Junior Amateur in the same season, Gabriel Lench, of Lake Mary, finished just five shots short in 4th place. Defending Champion, Jacob Kline, of Saint Augustine finished in 19th place after rounds of 72-69-72.

In the 13-15 age division, Tyler Strafaci (15), of Davie, (pictured right) posted a tournament total of nine-under par 204 to capture his second State Championship. Opening up his Championship run on Tuesday, Strafaci got off to a solid start firing an even par round 71 on the West course. Trailing by three shots entering the second round, Strafaci would cut into the lead posting a four-under par round of 67 on the East Course. With a 36-hole total of 138, Strafaci would only trail by one stroke entering the final round of play.

Strafaci would find himself chasing Alberto Martinez, of Weston, who held the 36-hole lead most of the day. Martinez went out in two-under par 34, to take a two shot lead over Strafaci entering the final nine holes of play. Strafaci was able to pull even with Martinez after birdies on 12 and 13, and would take the lead for good with his third consecutive birdie on the 14th hole. Needing a little more insurance, Strafaci would make birdie on the 17th hole to take a two shot lead into 18. The birdie on 17 was key as Martinez would birdie the final hole to finish only one shot back of Strafaci. With their victories, Coultas and Strafaci will earn an exemption into the 2015 State Amateur Championship. Martinez would finish alone in second place with a tournament total of eight-under par 205. Sachin Kumar, of Port Saint Lucie, finished in third place after rounds of 68-73-67 for a tournament total five-under par 208. Full Story

Round 2 Recap

Round 1 Recap

Entries close Wednesday, May 28, 2014

$30 per competitor ($20 with GHIN handicap)

The 60th Boys' Junior Championship will head to the gulf of Mexico with Belleair Country Club playing host. The Championship has a rich historic tradition with past champions including Matt Kuchar, Gary Koch, Len Mattiace, Blayne Barber and many other successful golfers. For a look at the 2013 Championship Results click here.

Championship Format

• 168 player field size
• Fifty-Four holes of individual stroke play.
• All players play eighteen holes each on the West Course and East Course on Tuesday, July 8th and Wednesday, July 9th. 
• After thirty-six holes, the field will be cut to the low 51 players and ties in the Boys 16-18 Division and 21 and ties in the Boys 13-15 Division.
• The final eighteen holes will be played on Thursday, July 10th on the West Course. The lowest score for 54 holes will be the Champion.
• If necessary, there will be a hole by hole play-off to determine the Champion. It is the player's responsibility to be present for any play-off.

Eligibility

• Open to male amateur golfers ages 13-18 as of July 10, 2014
• All players will compete in the age division commensurate with their age as of the last day of the Championship. No players are allowed to play out of their age division.
• Entrant must not have reached their 19th birthday by July 10, 2014 and not attending college if graduated from high school. See exception here.
• Must have a handicap no higher than 17.4
• Players must be (1) a resident of Florida (reside in Florida at least 4 months per year or have otherwise established legal residency); or (2) a dependent of a military personnel or a military personnel based in Florida on active duty.

Entry Fees

• Qualifying Fee: Qualifying Fee includes Entry Fee and cart fee.
• Championship Fee: Fee paid by those individuals who advance to the Championship through qualifying. Includes tee gifts, course fees, and range balls for each competitive round.
  
• Exempt Fee: Exempt Fee includes Championship Fee and Entry Fee for those individuals eligible for exemption.

Late entries will be accepted subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the qualifying field. 

Pre-Registration

Those individuals who advance to the Championship through qualifying must pre-register and remit an additional $120 Championship Fee either at the FSGA website or by check to the FSGA office. Payment must be received by Tuesday, July 1, 2014 by 3:30 pm, or the individual will be withdrawn from the Championship.

To Pre-Register:

• Log on to the FSGA website at www.fsga.org using your email address and password
• Click on "My Account" in the upper right hand corner of the homepage
• Under "My Tournaments", click on the "Pre-Register" button to the right of the tournament name
• Enter your credit card information and then click the "Charge My Card" button on the bottom right hand corner of the page

Course Set-Up

The golf course will be set-up at approximately:

• 6,500-6,700 yards (Boys 13-15)
• 6,800-7,100 yards (Boys 16-18)

Divisions

• Regular (16-18) as of July 10, 2014
• Junior (13-15) as of July 10, 2014
• All players will compete in the age division commensurate with their age as of the last day of the Championship. No players are allowed to play out of their age division.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, July 8th

• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round One tee times off of #1 and #10 on the West Course
• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round One tee times off of #1 and #10 on the East Course

Wednesday, July 9th

• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round Two tee times off of #1 and #10 on the West Coures
• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round Two tee times off of #1 and #10 on the East Course
• After the completion of play the field will be cut to low 51 players and ties in the Boys 16-18 Division and 21 and ties in the Boys 13-15 Division

Thursday, July 10th

• 8:00 AM - Final Round tee times begin off of #1 and #10 on the West Course
• Awards ceremony immediately following the completion of play

World & National Rankings 

The championship is ranked by the World Amateur Golf Ranking and Junior Golf Scoreboard.

