Ha & McKoan Earn First FJT Victories at Jax Beach
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. - This weekend, the Florida Junior Tour traveled to the par-71 Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. Players were forced to deal with windy conditions on Saturday, but as the weather improved on Sunday, so did many of the player’s scores. When play had completed, Samuel Ha and Emma McKoan took home their first FJT victories.
Boys (16-18)
After a double-bogey on his first hole of the day, Andy Dai would complete the remainder of his round at 3-under par and claim the first-round lead with a score of 1-under par, 70. The 2027 graduate from Bradenton’s round was highlighted by a blistering final five holes during which he had four birdies, including one on the par-3 ninth. Samuel Ha was the only other player to not be over-par through 18 holes. The 2027 graduate from Saint Augustine would birdie three of his final five holes en route to a first-round score of even-par, 71.
On Sunday, Dai, who ultimately finished in third place with a two-day score of 2-over par, would fall out of contention with three bogeys on the front-nine. Charlie Hipp, a 2027 graduate from St. Johns, began the day five shots back of the lead but quickly rose up the leaderboard with an impressive bogey-free, 3-under par front-nine. Ha also completed the front-nine bogey free, adding two birdies that provided him with a two-shot lead with nine holes remaining. Over the next four holes, Hipp remained on fire as an eagle on the par-5 13th would move him to 6-under par on the day and within one shot of the lead. Despite the pressure building behind him, Ha remained unfazed. After adding another birdie on the par-4 10th hole, the eventual champion would par the remainder of his holes, recording a cumulative score of 3-under par to secure a one-shot victory, his first on the Florida Junior Tour. Hipp’s second-round 6-under par, 65 gave him second place with a cumulative score of 2-under par.
Girls (16-18)
Two players completed the first round with scores under-par. Sahana Chokshi recorded the low round across both divisions on Saturday with an impressive round of 2-under par, 69. After a bogey on her second hole, the 2027 graduate from Jacksonville would card three birdies to head into Sunday with a one-shot lead. Iris Lee, playing in her second (13-15) event, sat just one shot back after her 1-under par, 70, round that included three straight birdies on holes five through seven.
In the final round, Chokshi would drop back as she struggled to repeat her success from the previous day. Lee would also find trouble, playing her first nine holes at 3-over par. This allowed Emma McKoan, a 2028 graduate from Naples, and Grace Carter, a 2029 graduate from Jupiter, who both started the day four shots behind the lead, to leap into contention with final-round scores of 1-under par, 70. On the 36th hole, a bogey from Lee forced a three-player playoff with McKoan and Carter. Then, on the third playoff hole, after Lee and Carter missed their birdie opportunities, McKoan would sink a 25-foot putt to secure the victory, her first on the Florida Junior Tour.
