Smith and Sakuragi Pick Up Wins at Amelia River
November 10th, 2011 | Published in News Feed
Smith Wins in Amelia
Sakuragi Holds on For Victory
FERNANDINA BEACH, Florida (November 21, 2011) – The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) held the Amelia Island Junior Classic over the weekend at the Amelia River Golf Club in Fernandina Beach, FL. The course features a wide open layout with hidden challenges throughout, providing an exciting weekend and close scores. The HJGT would like to thank Ed Tucker and his staff at the Amelia River Golf Club for helping the HJGT host a phenomenal tournament and supporting junior golf.
The Boys 15-19 division was home for a tight race at the top after round one action with three players separating from the field. Lancha Rodriguez (Myrtle Beach, SC) was the overnight leader after firing in a -3 (69) in round one, with Rafa Jaurequi (Myrtle Beach, SC) and Matt Smith (Wantagh, NY) just behind him with scores of -2 (70). The stage was set for a tight race in the final pairing for round two action and it did not fall short of expectations. Propelled by four birdies over his final round, Smith took home the first place trophy after posting a second round score of even par (72) for a two day total score of -2 (142). Smith led his division in Par 5 Performance Average with a score of 4.38. Finishing in second place was Jaurequi who had a two round total score of +1 (145). Jaurequi fired in the most birdies for his division, nine, as well as scored the best Par 3 Performance Average with a score of 2.62. Rounding out the division, Rodriquez finished with a two day total score of +2 (146). Rodriquez had a Par 4 Performance Average of 4.05 and six total birdies for the
weekend.
Momo Sakuragi (Tokyo, Japan) and Mia Zanghetti (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) needed two additional holes to decide a champion in the Girls 14-18 division. Sakuragi, who shot a +6 (78) in the first round, battled back through the second round into a tie with Zanghetti, but took home the trophy after two playoff holes. Sakuragi led her division with four birdies over the two rounds of play, as well as scored an even 5.00 for
her Par 5 Performance Average. Zanghetti overcame her first round total of +7 (79) by firing in a score of +2 (74) for the second round. Zanghetti scored twenty seven holes at par or better, the most in the division, as well as led the field in Par 3 Performance Average with an even par average. Rounding out the division just one stroke behind the leaders was Maggie Chio (Bradenton, FL) who finished with a two day total score of +10 (154). Chio was the co-leader after round one after shooting +5 (77) as well as led her division in Par 4 Performance Average with a score of 4.30.
Thomas Burnett (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) took the lead after round one play in the Boys 13-14 division with a score of +1 (73) and held on during round two for a two stroke victory. Burnett picked up his second victory of the 2011 HJGT season, with the first coming at the 1st Coast Junior Open in July. Burnett led his division with seven birdies over the two rounds of play, as well as in Par 4 Performance Average with a score of
3.85. David Baker (Weddington, NC) picked up the second place finish, his fifth straight top three finish on the HJGT this season, with a two day total score of +6 (150). Baker led his division with the most holes scored at par or better with a total of twenty eight, including three birdies. Baker finished play with a Par 3 Performance Average of 3.12. Rounding out the division with a two day total score of +9 (153), Eric Shelly (Fernandina Beach, FL) took home his first third place trophy of the season. Shelly led his division in Par 5 Performance Average with a score of 4.88, the only average under par for his division.
A consistent performance from Julianna Collett (St. Simon’s Island, GA) secured the first place finish in the Girls 10-13 division. Collett led the division after round one play by three strokes with a score of +5 (77). Collett showed her consistency during the second round by posting a +5 (77) again, for a two day total score of +10 (154). Collett led her division in Par 3 and Par 4 Performance Average with scores of 2.75 and 4.50, respectively. Ella Woods (St. Augustine, FL) extended her trophy streak to five straight appearances, securing the second place finish with a two day total score of +16 (160). Woods led her division with twenty three pars over the two rounds of play and in Par 5 Performance Average with a score of 5.00. Rounding out the top three of the division with a two day total score of +19 (163), Emilie Paltrinieri (Italy) took home the third place trophy. Paltrinieri fired in two birdies over the weekend, both coming in the second round, as well as finished with a Par 3 Performance Average of 3.12.
Julien Paltrinieri (Italy) took home his fifth straight top five finish of the 2011 season and second win by leading the Boys 10-12 division with a two round total score of +9 (153). Paltrinieri established a two stroke lead after round one play with a score of +5 (77) and held on throughout the second round, managing two birdies on Sunday. Paltrinieri led the division with five total birdies for the weekend and Par 3 and Par 4 Performance Average with scores of 3.00 and 4.30, respectively. A consistent performance from Brandon Mancheno (Jacksonville, FL) who shot a +5 (77) in both round one and two proved enough to net him the second place trophy. Mancheno led his division with twenty two pars over the
two rounds, as well as in Par 5 Performance Average with a score of 4.88. Taking home his second straight top three finish in the last two weeks, Sampson Zheng (Bradenton, FL) secured third place for the division with a two day total score of +21 (165). Zheng managed nineteen pars over the weekend and finished with a Par 3 Performance Average of 3.25.
For more information from the Amelia Island Junior Classic, please visit the HJGT fan page on Facebook.com. To get up to the minute tweets during the tournaments and important HJGT news follow us on Twitter. Also, be sure to check out player quotes in our weekly video, which can be found on the HJGT website. For a direct link to the HJGT Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and final round results please visit www.hjgt.org.
Weather:
Saturday – Partly Cloudy, high of 77 degrees
Sunday – Mostly Sunny, high of 81 degrees
Tournament Yardages:
Boys 15-19: 6,763 yards
Boys 13-14: 6,210 yards
Boys 10-12: 5,806 yards
Girls 14-18: 5,806 yards
Girls 10-13: 5,200 yards
