Boys' Junior Amateur Championship

The 62nd Boys’ Junior Championship kicked off Wednesday at World Golf Village - King & Bear Course and St. Johns Golf & Country Club in Saint Augustine. Players in both the 16-18 & 13-15 Age Division will play one round on each golf course Wednesday and Thursday, then the field will be cut to the low 50 & ties in the 16-18 Age Division, and low 20 & ties in the 13-15 Age Division for the final round at World Golf Village - King & Bear.

The field is highlighted by 2015 Boys’ Junior Champion and University of North Carolina Signee Austin Hitt, and 2015 FSGA Boys’ Junior Player of The Year Brandon Mancheno in the 16-18 Age Division. Joseph Pagdin highlights the 13-15 Age Division, he is a two-time Future Masters Champion, and has three Florida Junior Tour victories including the 2015 FJT Tour Championship and 2016 FJT Major.

Boys 16-18 Age Division

Round One

Defending Champion Austin Hitt, of Longwood & Manuel Girona, of Windermere share the opening round lead at the 62nd Boys’ Junior after opening with a 67 (-5) at St. Johns Golf & Country Club. Both player’s round included seven birdies and two bogeys, with Girona having a stretch of four in a row from 11-14. The pair lead Zach Justice & 2015 FSGA Junior Player of the Year Brandon Mancheno by one stroke, after both opened with 68 (-4).

Round Two

Austin Hitt fired a low round of four-under par to be the lone leader heading into the final round. Hitt carded three birdies on both his front and back nine to finish in first (135 total) over Chris Nido, of Palmetto Bay. After a first round 69, Nido had four birdies in a row on holes two through five and ended the day with an eagle on the par five 18th hole for a 136 total. Anthony Muttillo, Linus Samuelsson, and Manuel Girona tied for third place with a two round total of 138.  Advancing to the final round are 51 players with a two round total of six over-par (150) or better.

Final Round 

Linus Samuelsson, of Heathrow, overcame a three stroke deficit to win by two strokes with a 12 under-par 204 total! Samuelsson’s final round scorecard was filled with red numbers, including four birdies on each the front and back nine for a six under-par, 66. Three impressive rounds in the red, 69-69-66, moved Linus into first place for his first FSGA Championship victory. Chris Nido remained in second place after a final round 70 and ten under-par total of 206. Nido eagled the par five, fifth hole to turn at 35 and finished with four birdies on his last nine holes. First and second round leader, Austin Hitt, carded a one over-par final round to fall to third place at 208 (-8). Austin Aliff and Manual Girona finished tied for fourth place with a seven under-par 209 total.

Full 16-18 Results 

Boys 13-15 Age Division

Round One 

Fred Biondi, of Port Saint Lucie went out in 67 (-5) to take a one-stroke lead over Fletcher Wunderlich, Nicholas Gabrelcik & Gray Albright. Biondi’s opening round card would have only one blemish, a bogey on the 17th, which he quickly answered by making an eagle on the par-5 18th. Biondi has come out on top in his only two Florida Juinor Tour starts in 2016, winning at Ocala National in April and Indian Spring in May. 

Round Two

An impressive second round of 67 (-5) propelled Eric Berggren, of Windermere, into first place. Berggren’s started the day strong with four birdies on the front nine, three in a row on holes five through seven, and finished with two birdies and one lone bogey on the back nine. No stranger to competition, Eric finished in the top ten in his Florida Junior Tour starts in 2016, including one win at River Wilderness in February. There is a tight race at the top of the learderboard with Berggren leading by one stroke (138 total) followed by Joseph Pagdin in second place (139 total). The field was cut at three over-par, 147, and 22 players advanced to the final round.

Final Round

After falling from his first round lead with a less than stellar second round, Fred Biondi came from behind to capture his first FSGA Championship win! Fred had a flawless scorecard on the front nine with birdies on holes five, six, and eight for a three under-par 33. He started his back nine with birdies on holes 10, 12, and 13 but had some trouble on the 16th hole scoring a double bogey. With determination to make up for the 16th hole, Fred birdied his last two holes for a final round five under-par, 67. Biondi captured the victory finishing with a six under-par 210 total. Two strokes behind (212 total), Joseph Pagdin, of Orlando, finished in second place followed by Gray Albright in third place with a 213 total. The top five finishers were in red numbers including Nicholas Gabrelcik and Fletcher Wunderlich who tied for fourth place at two under-par, 214.

