FJT at Santa Lucia River Club (11-12 & 9-10)

  Aaron Leach | Jessy Huebner | Morgan Rodriguez | Gloria Nip

Florida Junior Tour (9-12 Division)

• Santa Lucia River Club - Port St. Lucie
• Boys' 11-12: 5,510 yds. 67.4/134
• Boys' 9-10: 4,856 yds. 64.6/121
• Girls 11-12: 4,856 yds. 69.7/127
• Girls 9-10: 4,285 yds. 66.5/120

Weather

• Saturday: Sunny & Breezy, 74 Degrees
• Sunday: Partly Cloudy and Windy, 81 Degrees

Boys 11-12 Division

In the Boys 11-12 Division, Aaron Leach played a remarkable second round to capture his first Florida Junior Tour victory of the year over past champion Nicolas Bencomo. Leach, of Windermere, shot a first round 77 and trailed Bencomo, of Lakewood Ranch, by three shots after the first round. In round two, Leach played a nearly flawless round, shooting 1-over par and besting the rest of the field by three shots. So far this year Leach has not finished outside the top-5, so look for him to be a regular atop the FJT leader boards! Asher Joseph, of Melboune, rounded out the top three with consistent scores of 77-79. Joseph has also had a very strong start to the 2018 season, finishing no worse than third in his past three events. 

Boys 9-10 Division

Although strong winds caused tough conditions at the Santa Lucia River Club, Jessy Huebner was able to navigate the field to win his second FJT event of the 2018 season. Huebner, of Port St. Lucie,  is a very strong contender on the FJT circuit, with a scoring average of 75.3  so far this year. In the past three events, Huebner has finished first, second and first. This weekend was a little different than his past two events however. This week, Huebner needed some additional magic to get the win over Jiacheng Xu, of Winter Garden. After the two players tied for first place after 36-holes with scores of 159 respectively, they headed to the 10th tee box to settle the winner. After tying the first hole, Huebner hit his approach shot on the par-4 11th hole to just a foot! He would tap in for birdie and secure his second win of the year. Clipper Salmon, of Tampa, rounds out the top three in this division with his second consecutive third place finish. 

Girls 11-12 Division

Gloria Nip, of Port St. Lucie, records her third consecutive victory after rounds of 79-76 for a 155 total. Nip is a staple on the FJT circuit, finishing in the top-three in each of her last four events played. With a 2018 scoring average of 74.5, it is easy to see Nip continues to put herself in position to win tournaments. Arenui Faana, of Lake Mary, finished second after consistent rounds of 79-78. Faana also has a stellar FJT record, finishing no higher than fourth in her last four events. Rounding out the top three in the girls 11-12 division was Alessandra Lorenz, of Plantation, with scores of 79-81. 

Girls 9-10 Division

Morgan Rodriguez, of Delray Beach, wins her second event of the year. Rodriguez is off to a great start in the 2018 season, already winning twice and finishing second in the other event she played in. Angela Nip, of Port St. Lucie, finished second after rounds of 77-80 found her six shots back of Rodriguez after 36 holes. Nip previously finished third at the FJT at Ocala event. Remi Bacardi, of Coral Gabels, finished in third place after grinding out two tough rounds. This is Bacardi's first time placing in an event, as she has previously finished just outside the winners circle in the previous three events. 

9-10 and 11-12 Age Divisions

$75 entry fee

No membership required

This is a two-day, 36-hole event!

Playing Capability

• Junior golfers MUST have experience walking a complete 18-hole golf course. (They should have played numerous, complete, 18-hole rounds prior to competing in FJT events)
• Juniors should already have experience competing in tournament golf (local, state, or national level).
• MUST typically score 60 or below for nine holes or 120 or below for eighteen holes.  

Format  

• 36 holes of individual stroke play
• Saturday morning and Sunday morning starts
• 84 total players
• 9-12 age division (age calculated on the day of the tournament)
• Players and Parent's Mandatory Meeting on Saturday- (45 minutes prior to tee time, approximately 20 minutes long) FSGA staff will discuss topics to help players be more comfortable in golf tournaments. i.e: Etiquette, scoring, pace-of-play, care for the course, Rules of Golf, and other helpful topics.

