FJT at River Wilderness G&CC (13-15)

Berggren & Hwang Fight to the Top

Constant rain, cloudy skies, and cold temperatures made for rough conditions Saturday at River Wilderness Golf and Country Club in Parrish. The juniors proved to be mentally and physically tough by posting impressive scores! In the Boys Division there was a tight race at the top heading into Sunday’s round. Matthew Bruton, of Bradenton led after a phenomenal one under-par first round of 71. Following close, one stroke behind, were Eric Berggren and Alexander Vogelsong, tied for second place. With a round one score of 73, Jayson Iten and Dylan Sanchez tied for third place. 

Megan Furtney, of South Elgin, Illinois carded the lowest round of day one to take the early lead in the Girls Division. Furtney played hard en route to a two under-par 70, finishing two strokes ahead of Caroline Hwang, of Orlando. Hwang finished round one in second place with a 72. Longwood resident, Mimi Chen rounded out the top three on Saturday’s leaderboard with a three over-par, 75.

Although the sun shinned on the players in round two, the wind howled and the temperatures did not reach above 60 degrees. The juniors faced another day of difficult conditions that tested their patience and skills. Eric Berggren, of Windermere came back from tied from second with a round two 76, tournament total 148, to win his first FJT event this year! Bruton fell from first place to finish tied for sixth after struggling in the tough conditions. Vogelsong, of Palm City and Iten, of Naples tied for second place, two strokes out of first, with a tournament total 150.

In the Girls’ Division, Caroline Hwang fought through the wind to post a second round 80, tournament total 152, and claim first place. Furtney finished one stroke behind in second place after a disappointing round two score of 83. Chen remained in third place for the tournament with a second round 79, 154 tournament total. This was Hwang’s first FSGA event and walking away with a victory is a great way to start her Florida Junior Tour career!

The 13-15 year old juniors head to Amelia Island Plantation in two weeks, February 20-21, for the next FJT event. Hopefully Amelia Island will bring warmer temperatures and more enjoyable golfing conditions! Click here for the 2016 Schedule!

Full Results

13-15 Age Division
$95 or $115 entry fee (GHIN vs non-GHIN price)
Membership is required

The Florida Junior Tour is headed back to the challenging River Wilderness Golf and Country Club this season. The club is located just southeast of Tampa near the Sarasota/Manatee county line. The club boarders the North Shore of the historic Manatee River just off Interstate 75.The golf course, designed by Ted McAnlis, is situated on 150 acres of pristine landscape and is a part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System which blends the property's natural beauty with an abundance of wildlife.

Click here to view the club's website.

Format

• 36 holes of individual stroke play
• 84 total players (typically 66 boys and 18 girls)
• 13-15 age division (age calculated by the last day of the tournament)

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys 13-15 Age Division - 6,600 yards (gross only)
• Girls 13-15 Age Division - 5,700 yards (gross only)

How Entries are Accepted

• Players with an unused FJT exemption will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis (if submitted before the entry deadline).
• 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".
• 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.

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), and a current FJT Junior Membership ($40). Click "Enter" above in the Tournament Links box.

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 player's parents must have an active GHIN handicap at a club in Florida. The seven digit GHIN number must be included and active when the entry is submitted. Click on the Handicaps tab above in the main menu for more information.

Late Fee:  A late fee of $10 will be applied to 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.