FJT Palatka (16-18 & 13-15) *Non-Exempt*

Four Take Home FJT Wins at Palatka GC

PALATKA, Fla. – Four players captured Florida Junior Tour victories on Sunday at Palatka Golf Club. Jiakai Chen captured the win in the Boys 16-18 Division, while Ashley Huffman got the win in the Girls 16-18 Division. In the 13-15 Division, Jackson Runquist came out on top in the Boys Division and Sophia Hong secured the victory in the Girls Division.

This is the first FJT win for Chen, Huffman and Runquist, while Hong earned her second-straight FJT win.

Boys 16-18

Chen used a pair of 67s to take home the win in Palatka, ending the weekend at 6-under 134. In Saturday’s first round, Chen fired a 3-under 67, finishing the day with two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 10th hole to take a two-shot lead over the field.

The Lakewood Ranch native got off to a hot start in the final round, birdieing three of his first five holes and made the turn at 2 under. Chen added three more birdies on the back nine to post a final-round 67 and secure the six-shot victory.

Guoao (Leo) Xu put together rounds of 69-71 to take home a second-place finish with an even-par 140 for the weekend. Aaron Williams finished third at 1-over 141.

Girls 16-18

Huffman went wire-to-wire to take home her first FJT victory, finishing the weekend at 11-over 151. She began the tournament with a first-round 75 to take one-shot lead into the final round.

The Ponte Vedra Beach native started the final round with a 4-over front side. Huffman finished the day with a 4-over back nine to card a final-round 76 and secure the two-shot win.

Thanya Arasu took second place at 13-over 153, while Posie Farrelly finished one shot back of Arasu at 14-over 154.

Boys 13-15

Runquist picked up his first FJT win on Sunday with a 4-over 144 for the weekend. The Atlantic Beach native began the tournament with a 1-over 71 in on Saturday to take a share of the first-round lead.

Beginning the final round in a tie for first, Runquist carded three birdies on the front side to make the turn at 1-over. He finished the day with a 2-over back nine to post a final-round 73 and take home the two-shot victory.

Henry Robards finished second at 6-over 146 with rounds of 75-71, while Ronav Benak earned third place at 7-over 147.

Girls 13-15

Hong used a 9-over 149 to secure her second-straight FJT win at Palatka. She posted a 4-over 74 in the first round to sit two shots back of the leader heading into the final round.

The Windermere native started the final round with a 5-over front side. Hong had a strong finish to the day, carding a bogey-free back nine to record a final-round 75 and capture the three-shot win.

Yetong (Alicia) Qian picked up the second-place finish at 12-over 152, while Arenui Faana took third place at 13-over 153.

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys 13-15 & 16-18 Age Divisions - 6,700 yards (gross only)
• Girls 13-15 & 16-18 Age Divisions - 5,700 yards (gross only)

The 16-18 and 13-15 age divisions will play the same set of tees (approximately 6,700 yards for the boys and 5,700 yards for the girls). Results that are sent to Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and for AJGA PBE will have the two age divisions combined; however, the two age divisions will remain separate for FJT purposes (awards, points, exemptions, etc.).

How Entries are Accepted

• 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"
• Entries submitted after the entry deadline will be added to the bottom of the alternates list or used to fill any openings in the field
• If a player earns acceptance in to the field and then earns a "Full" exemption, that player is still eligible to participate in the event.
• If a player on the alternates list earns a "Full" exemption prior to the event, that player is no longer eligible to participate and his/her alternate entry will be withdrawn.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 27th

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM - Tournament Registration (near pro shop)
11:00 AM - 12:57 PM - Round one tee times off the 1st and 10th tees

Sunday, February 28th

7:30 AM - 9:27 AM - Final round tee times off the 1st and 10th tees
Awards presentation immediately following the completion of play

How to Enter

Entries are submitted through the FSGA website. To enter, each player must create an FSGA account on this website (free to set-up), purchase a current Junior Membership ($40), and have an active Florida GHIN Handicap (included in membership if golfer does not already have one). To proceed, click the "Enter" button above once entries have opened.

Late Entry Fee: A late fee of $10 will be applied to entries submitted after the close of entries date. The entry fee and late fee will only be applied if the player gets accepted in to the tournament field.

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the tournament on a space-available basis. Tee times are only available after 12:00 noon the weekend prior.  The price for a practice round is $30.00 +tax. Please call (386) 329-0142 to arrange your practice round. 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.

National Rankings

AJGA Performance Based Entry (PBE)
Boys	Girls
Champion- 4 stars	Champion- 4 stars
Top 10% - 1 star	Top 10%- 1 star

Florida Junior Tour Policies

• Tournament & Entry Policies
• Hard Card
• Pace of Play
• Code of Conduct
• Spectator Policy

Host Hotel

There is no host hotel at this time

Palatka Golf Club
1715 Moseley Ave
Palatka, FL 32177
(386) 329-0142