The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy had a lot to be thankful for this Easter weekend.
16 GGGA students participated in the 2015 Optimist International Core Golf Academy Open at Orange County national, playing against a competitive field of 60 other junior golfers vying for a tournament win. The two-day tournament was met with perfect playing conditions and a golf course in great condition.
During the 36-hole tournament, two GGGA Students, Michelle Ledermann and Gavrilla Arya were neck and neck in first and second place. Ledermann held the lead until the final round when Arya pulled through to take the title by four, shooting a final round 72. Arya finished 1st place followed by Ledermann tied for 2nd place of the girls division. But it wasn’t Arya’s first big tournament win this year. Arya recently won the FCWT at Feather Sound.
On the boys side of the draw, GGGA student Yash Majmudar made it look like a one-man show while fellow GGGA students Sebastian Armas and Adam Friedman helped stack the podium for a 1-2-3 GGGA finish.
Majmudar held the lead in the Boys 16-18 division the entire 36 holes of play. His low scoring round Friday afternoon secured first place with a 6-under-par 66 before firing a 2-under 70 to end the weekend at 136 (-8). Majmudar snagged first place by six strokes.
Armas and Friedman also turned in stellar performances as well in the Boys 16-18 division. Armas finished right behind Majmudar in second place at -2 and GGGA student Adam Friedman secured 3rd place at -1. Talk about a sweet victory for all three students.
And if that wasn’t enough titles, GGGA student Alejandro Madariaga tied for 3rd in the Boys 14-15 division. He had an even par round and shot just +2 over par for this final round.
The 2015 Optimist Junior Golf Tour – Core Golf Academy Open at Orange County National GC – Panther Lake in Orlando, FL, ran from April 3-4, 2015.The course proved challenging as the juniors faced gently sloping fairways guarded by strategically placed fairway bunkers, trees and water hazards that frame the holes and provide a clear line of play.