TAMPA - Fleming Island High junior golfer Colton Swartz stayed consistent for three hot, humid rounds of golf to take ninth overall at the 67th annual Boys Junior Amateur Championship golf tournament held July 6-8 at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Tampa.

Swartz, a student at The Golf Academy of North Florida and director Dale Claussen, is currently ranked 12th in Florida and 90th in the United States in the National Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings for the Class of 2023 golfers nationwide.

“He is probably one of the highest ranked golfers in north Florida,” said Claussen, who has a four-day golf trip for his select golf students which will include three top 100 golf courses in worldwide rankings in Wisconsin. “My hometown is nearby and the group will get to play on some pretty formidable golf courses; Erin Hills (U.S. Open 2017), Whistling Straights (Ryder Cup 2021) and Blackwolf Run (past Women’s US Opens).”

Swartz and Campbell Kennedy, also a golf student of Claussen, both had top finishes last weekend at the Sam Burns Classic in Savannah’s AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) schedule. Kennedy finished tied for third 210 (6-under, 71, 71, 68) with Swartz tied for sixth at 211 (5-under, 69, 73, 69).

“That’s a big tournament that a lot of great golfers from the southeast go to,” said Claussen, noting Kennedy finished 20th (228-70, 79, 79) in Tampa.

In other golf news, St. Johns Country Day School golfer Addy Vogt finished 55th at the World Teen Championships to be held July 22-24 in Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Vogt, in girls 14 years old, had a three round total of 279 with rounds of 93, 95 and 91 with a birdie in the third round. Hannah Rabb of Pennsylvania, won with a 216 total (73, 71, 72). Claussen also coaches Vogt.

On June 13, Middleburg High golfer Chase Carroll won the Greater Jacksonville Junior Championship played at Eagle Harbor Golf Course in Fleming Island. Carroll narrowly edges Matthew French, a junior at Bishop Snyder from Orange Park, 136-139, with Carroll shooting rounds of 69 and 67. French shot 71 and 68.

For the girls, Madelyn Campbell of Fernandina Beach won with a two-day score of 152 (76,76). Swartz, in the Boys 16-18 division in Tampa, opened with a strong 72 first round for par, then faltered to 80 (plus 8) in round two before rebounding to a one over par 73 in round three to total 225. Swartz had five birdies and eight bogies for the three days. The winning total was a 209 with Nicholas Prieto, out of Miami, a junior at Holy Theotokos Classic Academy, hitting rounds of 66, 73 and 70 to outhit four runnerups tied at 220; Moses Compaan, of Jacksonville; James Bradley, of Valrico; Joshua Stewart, of Winter Springs, and Carson Brewer, also of Jacksonville.

Also in the tournament, Chase Carroll, a junior at Middleburg High School, finished tied at 33 with a 231 total (79, 73, 79) with nine birdies.

Fleming Island’s Charles Lonsdale, Jr., finished 71st, but completed just two rounds as did Fleming Island High teammate Andrew Davis (80th).