Ocala, Fla. – After enduring 54 holes in the sweltering heat, Jessy Huebner remained cool under pressure and secured victory at the 70th Boys’ Junior Championship. Huebner shot rounds of 66-66-67, finishing the tournament victorious with a total score of 13-under par. Here’s how it happened.
Huebner, starting the final round tied for first at 10-under, wasted no time asserting himself with a birdie on the first hole, seizing an early lead. Palmer Haynes, initially sharing the lead with Huebner, had
a steady front nine, securing second place at the turn with a birdie on the seventh hole.
Henry Robards, who was tied for fourth at the beginning of the final round, birdied the fifth hole to put him 9-under and solo third with 9 holes to go. Robards would find another birdie on the tenth hole to put him 10-under and move his way up the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Huebner would see some adversity on hole number 12 and card a bogey to bring him back down to 12-under par.
The excitement began to build on the 16th hole as Robards surged. His birdie putt there brought him to 11-under par, just one stroke behind Huebner and Haynes. Showing remarkable composure, Robards drained a 30-foot putt to join them in the lead at 12-under. Meanwhile, Huebner had a promising birdie opportunity on the 17th green but settled for par. Haynes, facing a challenging shot, managed a crucial par-saving putt from off the green on the 17th hole.
It all came down to the eighteenth hole, where the three players were deadlocked in a tie for first place. Palmer and Huebner both drove well off the tee, but it was Huebner's second shot that made the difference, landing him pin high and perfectly positioned for a birdie opportunity. Reflecting on the moment, Huebner remarked, "I checked the leaderboard after I finished 17 and knew I was tied for first. So, I knew I needed to focus up and I hit a great drive and left myself a perfect number with a little bit into wind and hit a low punch pitching wedge to five feet.” In a display of true champion form, Huebner confidently sank his 5-foot putt to secure victory, claiming both the Overall Championship and the (13-15) Division title in a clean sweep.
This win punches his Golden Ticket into the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur Golf Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Huebner stated “It feels great, it’s definitely been one of my goals this year,” Huebner said about heading to the Junior Am, “I didn’t get to play any qualifiers for it because I had other tournaments, so it definitely feels great to get in this way.”
Henry Robards and Palmer Haynes finished tied-for-second place with a tournament total of 12-under par.
