NFJG Tournament - Palatka - Winner!

JUNIOR AZALEA, Sat, Mar 6 - Sun, Mar 7, 2021. Palatka, FL

Cold, wet and windy day! Rain bands came through Fleming Island, but Ford said only light sprinkles a few times during AA's Saturday game.

AA was paired with for Round 1. 

Dear Alyzabeth Morgan:
Your pairings information for Junior Azalea is below.
Round: 1 Date: Mar 6, 2021
Course: Palatka Golf Club
Time: 12:14 PM Hole: 1 - Alyzabeth Morgan and Shanya Arusa.

Saturday's Score - She's in first place by two strokes:

Scores for Today's Round (view full scorecard):

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT
Par	4	4	3	5	5	3	4	4	4	36
Score	5	5	4	6	4	4	5	5	4	42

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	IN
Par	5	4	3	4	3	4	3	4	4	34
Score	5	4	3	4	3	4	4	4	5	36

From Coach Bryan:

Sunday Round 2:

Round: 2 Date: Mar 7, 2021 Palatka Golf Club

Time: 8:46 AM Hole: 10 - Alyzabeth Morgan 78; Thanya Arasu, 80; Madison Balaskiewicz, 83

Her second day did not go as well as round 1. It was cold and I think she was nervous, being in the lead. Her first nine holes were all over the place - two triple bogeys, a double bogey and one birdie. BUT, she played well enough to win! So that makes for a happy outcome.

Scores for Today's Round (view full scorecard):

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT
Par	4	4	3	5	5	3	4	4	4	36
Score	4	5	4	5	5	3	4	5	4	39

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	IN
Par	5	4	3	4	3	4	3	4	4	34
Score	4	7	4	5	3	6	3	5	7	44

Madison, 2nd place by one stroke!

Winner!

At home - WINNER!

Trophy and Champion's ring, plus a reward of 15 new Titleist balls.

Some history about the tournament:

If you’ve done your history, you know this is a true Donald Ross golf course and although short, it will test you “up and down” the course, no pun intended. Navigate smartly and you will come out on top.  The course is well defended by undulating greens and a small amount of water and sand.  I will honestly tell you all, center of the green is a good thing. 

The Junior Azalea will test the skill level of all junior golfers on this short, but tough Donald Ross golf course. Eligible champions will receive exemptions to "Palatka Azalea" played one week later.

This event is sponsored by 3rd Street Charities, the Palatka Men’s Golf Association and the Putnam County Tourist Board who will assist use with this event.  Also on Sunday, our newest Foundation Partner B & C Financial will be on hand conducting a closest to the pin contest on one of the par 3’s, Winners from each division will receive a nice gift from Vice President Adam Oerther.

Excerpts from Jack's Newsletter:

All division champions will earn a fully paid exemption into the North Florida PGA Junior Championship come June.  The girls overall champion will also receive one AJGA PBE Star, as the field requirements in 2020 were met. The Boys field in 2020 was not met, but this year’s field was. A request for consideration will be forward to the AJGA. Many thanks for our Foundation Partners form B & C Financial. Vice President Adam Oerther and Caitlin Howard were on hand providing closest to the pin goodies on the touch par-3 3rd hole.

In our girl’s division, this year there were 17 players in all. Eight Elite Tour Players and nine Rising Tour Players. Fleming Island’s Alyzabeth Morgan would lead the field with a respectable score of 78. St. Johns Thanya Arasu would be two strokes back at 80 and Jacksonville’s Madison Balaskiewicz would be next with 83. Jacksonville’s Alexa Fallis would lead the Rising Tour Girls with a score of 90.

Round 2: With a chill in the air, the winds blowing 12-15 out of the northeast and the competition sharp, the tensions were noticeable filled with high expectations of bringing home the “Azalea”.  In the final round the players would find pins a little tougher, but still accessible if drives were positioned properly.

Making a move a few groups back was Middleburg’s Lexi Milbrandt who posted three birdies in her front nine, turning at 36. Although 10 shots back at the start, she was making a move, but unfortunately the turn would cause her and the leader troubles leaving the door open for Balaskiewicz who would threw up three birdies on her inward half to bring a serious challenge to the leader, but a bogey at the last would leave her one shot back.  Morgan who triple bogeyed the last hole would hang on to win by one shot to lead the overall girls and to become the “2021 Junior Azalea Champion”.  She would receive one AJGA PBE Star for her performance and a fully paid exemption into the North Florida PGA JUNIOR Championship.

The hard charge from Madison Balaskiewicz on her closing nine would bring her in tied with St. Johns Thanya Arasu and a score card playoff would leave Balaskiewicz the Runner-up. Milbrandt would have the low round of the day with a 76.

{Correction from Jack's Newsletter: Round 2/Sunday - AA started on Hole 10, so the triple bogey was actually her ninth hole played, not last. The back nine she played first was riddled with triple and double bogeys. She told herself to focus on starting her last nine holes and did! She made Par on her last hole, Hole 9 (she made Par on six of the last nine holes, no double bogeys). Her last nine holes played, the front nine, she scored the 39.}

I missed all the ups and downs/excitement of the win; stayed home, made AA's favorite pasta salad, washed dishes, walked Ginger, made lemon shrimp with spaghetti for dinner. It was very cold, 40 degrees and windy! So happy, after seeing how she scored on the first nine holes today, that she won! Got her focus back in time!