Gainesville CC (13-15)

Cahill, Ritter Win At Gainesville

Matthew Cahill captured his first Florida Junior Tour (FJT) title as Jaime Ritter won her second consecutive title in the 13-15 age division event at Gainesville Country Club on May 19-20.

In the boys division, Matthew Cahill, 15, from Boca Raton, posted a tournament total of 145 to win by three strokes. After a first round 75, Cahill sat two strokes back from the leader. Cahill went into the final round hoping to "get off to a quick start and not make many mistakes." He did just that making four birdies en route to blasting a 2-under par 70, the only under par round of the tournament. "I hit the ball a lot better," said Cahill about his final round. "I also made a lot of good putts to save par." In just his third FJT event, Cahill has two previous top ten finishes. With this win, Cahill earns an exemption into the Boys Junior Championship in July. Ian McConnell, 15, from Riverview, jumped into second place with an even par in the final round. Combined with a 76 in the first round, McConnell finished at 148. Chase Marinell, 15, of Cape Coral, Daniel Berger, 14, from Key Biscayne, and Robert Chiste, 15, from Boynton Beach, shared third place honors each recording a tournament total of 149.

Jaime Ritter, 15, from Davie, secured the girls division title with a tournament total of 155. Ritter, who won last month at Shingle Creek, carded a 78 in the first round to share the lead with Heather Proctor. In the final round, Ritter posted a 41 on the front nine to trail Proctor by one at the turn. Ritter recovered nicely shooting even par on the back including two birdies. "I hit more greens on the back," said Ritter. "The course played very tough." This is Ritter's last FJT event in the 13-15 age division as she will move up to the older age division next season. Proctor, 14, from Ocala, finished two strokes back from Ritter for second place and her best finish in an FJT event. AJ Newell, 14, from Tampa, recorded an 81-82--163 for third place.

Gainesville Country Club sits on a hill overlooking the scenic Paynes Prairie State Preserve, a 20,000 acre wilderness that hosts 260 species of birds. Wild horses and bison roam free across the prairie, along with deer, bobcats, otters, and other wildlife. The Indians called the sinkhole on the north side of the Prairie "big jug without a bottom." Alligators, familiar to University of Florida "Gator" fans, are a common sight. Nestled among stately oak trees, with Paynes Prairie as a neighbor, Gainesville Country Club offers North Central Florida the finest in country club amenities.

Established in 1921, Gainesville Country Club's 18-hole golf course, originally designed by George Cobb, follows a rich tradition that professional golfer, Mark McCumber, continued in his 1994 redesign of the greens in a classical architectural style.

Club website: www.gainesvillegolf.cc

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

Application Procedure
Tournament applications must be submitted on-line at www.floridajuniortour.org. Players must complete a membership form, read the Tournament Policies and pay the membership fees before the tournament application will be processed. Entries must be received by 4:30 PM EST of the closing date. Telephone and fax requests will not be considered for selection. Players will receive an e-mail that their entry has been received and a second e-mail will be sent when 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 the Field Determination section in Tournament Policies for further details.

Entry Fee Includes
The entry fee of $95 (for GHIN members) or $115 (for non GHIN members) includes tournament rounds of golf, range balls prior to the tournament rounds and a tee prize.

Schedule of Play
Saturday, May 19        12:00         1st and 10th Tee Start
Sunday, May 20            7:30         1st and 10th Tee Start

Practice Round
Participants can set up a practice round at a special discounted rate of $25 plus tax by calling 352-372-0961. Times are available Monday- Friday 5 days in advance. Parents may play for $45 plus tax.

Walking and Pull Carts
Players must walk and carry their clubs during the competition rounds. Pull carts are permitted

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

• Boys 13-15 will play approximately 6,700 yards
• Girls 13-15 will play approximately 5,800 yards

Junior Golf Scoreboard Ranked
This event is a Junior Golf Scoreboard ranked tournament.

AJGA (Performance Based Entrance)

• Boys    13-15    Champion            -1 Exemption to a Jr. All Stars event
• Girls     13-15    Champion            -1 Exemption to a Jr. All Stars event

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 pairings and starting times will be available on the FJT website, www.floridajuniortour.org, typically three days after the closing date. 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 posted to the FJT website and at the club. It is the players' responsibility to be at his/her respective tee at least 10 minutes prior to teeing off. We recommend that you always see your tee time in black and white and if you still have questions, please contact a FJT Official at the host facility.

Rules
USGA Rules of Golf will govern play. Review the FJT Hard Card. The Notice to Players (local rules) will be distributed on the day of the first round.

Pace of Play
Pace of play will be strictly enforced with anticipated rounds less than 4 hours and 30 minutes. We strongly recommend that all players read and understand the FJT Pace of Play Policy. The Pace of Play policy can be reviewed on the FJT website under the Tournaments tab.

Spectator Carts
Spectators will be authorized to rent carts, but must follow the published policy. More information is available on the FJT website under the Parents section. Spectator carts will cost $20 plus tax per day.