FJT River Hills Open (9-12)

Four Champions Crowned at River Hills

VALRICO, Fla. – Four were crowned champions on Sunday in the final 9-12 Florida Junior Tour event of the year. Shayaan Kim and Elyse Meerdink took home the win in the 11-12 division, while Josiah Joseph and Alexandra Phung were victorious in the 9-10 division at River Hills Country Club.

Kim and Phung were the only two players in the field to finish the weekend under par, posting a 3-under 141 an 2-under 142, respectively.

Boys (11-12)

Kim earned his first FJT victory of the season, going wire-to-wire and carding a 3-under 141 for the weekend. He got the tournament started with an even-par 72 in the first round, finishing the day with two eagles and two birdies.

Beginning the final round with two-shot lead over the field, Kim birdied four of five holes on Nos. 2-6 and finished the front nine at 3 under. The Rockledge native finished the day with an even-par back side to take home the seven-shot victory.

Kim’s final-round 69 was the low round of the tournament. Patrick Pinkey finished runner-up at 4-over 148, while Nicholas Brown carded a 5-over 148 to finish third.

Girls (11-12)

Meerdink captured her second FJT win of the season, ending the weekend with a 10-over 154. She got the weekend started with a first-round 75, finishing the day with three birdies to hold a two-shot lead over the field.

The Tampa native got the final round started with a 6-over front side. Meerdink turned it around with an even-par back nine to earn the one-shot victory. Callie Nelson and Leonie Tavarae both took a share of second place at 10-over 154.

Boys (9-10)

Joseph went wire-to-wire to capture the 10-shot victory in the Boys (9-10), finishing the weekend with a 3-over 147. He got the weekend started with a first-round 73, birdieing back-to-back holes on Nos. 12-13 and added another on the 15th.

Heading into the final round with a six-shot lead over the field, Joseph got the round started an eagle on the par-5 second hole. The Sarasota native finished with a 1-over front side. He ended the day with a 1-over back nine to secure his first FJT win.

Niko Gordic-Ronderos took home a runner-up finish at 13-over 157, while Cyrus Joseph finished the weekend with an 18-over 162 to earn third place.

Girls (9-10)

Phung picked up her third FJT win of the season with a 10-shot victory, posting a 2-under 142 for the tournament. The Winter Garden native got the weekend started with a 2-under 70, finishing the day with three birdies.

She got off to a strong start in the final round, carding a bogey-free first nine with a birdie. The New York native kept it rolling on the final nine with two birdies to finish with an even-par 72 and take home the win.

Xiyao Zhang finished second place at 8-over 152, while Claire Yang earned third place at 13-over 157.

Results

Divisions and Approximate Yardages

• Boys 9-10 Age Division - 5,000 yards (gross only)
• Girls 9-10 Age Division - 4,200 yards (gross only)
• Boys 11-12 Age Division - 5,500 yards (gross only)
• Girls 11-12 Age Division - 5,000 yards (gross only)

How Entries are Accepted

• Entries will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• Late entries will be accepted if space is available ($10 late entry fee).
• If entries have reached capacity, additional players will be placed on an alternate's list.
• The alternate's list will be posted to the FJT website under "Tee Times & Player Information."
• Entries close approximately 2 1/2 weeks prior to the tournament.
• At the close of entries, if the 9-10 division (boys or girls) has 3 or less entrants, those players must choose one of the following options: 1) Play up into the 11-12 division   OR    2) Withdraw from the event and receive a full refund.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, December 4th

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

Mandatory Meeting - 30 to 45 minutes prior to tee time, 15 minutes long (more information below)

Sunday, December 5th

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

Mandatory Educational Meeting - Saturday

• Each golfer MUST attend a mandatory meeting with FSGA staff prior to their tee time on Saturday. 
• Topics to include: Etiquette, rules, pace-of-play, how to feel comfortable playing in events, care for the course, appreciation of club staff and volunteers.
• Meetings will generally take place near or on the practice putting green.
• Each player MUST attend the meeting associated with his/her tee time.
• Meetings will be approximately 15 to 20 minutes long. 
• Parents are encouraged to attend.

*If a players fails to make the meeting at their scheduled time, they will not be allowed to participate in the event.*

Five FJT Standards

Competing at beautiful clubs around the state is a privilege and it is important for all of our players and parents to place value on the following five duties:

• Say please and thank you to the club staff and our volunteers
• Rake bunkers
• Fix ball marks
• Step on/repair your divots
• Throw away your garbage! There should never be trash on the ground anywhere on the course (place trash in waste receptacles, golf carts or even your bag if no other place is available).

Showing Appreciation and Proper Manners - At all courses where juniors play, they should show appreciation to the members and staff. To all of our junior players, let's show the clubs that you are not only the most talented golfers in the country, but also the most respectful. A "thank you" to the club and taking care of the course are the best ways to make a positive impression on the club, fellow players, coaches and spectators.

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 $35.00 + tax. Please call 813-653-1554 to arrange your practice round. Only one child may ride in a cart with an adult. If you have multiple children you must have multiple adults to drive golf carts for them, otherwise they will need to walk. Players wishing to walk must do so after 3:00. 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 11-12	Girls 11-12
Champion- 1 star	Champion- 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.

River Hills Country Club
3943 New River Hills Pkwy
Valrico, FL 33596
813-653-3323