Top finishers in the championship will receive AJGA stars through their Performance Based Entry.

AJGA Performance Based Entry (PBE)

Boys 16-18

• Champion receives 12 performance stars
• Top five finishers receive 8 performance stars
• Top ten finishers receive 4 performance stars

Boys 13-15

• Champion receives 2 performance stars
• Top five finishers receive 1 performance star

Local Qualifying

• 18 holes stroke play at 6 local qualifying sites
• All players must walk during qualifying rounds
• Players are not allowed to employ a caddie
• Players are only allowed to attempt to qualify at one qualifying site per year.

Defending Champions

Jacob Kline, of Saint Augustine, posted three consistent rounds of 70-70-70--210 (-3) to win the boys 16-18 age division as Ryoto Furuya of Wesley Chapel, carded a 70-72-71--213 for the 13-15 age division title at Sara Bay Country Club and Bradenton Country Club, July 9-11, 2013.

Practice Round and Practice Facility  Information

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the Championship on a space available basis at either golf course.  Practice rounds are restricted to after 12:00 PM on weekends and holidays. The price for a practice round is $30.00 + tax.  Please call (727) 442-0229 to arrange your practice round. The proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range, hitting multiple shots on the course is unacceptable.

You may not make your practice round tee time before groupings are made.

Pull Carts

Pull carts are NOT allowed at Belleair Country Club.

Exemptions

Players in the following categories will be eligible for exemption provided they meet all entry, age and eligibility requirements:

NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the FSGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries. 

• Previous Boys' Junior Champions (either Age Division)
• Top 500 and tied from last year's final World Amateur Golf rankings
• Top 50 and tied from last year's final Junior Player of the Year Points List
• Top 10 and tied from last year's Boys' Junior Championship (16-18 Age Division)
• Top 5 and tied from last year's Boys' Junior Championship (13-15 Age Division)
• Last year's Boys' Junior Match Play Champions (Championship brackets only)
• Top 3 and tied from last year's FHSAA Class 1A Golf Finals
• Top 3 and tied from last year's FHSAA Class 2A Golf Finals
• Top 3 and tied from last year's FHSAA Class 3A Golf Finals
• Florida Junior Tour Boys (16-18 Age Division) Winners since the last Boys' Junior Championship as of the close of entries 
• Florida Junior Tour Boys (13-15 Age Division) Winners since the last Boys' Junior Championship as of the close of entries
• Top 15 (16-18 Age Division) and top 10 (13-15 Age Division) and tied from the current year's FJT Points List as of the close of entries
• Top 15 (16-18 Age Division) and top 10 (13-15 Age Division) and tied from last year's final FJT Points List
• Players qualifying for any one of last year's USGA National Championships
• Players making the cut at last year's Amateur Championship

Exemptions Earned from this Tournament

Boys Junior (16 - 18)

Winner

• Future Boys' Junior Championships (must meet age and eligibility requirements)
• Current and next year's Amateur Match Play Championship
• Next year's Amateur Championship
• Next year's Florida Open

Top 10 and tied finishers

• Next year's Boys' Junior Championship

Boys Junior (13 - 15)

Winner

• Future Boys' Junior Championships (must meet age and eligibility requirements)
• Next year's Amateur Championship

Top 10 and tied finishers

• Next year's Boys' Junior Championship

Other Policies

• Spectators and Spectator Cart Policy -  Click here.
• Caddies - Caddies are not allowed.
• Championship Pace of Play Policy - Click here.
• Local Rules and Conditions of Competition - Click here.
• Championship Policies - Click here to read the withdrawal, dress code, and other policies.
• Procedures for Alternates - Click here for information on how alternates may gain entry into this Championship.
• Conditions/ Schedule - The FSGA Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee reserves the right to alter any of the conditions, provisions and/or schedules. The decision of the Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee in any matter will be final.

Accommodations

Please click the View Hotels tab in the Tournament Links section for hotels in the Belleair area.

Payment

Belleair Country Club will accept cash, Visa/Mastercard and American Express for payment.

Directions

Belleair Country Club|
1 Country Club Lane
Belleair, FL 33576
(727) 442-0229

Click here for directions