Four Emerge as Lakewood Legends at 13th FJT Tour Championship
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – In the end, four players emerged as champions, each claiming season-ending victories. Cooper Franklin triumphed in the Boys (16-18) division, while Jaden Peterson won the Boys (13-15) title. On the girls' side, Valentina Guertin took home the Girls (16-18) trophy, and Grace Carter captured the Girls (13-15) title.
Boys (16-18)
Going into the final round, four players were tied for the lead. Konner Kubica, Anthony Monteleone, Ryan Nicholson, and Oscar Crowe, who all completed 36 holes at three-under.
The final round was neck-to-neck at the beginning, where birdies and bogeys kept players exchanging the lead. However, Cooper Franklin had a stellar back nine, notching five birdies, including two in a row on holes 17 and 18. He finished with rounds of 73-69-67, totaling 7-under and clinching the Champion title.
Oscar Crowe, who was 3-under, would drop in a long putt for birdie on the 18th hole to finish tied for second. Also sitting in second place was Wylie Inman, who shot a final round 69, and Anthony Monteleone with a final round 71. Crowe, Inman, and Monteleone all ended 3-strokes behind Franklin at 4-under. Ryan Nicholson finished in fifth place with rounds of 68-73-75.
Girls (16-18)
Valentina Guertin’s showcase second round of 7-under was the key to success. Gabriella Albert took the solo lead after the first round, finishing at two-under par. Alberts's scorecard featured nine consecutive pars on the front nine, and three birdies, and one bogey on the back nine. Guertin finished her first round in second place, 2 strokes behind Albert at 2-under.
Yet it was Guertin’s eight birdies in the second round that gave her a commanding 5-stroke lead going into the final round. Amelie Phung held third place at the end of day one, with rounds of 74-69, positioning herself at 1-under.
In the final round, Guertin held her ground with a steady even-par performance. While she recorded three birdies, she also made three bogeys, balancing her scorecard. Nonetheless, her even-par round was plenty to keep her ahead of the field, with the closest challengers—Hannah Hall, Gabriella Albert, and Amelie Phung—finishing at even par and tied for second place.
Boys (13-15)
It was a battle until the end in the boy's (13-15) division, but Jaden Peterson was able to keep his composure and end on top. After round one, both Nolan DeForest and Jaden Peterson were tied for the lead with scores of 71 (1-under). By the end of round two, Giancarlo Aguirre climbed three spots on the leaderboard to take first place heading into the final round at 1-over. Jaspreet Kondal and Peterson finished tied for second at 2-over as they approached Championship Sunday.
The final round brought exciting competition, and it was anyone’s game to win. The leaderboard was constantly shifting, yet Peterson’s five birdies would seal the deal. Peterson recorded rounds of 71-75-70 to finish at even par. Ending in second was Nolan DeForest and Shayaan Kim. Kim climbed five spots up the leaderboard during the final round shooting a 69 that led to a cumulative 3-over. DeForest, round one’s leader, would finish with rounds of 71-76-72.
Girls (13-15)
It was Grace Carter all along. The Jupiter native made history this weekend during rounds 1 and 2 shooting the lowest 36-hole score in the history of any girls' division. Carter notched a bogey-free 18 holes during her first round, complemented by five birdies. Her second round was equally, if not more impressive, with eight birdies that would have her finish with a 65 and 12-under. In second place at the completion of the first day was Alexandra Snyder, who shot rounds of 70-73 to head into the final day at 1-under.
Carter maintained her commanding lead throughout the final round, carding a 74 and finishing 10-under– securing an impressive 13-stroke advantage over the rest of the field. Iris Lee took second place with consistent rounds of 73-73-73, finishing at 3-over. Snyder claimed third place with a score of 4-over.