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys 11-12 Age Division - Approximately 5,500 yards 
• Girls 11-12 Age Division - Approximately 5,000 yards
• Boys 9-10 Age Division - Approximately 5,000 yards
• Girls 9-10 Age Division - Approximately 4,200 yards 

How Entries are Accepted

• Entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• Late entries will be accepted if space is available ($10 late entry fee).
• If entries have reached capacity, additional players will be placed on an alternate's list.
• The alternate's list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information."
• Entries close approximately 2 1/2 weeks prior to the tournament.

Click here for more details.

How to Enter

Entries must be submitted through the FSGA website. To enter, each player must have an account on this website (free to setup). An FJT Junior Membership is not required. Click "Enter" above in the Tournament Links box.

Entry Fee

• $75

The entry fee includes tournament rounds, range balls, a tee gift for every player and a trophy for the winner in each division.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, March 10th

7:00 AM - 9:45 AM - Tournament Registration (near pro shop)
8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round one tee times off the 1st and 10th tees.

Mandatory Meeting - 30 to 45 minutes prior to tee time, 15 minutes long (more information below).

Sunday, March 11th

8:00 AM - 9:57 AM - Round two tee times off the 1st and 10th tees.

Mandatory Educational Meeting - Saturday

• Each golfer MUST attend a mandatory meeting with FSGA staff prior to their tee time on Saturday. 
• Topics to include: Etiquette, rules, pace-of-play, how to feel comfortable playing in events, care for the course, appreciation of club staff and volunteers.
• Meetings will generally take place near or on the practice putting green.
• Each player MUST attend the meeting associated with his/her tee time.
• Meetings will be approximately 15 to 20 minutes long. 
• Parents are encouraged to attend.
  
  Subject to change:
  
  7:30 AM meeting - Tee times between 8:00 - 8:18 AM
  8:00 AM meeting - Tee times between 8:27 - 8:54 AM
  8:30 AM meeting - Tee times between 9:03 - 9:30 AM
  9:00 AM meeting - Tee times between 9:39 - 9:57 AM

*If a players fails to make the meeting at their scheduled time, they will not be allowed to participate in the event.*

Five FJT Standards

Competing at beautiful clubs around the state is a privilege and it is important for all of our players and parents to place value on the following five duties:

• Say please and thank you to the club staff and our volunteers
• Rake bunkers
• Fix ball marks
• Step on/repair your divots
• Throw away your garbage! There should never be trash on the ground anywhere on the course (place trash in waste receptacles, golf carts or even your bag if no other place is available).

Showing Appreciation and Proper Manners - At all courses where juniors play, they should show appreciation to the members and staff. To all of our junior players, let's show the clubs that you are not only the most talented golfers in the country, but also the most respectful. A "thank you" to the club and taking care of the course are the best ways to make a positive impression on the club, fellow players, coaches and spectators.

Practice Rounds

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the tournament on a space-available basis. Tee times are only available after 12:00 noon on weekends. The price for a practice round is $35.00.

Parents are welcome to play along in the practice round for $50.00 plus tax.

Please call 772-337-5315 to arrange your practice round.

Always remember, the proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range. Hitting multiple shots on the course, not filling divots, and not repairing ball marks are unacceptable and may cause removal from the tournament without a refund.

Players are not allowed to drive golf carts (must be 18 years old to drive a cart).

National Rankings

• Ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard in the 11-12 age division only.

• Walking - Players must walk during tournament rounds. Push carts are allowed.
• Spectators & Carts - Spectators are allowed. Spectator carts are available first-come, first-served at $20 + tax per day, per cart Click here
• Caddies - Caddies are not allowed
• Range Finders (Electronic Measuring Devices) - are allowed (see Local Rules link below)
• 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 tournament.
• 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.

Hotel & Accomodations

A host hotel has not been arranged at this time.

Club Address

Santa Lucia River Club
3325 SE Ballantrae Boulevard
Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952
(772) 337-5315