Full 13-15 Results

~ King & Bear and St. Johns G & CC ~

The 62nd Boys' Junior Championship will head to King & Bear - World Golf Village in St. Augustine. The Championship has a rich historic tradition with past champions including Matt Kuchar, Gary Koch, Len Mattiace, Blayne Barber, and recently Sam Horsfield and Andy Zhang. In 2016, participants will have the opportunity to experience two beautiful golf courses, King & Bear and St. Johns Golf & Country Club. For a look at the 2015 Championship Results click here.

Championship Format

• 168 player field size
• Age Divisions:  16-18 and 13-15 years of age
• Fifty-four holes of individual stroke play
• All players play eighteen holes each at King & Bear and St. Johns G & CC  on Wednesday, July 6th and Thursday, July 7th. 
• After thirty-six holes, the field will be cut to approximately the low 50 players and ties in the Boys 16-18 division and approximately the low 20 and ties in the Boys 13-15 division.
• The final eighteen holes will be played on Friday, July 8th on King & Bear. 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

• Male amateur golfer
• Florida Resident
• At least 13 - 18 years of age as of the last day of the Championship
• Entrant is not required to be a member of the FSGA
• 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.
• Players 12 and under may play up to the 13-15 age division if they have been granted permission to play in the 13-15 age division of the Florida Junior Tour.
• Entrant must not have reached their 19th birthday by the last day of the Championship and not attending college if graduated from high school. See exception here.

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 are 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 at www.fsga.org. Payment must be received by Wednesday, June 29, 2016 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

Refunds, Notice of Withdrawals

No requests for refunds for Boys' Junior qualifying fees will be honored.

Requests for refunds of Exempt or Championship fees prior to the pre-registration deadline will be honored (less $20 per entry administrative fee). No requests will be honored after the pre-registration deadline.

Course Set-Up

The golf course will be set-up at approximately:

• 6,500-6,700 yards (Boys 13-15)
• 6,900-7,100 yards (Boys 16-18)

Divisions

• Regular (16-18) as of July 8, 2016
• Junior (13-15) as of July 8, 2016
• All players will compete in the age division commensurate with their age as of the last day of the Championship. Players are NOT allowed to play out of their Age Division.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, July 6th

• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round one tee times off of #1 and #10 on King & Bear
• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round one tee times off of #1 and #10 on St. Johns
• Lunch provided

Thursday, July 7th

• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round two tee times off of #1 and #10 on King & Bear
• 8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round two tee times off of #1 and #10 on St. Johns
• After the completion of play the field will be cut to approximately the low 50 players and ties in the Boys 16-18 Division and approximately the low 20 and ties in the Boys 13-15 Division
• Lunch provided

Friday, July 8th

• 8:00 AM - Final round tee times begin off of #1 and #10 on King & Bear
• Awards ceremony, including lunch, 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

Austin Hitt posted three rounds under par for a tournament total of 210 and a win at the 2015 Boys' Junior Championship in the 16-18 Age Division. In the 13-15 Age Division, Alberto Martinez was crowned Champion by three strokes with rounds of 72-69-67 for a tournament total 208. 

Practice Round and Practice Facility  Information

Practice rounds are available six days prior to the Championship on a space available basis at either golf course. Players' ages 16-18 can ride, players' ages 13-15 will need to be accompanied by a parent to ride in a cart. The price for a practice round is $30.00 + tax. If a parent is playing a practice round with their junior it will be a fee of $65 (standard guest of member rate). Please call (904) 940-6200 to arrange your practice round at King & Bear or (904) 940-3200 to arrange your practice round at St. Johns. 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

The use of pull carts is permitted.

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
• Florida Junior Tour Boys (13-15 Age Division) Winners since the last Boys' Junior Championship
• 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

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. 

Host Hotel and Accommodations

Courtyard St. Augustine I-95
2075 State Road 16
Saint Augustine, FL 32084
904-826-4068
$109 per room, per night, plus tax

Click here to book online or call hotel requesting FSGA Boys' Junior Room Block.

Fairfield Inn & Suites St. Augustine I-95
305 Outlet Mall Blvd
Saint Augustine, FL 32084
904-810-9892
$99 per room, per night, plus tax

Click here to book online or call hotel requesting FSGA Boys' Junior Room Block.

Payment

King & Bear will accept all major forms of payment. St. Johns Golf and Country Club accepts Cash, Visa/MasterCard, and Amex as forms of payment. 

Directions

King & Bear - World Golf Village
1 King & Bear Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32092
(904) 940-6200

Click here for directions

St. Johns Golf & Country Club
205 St. Johns Golf Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32092
(904) 940-3200

Click here for directions