ASUN Freshman of the year Nolan Harper leads area players in Florida Amateur

• The 108th Florida Amateur will be held June 5-8 at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens.
• The field includes five members of the Florida Times-Union’s 2024 high school All-First Coast team and ASUN Freshman of the Year Nolan Harper.
• Lily Wachter won her second consecutive Florida Junior Tour event.

Five members of the Florida Times-Union’s 2024 high school All-First Coast team and ASUN Freshman of the Year Nolan Harper highlight the large area contingent that will play in the 108^th Florida Amateur June 5-8 at the BallenIsles Country Club East and South courses in Palm Beach Gardens. 

Harper, a Beachside graduate, was second in scoring average for Florida Gulf Coast and was the third-highest ASUN player on the national Scoreboard rankings this season. 

Also in the field are All-First Coast players Luke Balaskiewicz of Bolles, Emmet Kuhlenkamp of Fleming Island, Ambrose Kinnare of Tocoi Creek, Ethan Tak of Nease and Jonah Nacional of Beachside. 

Also in the field are past Times-Union High School Player of the Year Andrew Riley of St. Augustine, 2021 Jacksonville Amateur champion Michael Smith of Ponte Vedra Beach, and former University of North Florida player and assistant coach Jeff Dennis. 

Other area players in the field: Graham Nichols and Lance LaCombe of Jacksonville, Colton Swartz of Fleming Island, Matthew Soucinek and Zachary Smith of Lake City, Cooper Franklin, Danny Erickson, Dylan Mason, Henry Robards, Landon Durham and R.J. Glod of Ponte Vedra Beach, and Brody Stevenson of St. Augustine. 

The tournament begins June 5 with half the field on the East Course and half on the South Course, reversing that for the second round. The cut will be made after the second round to the low-70 players, plus ties, and the final two rounds June 7-8 will be on the East Course. 

The East Course, designed by Dick Wilson, underwent a renovation in 2022 by Nicklaus Design. The South Course, co-designed by Wilson and Joe Lee, was renovated by Rees Jones in 2019. 

Full field in store for Jacksonville Amateur 

The 64th Jacksonville Area Golf Association Amateur Championship is heading for a full field of 96 players at the historic Timuquana Country Club July 24-26. 

Maybe more, but JAGA has a plan for that. 

Registration opened on May 1 and will close on July 1 at 5 p.m. The entry fee is $375, with players required to have a USGA handicap of 2.9 or less and reside within the nine-county North Florida area (Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Columbia, Baker, Suwannee, Flagler and Putnam. 

Contestants also must be at least 16 years old and no older than 59 before the first round is played on July 24. 

If entries exceed 96, a qualifier will be held on July 13 at Eagle Harbor.  

World Amateur Golf Ranking points will be awarded to the top finishers. 

Adam Waller of Jacksonville and Valdosta State University won last year’s title at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, beating 2022 champion Jason Duff on the third playoff hole.

Lily Wachter makes it two in a row 

Lily Wachter of St. Augustine won her second Florida Junior Tour event in a row, and it wasn’t easy from start to the extra hole needed to finish. 

Wachter shot 73 in the final round of the 54-hole FJT Major at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor to finish at 15-over 230, then birdied the first playoff hole to beat Qiaoyi Lyu of Celebration. 

Wachter posted scores of 78-79 on the Island Course but with three birdies on the front nine, got into contention with Lyu. Wachter had a setback with a triple-bogey 7 at the par-4 14^th hole but played her final four holes at 1-under with a birdie and three pars and got into a playoff when Lyu doubled the final hole. 

Wachter, who won her first FJT event at Cypress Head on May 4, then stuck her iron shot at the par-4 10^th hole close and made the putt to win. 

In the boys division, Jack Cole of Jacksonville tied for fifth at 12-over 227, six shots behind winner Nathan Drummond of Tampa. 

In the FJT 16-18 Major at Old Corkscrew, Cooper Franklin of Ponte Vedra Beach tied for seventh at 2-over 218, four shots behind winner Drew Sterling of Palm Beach Gardens. 

Play golf to help hearing-impaired children 

The St. Augustine Shores Golf Club is hosting a charity tournament sponsored by Heritage Baptist Church to raised funds for hearing-impaired children to attend summer camp. The tournament will take place on June 7 at 8 a.m., featuring a scramble format for $70 per player. For information text (904) 477-8856 or email daniel.rakoncay@gmail.com.