GOLF

Fore in a row: North Florida Junior Foundation 13-15 team dominates Florida Junior Team again

Garry Smits
Florida Times-Union
Luke Balaskiewicz of Jacksonville fired two under-par rounds to lead the North Florida Junior Golf Foundation 13-15 boys team to a fourth Florida Junior Team Championship in a row.

Led by two under-par rounds from Luke Balaskiewicz, the North Florida Junior Golf Foundation won its fourth consecutive boys 13-15 division in the Florida Junior Team Championship last week at the Indian Springs Country Club in Boynton Beach. 

Balaskiewicz shot 68-71 — 139 to lead NFJG to a 10-shot victory over the Junior Golf Association of Broward. Emmett Kuhlencamp contributed rounds of 76-69--145 and Ryan Houck was 74-76 — 150. 

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The NFJG finished among the top-four in the other three divisions. The 13-15 girls team of Sofia Rivera (70-74--144), Danielle Dailey (84-71--155) and Lauren Barned (88-84--172) finished second, five shots behind the Highlander Junior Tour; the 16-18 girls team of Madelyn Campbell (82-76--158), Nancy Cox (78-81--159) and Annabelle Mozingo (76-86--152) was fourth, 19 behind the IMG Academy; and the boys 16-18 team of Nolan Harper (76-70--146), Spencer McCranie (76-76--152) and Matthew French (74-81--155) was fifth, 11 behind the First Tee of Miami. 

Area pros qualify for PGA Cup 

Jennifer Borocz of Ponte Vedra Beach and Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth of Jacksonville will be on the U.S. team in the 2022 Women's PGA Cup Oct. 25-29 at the Twin Warriors Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. 

Jennifer Borocz of Ponte Vedra Beach will play on the U.S. team in the PGA Women's Cup in October.

The U.S. team was determined through a points system that ended with the LPGA Professionals National Championship in Williamsburg, Va. The other U.S. players are Sherry Andonian of La Quinta, Calif., Joanna Coe, of Timonium, Md.; and Ashley Grier of Springfield, Pa.

Reaching high: Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth, Jennifer Borocz, qualify for 2022 KPMG PGA Women's Championship

They will compete against teams from Australia, Canada, Great Britain & Ireland and Sweden, with the three low scores each day in the 54-hole tournament counting to the team total. 

The U.S. team won the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup by four shots in October 2019 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa/Foothills Course in Austin, Texas.  

Borocz is the PGA Chapter Coordinator/Senior Manager, Membership & Finance for the North Florida PGA Section. Connelly-Eiswerth currently teaches at San Jose and was the 2021 Northern Chapter player of the year. 

Both are former college coaches, Borocz the head coach at Jacksonville University and Connelly-Eiswerth an assistant at the University of North Florida.

UNF announces men's schedule 

The University of North Florida men's golf team announced a schedule of 12 tournaments, five in the fall and seven in the spring, counting the ASUN tournament where they will be defending champions. 

Two-time ASUN Golfer of the Year Nick Gabrelcik will be returning for his junior season. Also back are first team All-ASUN pick Robbie Higgins and ASUN Freshman of the Year and Jacksonville Amateur champion Jason Duff join him for next season. 

University of North Florida sophomore Nick Gabrelcik capped another strong season with his section selection to the NCAA Division I PING All-Southeast Region team.

Other experienced players returning are senior Davis Lee of Ponte Vedra Beach and graduate Cody Carroll of Middleburg. UNF qualified for its 13th NCAA tournament last season. 

The Ospreys will play five tournaments in Florida, including the 31st annual Hayt at the Sawgrass Country Club Feb. 5-6. 

Their five tournaments in the fall are the most since 2018. UNF also returns to the Gator Invitational and plays an event in Hawaii to end the fall season. 

U.S. Amateur times set

Three area players are in the field for the U.S. Amateur at the Ridgewood and Arcola Country Clubs in New Jersey, beginning with stroke-play qualifying on Monday.

UNF junior Nick Gabrelcik, who reached the semifinals last year at Oakmont, Creekside graduate Andrew Riley and Providence graduate Andrew McLauchlan, along with the rest of the 312-man field, will play one round each at Ridgewood and Arcola. The top-64 will begin match play at Ridgewood on Wednesday.

Gabrelcik starts on Monday at the 10th hole of Arcola at 2 p.m. and tees off No. 1 at Ridgewood on Tuesday at 9:05 a.m. Riley begins on Monday at 1:49 p.m. on the 10th hole at Arcola and then starts at Ridgewood's first hole at 8:54 a.m. on Tuesday. McLauchan goes off Ridgewood's first hole at 8:33 a.m. on Monday and the 10th hole at Arcola on Tuesday at 1:28 p.m.

Gabrelcik was exempt into this year's tournament off his performance last year. Riley won a qualifier at the St. Johns Golf and Country Club and McLauchlan tied for second.

Area players crack top-20 

Chloe Schiavone of Jacksonville shot even-par 214 at the Heritage Oaks Golf and County Club and Sarasota National to tie for eighth in the Florida Women's Open. She finished eight shots behind winner Mariel Galdiano. 

Sara McKevitt of Ponte Vedra Beach (218) tied for 13th and Ramya Meenakshisundaram of Jacksonville (219) tied for 17th.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com