Lemon Bay GC (16-18)

Palm Tree Devours Chances; Record 63 Shot

Seventy-nine juniors traveled to Englewood, FL this past weekend to compete in the 16-18 age division event. Low scores were expected as the weather forecast was favorable and the course typically rewards good play with under par rounds.

Lemon Bay Golf Club is a private club located south of Sarasota. The 6,250 yard, par 71 layout seems a bit easy at first glance, but the tight fairways and slick greens can quickly turn under par hopes into over par scores.

In the boys division, six players posted under par scores in the first round and many other players were within a few shots of par. Timothy Colanta, of ChampionsGate, held the first round lead with a four under par 67, just one stroke ahead of Jalen Ledger, of Palm Beach Gardens, and Anthony Gabriele, of West Palm Beach.

Colanta started off smoothly in the final round until disaster struck on the ninth hole. Colanta held a slight lead as he stood on the ninth tee and hit his tee shot slightly off line and heard the ball rattle in a palm tree. Spectators witness the ball enter the palm tree, but the ball never came out.  Colanta searched for his ball for five minutes and then on the way back to the tee his ball finally fell to the ground, but it was too late, the ball was now lost under the Rules. He made an eight on the par 4 and fell several shots behind the new leaders.

Ryan Celano, of Naples, started the final round three shots back with a one under par 70. In the final round he made birdies on 6, 12 and 16 with only two bogeys (7 and 14) to post another 70 and a tournament total of two under par.

Colanta quickly bounced back after his misfortune on the ninth with birdies on holes 10 and 12, but an unfortunate bogey on the 18th hole left him one shot short of a playoff. Celano's total of 140 was good enough for a one shot victory and his second consecutive FJT win.

The round of the tournament, and possibly the year, went to Ramsey Touchberry, of Bradenton. Touchberry shot an uncharacteristic 80 in the first round, but found something special on Sunday. Starting on the 10th hole he made birdies on 11, 14, 15, 16 and 18 to post a 31 on the back nine (-5). On the front nine he made birdies on 1, 4, 5 and 7. A lone bogey on the 8th hole followed by a par on the 9th left Touchberry at eight under par and a course record of 63. His 63 also ties the lowest single round round score ever shot on the Florida Junior Tour.

In the girls division, Athena Yang, of Winter Haven, shot a first round 72 to lead by two over Terese Romeo, of Tampa. In the final round Yang extended her lead with a two under par 34 on her first nine holes (holes 10-18). She coasted in on the front nine with a 39 and posted a 73 on the day for a tournament total of 145 (+3).

Madison Glennie, of Tampa, made a run at Yang with a final round 71, but came up three strokes short. This is Yang's second FJT win of 2013. Glennie finished in second place and Terese Romeo finished four strokes back in third place.

Click here to view results.

Click here to view photos.

Entries Open:  Wednesday, March 20th
Entry Deadline:  Wednesday, April 3rd

Six miles north of the Gasparilla Island bridge lies the Lemon Bay Golf  Course facing the Gulf of Mexico. The course is graced by nature with mature native pines, small lakes and ponds, which serve as home to their original ancient Florida residences, flocks of exotic tropical birds and the nesting aristocrats of Lemon Bay, the white capped American eagles. They're all here protected by this Audubon sanctioned golf club.

Click here to view the club's website.

The spectator's dress code policy, "NO cell phone policy" and "NO cooler policy" are strictly enforced at Lemon Bay Golf Club.

Age Division

This tournament is for the 16-18 age division. Age is calculated by the last day of the tournament.

Entry Fee

The entry fee of $95 (for GHIN handicap members) or $115 (non-GHIN handicap members) includes tournament rounds, range balls prior to tournament rounds, crystal trophies for the top three finishers, and a tee gift.

To receive the GHIN handicap price, the player, or one of the players' parents must have an active GHIN handicap at a club in Florida. The seven digit GHIN number must be submitted with the entry.

