Zhang & Liu Go Low at Eagle Creek
The Florida Junior Tour 16-18 Age Division headed to Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, May 9-10. The interesting par-73 provided for many birdie opportunities and the juniors took advantage of it.
On Saturday, 24 of the boys and 5 of the girls posted rounds of even par or better. In the Boy's Division, Travis Trace, of Jacksonville, opened with 66, 7 under-par, to take a two-shot lead. In the Girls' Division, Sophie Liu, of Melbourne opened at six under-par, 67, and would sleep on a two-stroke lead.
Sunday, again provided great weather and it was a shootout in the boy's division. The day would belong to Yidong (Terrance) Zhang, of Orlando. Starting five strokes and four groups behind the leaders, Zhang would go out and post 65, eight under-par, to sit in the clubhouse at a total of 136 (-10). First round leader, Travis Trace, started with another steady round before being derailed by a quadruple bogey on the par four, 15th hole. Even making birdies on two of the last three holes would not be enough for Trace to recover and he fell to a tie for third place with Brandon Mancheno, of Jacksonville, at 138 (-8). Tim Graham, of Stuart, would post rounds of 70 and 67 to finish alone in second place, one stroke behind.
In the Girls' Division, leader Sophie Liu played with Emma Albrecht, of Ormond Beach, and Emma Bradley, of Naples, holding a three-stroke lead. All three would fire 74, which was good enough for Liu to hold on to first by two strokes over Alyssa Lamoureux, of Seminole. Lamoureux finished at 143 (-3) after rounds of 71 and 72. Albrecht, Bradley, and Morgan Baxendale, of Windermere, would all finish at 144 (-2) and share third place.
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