Shingle Creek GC (13-15)

McConnell, Ritter Win 54-Hole FJT at Shingle Creek

Ian McConnell and Jaime Ritter battled blustery conditions in the final round to capture the 54-hole Florida Junior Tour (FJT) 13-15 age division event at Shingle Creek Golf Club in Orlando over Easter weekend April 7-9.

Ian McConnell, 15, from Riverview, pulled ahead of the field in the final round firing a 2-under par 70 to secure his first FJT victory of the season. After 36 holes, McConnell and Christopher Pezzolo were tied for the lead each posting a two-round total of 140. In the final round, McConnell came out strong to shoot a 70 and finish with a tournament total of 6-under par 210 for the win. This win adds to McConnell’s four top ten finishes this season as well as a win last season in a Qualifying Series event in the 13-15 age division. First round leader Rocky Khara, 15, from Sebring, aced the 17th hole in the final round to jump into second place. Khara recorded rounds of 68-76-69 for his best finish in an FJT event. Second round co-leader Christopher Pezzolo, 15, of Orlando, also had his best performance in an FJT event finishing in third place. Pezzolo shot a pair of 70’s and a 74 for a 214 total.

Jaime Ritter blasted the low round of the division in the final round to edge out the girls field by one stroke. Ritter, 15, from Davie, posted an 81-78 in the first two rounds to trail the leader by 13 strokes. In the final round, Ritter made six birdies and hit 15 greens en route to firing a 3-under par 69 and secure the victory with a 228 total. “I just felt good today,” said Ritter. “My entire game came together nicely.” Ritter’s score of 69 is a personal best as well as an 18-hole FJT record for the girls 13-15 age division. Ritter has six top ten finishes this season as well as a win last season in a Qualifying Series event. Ryan Ashburn, 14, from Seminole, took second place with a 229 total. Ashburn, who won a 54-hole event earlier in the season at Disney, posted a 78-74-77. In a tie for third place, Nicole Agnello, 15, of Longwood, and Cindy Feng, 11, from China, each shot a tournament total of 230. Agnello, who has two FJT titles this season, led after 36 holes posting a pair of 73’s including a two stroke penalty she called on herself for grounding her club in the hazard in the second round.

Experience this remarkable new golf course, which takes its name from the pristine creek, which traverses the property. Early Central Florida settlers, circa 1800, were drawn to the area by the abundance of game, fishing, ancient cypress trees, and of course, the beautiful creek.

Those early pioneers used the creek well, logging the cypress trees, which were floated down stream to a nearby mill and eventually made into shingles for their homes. Thus the name - Shingle Creek. Today we know that Shingle Creek is part of the natural headwaters of the Florida Everglades, located some 140 miles south of Orlando.

Club website: www.shinglecreekgolf.com

Eligibility
Male or female amateur golfers that are members of the FJT may apply for participation. Entries are subject to rejection at any time, including during the event by the FJT. The reason for rejection may include unbecoming behavior. Please see the Code of Conduct for further details.

Application Procedure
Tournament applications must be submitted on-line at www.floridajuniortour.org. Players must complete a membership form, read the Tournament Policies and pay the membership fees before the tournament application will be processed. Entries must be received by 4:30 PM EST of the closing date. Telephone and fax requests will not be considered for selection. Players will receive an e-mail that their entry has been received and a second e-mail will be sent when the player is accepted into the field. As a player is not automatically confirmed into the tournament, travel arrangements should not be made until the second confirmation e-mail is received. Review the Field Determination section in Tournament Policies for further details.

Entry Fee Includes
The entry fee of $145 (for GHIN members) or $165 (for non GHIN members) includes tournament rounds of golf, range balls prior to the tournament rounds and a tee prize.

Schedule of Play

Saturday, April 7        11:30 AM        1st and 10th Tees
Sunday, April 8           7:30 AM         1st and 10th Tees
Monday, April 9           7:30 AM         1st and 10th Tees

Practice Round
Participants can set up a practice round at a special discounted rate of $25 plus tax. Times are available 5 days in advance after 10:00 AM. Players must ride and have an adult to drive the cart during the practice round. Schedule practice rounds by calling at 407-996-9939. Parents may play for $45 plus tax.

Walking and Pull Carts
Players must walk and carry their clubs during the competition rounds. Pull carts are permitted

Tees To Play
Tees are not set until the tournament staff arrives on site. Tournament set up can change, including yardages, to offset inclement weather or other course conditions (i.e. wet course conditions). Typical yardages are below:

• Boys will play approximately 6,700 yards
• Girls will play approximately 5,800 yards

National Rankings
This event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard.

AJGA (Performance Based Entrance)
Boys     Top 5 - Junior All-Star Exempt (fully exempt to all Nike events)
Girls      Top 3 - Junior All-Star Exempt (fully exempt to all Nike events)

Registration
Registration will be available prior to the first round. ALL players are expected to register. General tournament information will be distributed at registration.

Tee Times & Pairings
First round pairings and starting times will be available on the FJT website, www.floridajuniortour.org, typically three days after the closing date. After the completion of the first round all competitors will be repaired by score within their age group for their next round. Final round pairings will be available approximately one hour after the final score has been posted. Pairings will be posted to the FJT website and at the club. It is the players' responsibility to be at his/her respective tee at least 10 minutes prior to teeing off. We recommend that you always see your tee time in black and white and if you still have questions, please contact a FJT Official at the host facility.

Rules
USGA Rules of Golf will govern play. Review the FJT Hard Card. The Notice to Players (local rules) will be distributed on the day of the first round.

Pace of Play
Pace of play will be strictly enforced with anticipated rounds less than 4 hours and 30 minutes. We strongly recommend that all players read and understand the FJT Pace of Play Policy. The Pace of Play policy can be reviewed on the FJT website under the Tournaments tab.

Spectator Carts
Spectators will be authorized to rent carts, but must follow the published policy. More information is available on the FJT website under the Parents section. Spectator carts will cost $20 plus tax per day.