Tallahassee, Fla. - Capital City Country Club has a history of crowning great champions on the Florida Junior Tour. This weekend was no different as Lucas Gimenez and Ryan Donaldson were the ones who stood above the rest in the state's capital
Boys (13-15)
The Florida Junior Tour traveled to the state’s capital and brought along some of the best Juniors in the state to compete at one of the oldest clubs in the state, Capital City Country Club. Lucas Gimenez, who finished in the top 10 here last year, looked to improve up on that this year. From Jacksonville, Gimenez made his way west . Gimenez birdied his second hole of the day and made the turn at 1-under 35 on the way to a 1-under par 71.
On Saturday, Noah Peens was trying to keep pace with Gimenez by going on a run of birdies on holes 11 through 14. A birdie on 18 would be good enough for a back nine 3-under 33 and would sit at even-par and one back heading into the final round. A group of 6 players were at 2-over and within striking distance should Gimenez or Peens slip up on Sunday.
Gimenez would start out slow but steady on Sunday as he bogeyed the par-4 4th. However, none of the chasing competitors would really make a move so Gimenez would never lose his spot a top the leaderboard. Peens’ 4-over 40 on the front nine meant he would be going the opposite way in the final round. Christian Koehn was the biggest mover of the players tied at 2-over. Koehn got to 2-under on the day and even for the weekend through 13 and tied for the lead. Gimenez would quickly regain the solo lead with a birdie on the 13th to get back into red numbers.
Koehn’s bogey on the 14th would slow him down and Gimenez would all but slam the door shut on the 15th as he made an eagle on the par-5. An unfortunate double bogey at the final hole wouldn’t matter and would give Gimenez back-to-back 71s and a four shot victory. Noah Peen’s back nine 33 would move him back into a tie for second with local Jack Cook after his 68, which was the round of the day to move up 13 spots. The win is Gimenez’s first of 2023 and second in the last 4 months.
Girls (13-15)
Ryan Donaldson came into the week in Tallahassee as the winner of the last (13-15) event on the Florida Junior Tour. Donaldson would get off to a steady start with all pars until she made a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 7th. Meanwhile Ana Boone and Angela Nip were nipping at her heels as they made the turn at 3-over 39 on the front nine.
Donaldson’s birdie on the par-4 10th would extend her lead to two shots and despite closing with two bogeys that would be her lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Boone’s only blemish on the back nine would be a double-bogey on the 17th hole to sit two back of Donaldson with Nip one shot further behind.
Boone and Donaldson would come out firing on Sunday morning as they both birdied their second hole of the day while Nip struggled with two bogeys out of the gates. However, both players would play holes 14 through 16 at 2-over while Nip played them even to get back the strokes she lost. A birdie at the par-4 17th for Donaldson would give her a five shot lead heading into the back nine.
Donaldson would have a rollercoaster back nine as she tried to close out her overnight lead. Only two pars on the front nine, but she did have two birdies which would allow her to salvage a 3-over 39. A second consecutive 75 would be enough for a three shot lead over Nip and Boone who would finish in a tie for second at nine-over for the weekend. The win is Donaldson’s second of the year and will propel her into the top 5 of the points standings for the season.
