NFJG Jacksonville Beach Golf Tournament - 4th Place!

Saturday was Round 1 of the NFJG Jacksonville Beach Golf Club tournament. AA did well, tying for 6th place on Round 1. She played with Marissa C. and Kenzie H.

While I was at home, I did several chores including preparing spaghetti and meatballs (already made by Ford) and a small salad. I washed AA's bathroom shower curtain and liner, did two loads of wash and folded all, walked Ginger, washed dishes, made two pie crusts ahead and spent three hours removing all the Christmas ornaments from the tree and packing them.

We enjoyed our 5:00 p.m. Zoom Happy Hour, Hugh shared some bad news about the Winterbourne Inn and Azalea Manor owner (cancer). We chatted about movies and current events. Always happy to see them (Kathy, Penny, Hugh and Maureen).

Sunday, AA during Round 2 did GREAT! She finished in 4th place with a an 80 + 77. Always good doing better on the second day. She played with sisters Shanya and Thanya A. (1st - 3rd Places were two Seniors and one Junior - Tylar W.). AA played against 7 Seniors, 5 Juniors, 1 Sophomore, 5 Freshmen and one other 8th grader. Good competition - nice finish!

Two photos taken by the NFJG Staff.

Scoring table:

Scores - the top two girls were awarded exemptions into the Women's Florida Amateur.

Jack's Newsletter:

January in Florida can have any weather condition to strike the First Coast. It could be freezing cold, wet or warm and just beautiful. Only Mother Nature knows, but this weekend to kick off the New Year she gave us a very good break by pushing storms of an approaching cold front north leaving us windy and dry. However, at the beach the wind is always strongest and on the opening day of the “First Coast Junior Amateur” the players would have to endure steady winds 15-18 mph out of the south causing some pretty intense shots off the tee. Especially the opening shot off of hole #10, a dog-leg left with water running all the way down to the green. Probably the most intimidating shot on the course from the Gold Tees.

In the Girls Division thirty-two players would make for an impressive field and leading the very capable and talented field was St. Augustine’s Marissa Cardenas who displayed some outstanding play opening her tournament with an even par round of 71. Three birdies and three bogies would give her a very comfortable lead of six shots over Jacksonville’s Sophie Thomas (77) and a seven shot lead over Port Orange’s Tylar Ann Whiting (78) and St. Johns Shanya Arasu (78).

With the comfortable lead in the Girls Division there was no doubt Cardenas was focused on the Champion’s Belt which was in reach. In round two Cardenas would again play some pretty impressive golf, showing her matured focus. Starting on the back nine she would card four birdies during the opening nine. At the turn she was only two strokes away from taking the overall lead. A birdie at the 1st hole (her 10th) moved her even closer, but unfortunately after that five shots lost in seven holes would leave the thought of “what could have been”.  It could have been close in the end! None the less, some very outstanding play by a true Girls Champion.

Here too was a race and battle for the Runner-up spot. Tyler Ann Whiting (78-78) matched her opening round to force players behind to make a move and that St. Augustine’s Kenzie Heba did. Heba (81-73) matched the low round of the day (for the girls) tying Cardenas would fly by Whiting and Arasu with her five birdies on the day to take home the Runner-up crystal and the Runner-up Exemption. {AA finished 4th}

I made a sweet potato pie from Carolyn's home grown potatoes - Separate post on that!
I made a slow cooker recipe for Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos (I didn't have the dried ancho chile pepper called for in the recipe - forgot that it is also called poblano pepper) with brown sugar and orange juice. The tacos tasted really good, almost "restaurant quality". The red cabbage (or green) slaw was sliced thin (2 C.) with 1/4 C. red onion, 1/4 C. cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Would be good on any type of tacos.