Late Fee:  A late fee of $10 will applied to all entries received after the entry deadline. The entry fee and late fee will only be charged if the player gets accepted into the tournament field. (effective 1/1/13)

Schedule of Play

• Saturday, May 11th:  12:00 PM - 1:57 PM off the 1st and 10th tees
• Sunday, May 12th:  7:30 AM - 9:27 AM off the 1st and 10th tees

Where to Stay

The host hotel is the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Venice (25-30 minutes from the club). Click here for more.

Click on "View Hotels" in the Tournament Link box to the right or use the internet to search for deals. Please note any cancellation policies prior to making reservations.

Practice Range (Mid-Irons and Shorter ONLY)

The practice range at Lemon Bay Golf Club is only 160 yards in distance. Players will be limited to mid-irons only for boys and irons only for girls during their warm-up sessions.

Practice Round

Players can set-up a practice round at a special discounted rate of $25 plus tax which includes a cart by calling 941-697-3729. Practice rounds are available one week prior to the tournament and after 12:00 PM the weekend before. Times are available on a space available basis. A parent may play for $30.

During practice rounds, players are not allowed to play multiple shots off tees or into greens. The playing of multiple shots or slow play may result in the player's removal from the course without a refund.

Walking and Pull/Push Carts

Players must walk and carry their clubs during the competition rounds (pull/push carts are permitted). Caddies are not permitted.

Tees To Play

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

• Boys 16-18 will play approximately 6,600 yards (the "tips")
• Girls 16-18 will play approximately 6,000 yards

National Rankings

This event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard.

AJGA - PBE (Performance Based Entrance)

Boys

• Winner receives 4 performance stars
• Top five finishers receive 1 performance star

Girls

• Winner receives 4 performance stars
• Top three finishers receive 1 performance star

Spectator Carts

Spectators will be authorized to rent carts, but must follow the Spectator policies. Spectator carts will cost $25 a day, plus tax. Spectator carts may be limited, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eligibility

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

Application Procedure

• Tournament applications must be submitted through the website with valid payment. Telephone and fax requests will not be accepted.
• Applicants must have a current FSGA/FJT membership.
• Entries must be received by of the closing date. Late entries are allowed and will be accepted into the tournament field only on a space available basis.
• Players should read the Tournament Policies and Pace of Play policy.
• Players will receive an e-mail that their entry has been received and a second e-mail will be sent if 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 Tournament Policies for further details.

Field Determination Summary

• Players with an unused FJT exemption will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Players without an FJT exemption - all other entries are held until the entry closing date.  Shortly after the closing date, a computer-generated, random draw is performed to determine which entries are accepted, and the order of the alternates.   All players are notified of their status after the random draw is conducted,
• An alternates list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information".

Click here for further details.

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 tee times and pairings will be available on the website approximately five weeks prior to the tournament. 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 available on the website, at the club, and will be sent via text message. It is the player's responsibility to be at his/her respective starting tee at least 10 minutes prior to teeing off. We recommend that you always see your tee time in black and white (in print), and if you still have questions, please contact an FSGA Official at the host facility.

Rules

USGA Rules of Golf will govern play. Review the FSGA Hard Card and Pace of Play Policy. The Notice to Players (local rules and hole locations) will be distributed at the starting tee or registration.

Range Finders - Electronic distance measuring devices are allowed. (effective December 1st, 2012)

Music - Phones and other devices that play music should not be used at the tournament site.  Listening to music during a competitive round will generally result in disqualification under the Rules of Golf.  This is true for all types of competitions - not just FJT (new Rule in 2012).

Pace of Play

The FJT uses a checkpoint pace of play policy that provides no verbal warnings throughout the round. Each group is responsible for playing under the allotted time or finishing each checkpoint hole within 15 minutes of the group ahead of them.

Pace of play will be strictly enforced with anticipated rounds to be less than 4 hours and 45 minutes. We strongly recommend that all players and parents read and understand the Pace of Play Policy.