Statham, Ga (August 25-26) With a field of over 90 competitors, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour returned to the Georgia Club in Statham, Georgia, and as in the past once again held a very successful tournament. Throughout the two days of play the weather remained ideal and competition was stiff as competitors were well aware of what was at stake. The winner of each division received an automatic bid into the 2012 tour championship and in the Boys 15-18, 11-14, as well as the girls 15-18 divisions, those winners received AJGA performance stars. Although competition remained relatively close in 2 of the 4 age divisions, the winners of the Boys 15-18, and Girls 15-18 divisions emerged early, and led their respective divisions throughout the tournament.
In the Boys 15-18 division, Jason Mendel of Norcross, Ga came out on top. In his first two holes of the second round, Mendel birdied both holes and later birdied two other times in the second round. In addition to his impressive 141 (-1) two day total, Mendel won the Par 4 performance challenge with an average of 3.94 in addition to sinking the most pars or better. Finishing tied for second after Mendel with a two day total of 145 (+3) was Chase Cale of Greenville, SC and Kevin Wargo of Roswell, Ga. Cale had a very impressive second round in which he birdied 6 times. Cale also sunk the only eagle in his division throughout the entire tournament, and won the Par 5 performance challenge with an average of 4.75. Wargo also had a fair amount of birdies with 5 throughout the two days and also tied for the lead in the Par 5 performance challenge with 4.75. Rounding out the top 5 of the Boys 15-18 division tied for 4th were Bradley Kauffman and Charles Huntzinger with a two day total of 146 (+4).
In perhaps the most exciting division of the tournament was the Girls 15-18 division. While it looked like Whitney Stevenson of Canton, Ga would win the tournament after the first day, it wasn’t until after a one hole playoff after the second round that she truly sealed the deal. Give credit to Anna Buchanan (Athens, Ga), however, who was 6 strokes behind Stevenson at the end of the first day. Buchanan shot an impressive 72 in the second round to get her into the one hole playoff. In the end, the winner, Stevenson, shot a 149 (+7) and also won the Par 3 performance challenge with an average of 3.00. Coming in third in the Girls 15-18 division was Diane Lim of Norcross, Ga, who shot a 153 (+11). One other notable competitor in the Girls 15-18 division was Shelby Hanna of Winder, Ga, who sunk the most birdies, won the Par 4 performance challenge, and had the best par breaker percentage.
Jake Bayer of Lawrenceville, GA knew that he would need to follow up his first round 76 (+2) with another solid round on Sunday to catch first round leader Brian Clark of Farrgut, TN, who opened the tournament with a first round 72 (+1). Bayer offset an opening bogey with a birdie on the par four 4th and then birdied the par 5 fifth to get to red numbers for his round. Bayer played a steady middle stretch that included five pars and one bogey before getting red hot and playing the closing six holes in three under closing with a birdie on the par four 18th. Bayer also led the field in Par 3 performance, Par 4 performance, and had the most birdies with 7. Brian Clark continued his steady play shooting a second round 75 to pair up with a first round 72, which in the end had him tied for 2nd with S.M Lee of Buford, Ga, who’s two day total was 147 (+5). Clark was second in the field in most birdies with 5, while Lee sank the most par shots throughout the tournament in his division.
Dominant is one word you could use to describe Harmanprit Kaur’s performance throughout the tournament. Kaur of Lawrenceville, Ga shot a tournament best 138 (-4) and was in complete control of her division all throughout. Kaur birdied a grand total of 8 times, and lead her division in the Par 3, Par 4, and Par 5 performance challenges as well as finishing with the most pars. Finishing in second and third in the Girl’s 11-14 division was Kelsey Kurnett (Alpharetta, Ga) with a 170 (+28), and Hannah Jones (Sandy Springs, Ga) with a 179 (+37), respectively.