Vernier held on until the very end, also shooting a one-under 70 at Lost Key, beating the second-place finisher by three strokes to finish the three-day tournament also three-under par.
Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their personal growth and development through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability. The group averages a 3.89 GPA and has spent an average of seven years in First Tee.
The Jags sophomore golfer garnered 42.4 percent of the total vote in the PNJ’s online poll held after the Nov. 6-11 playing period. Each winner is awarded a one-of-a-kind PNJ.com Athlete of the Week shirt provided by BSN SPORTS.
On the girls side, West Florida's Abby Vernier, a sophomore, was the area's top finisher, coming in a four-way tie for 15th. She carded a two-round total of 153 (74, 79). She finished just three-over par during the first round. After starting on the 10th hole, Vernier found herself at even par through the 11th hole of her round.
Another multi-tournament winner over the summer, Abby Vernier’s perseverance really stood out during the A. Downing Gray Cup. She trailed the tournament’s leaders by four strokes entering the second day. Vernier played with an edge on the second day, shooting just one-over par to win the tournament over top area golfers. The sophomore also finished second at the Divot Derby, just behind Gulf Breeze alum Holland Davidson, and won the Southern Juniors of the GPJGA.
After starting the second round with a bogey, Vernier finished the front nine without another blemish on the scorecard. While she began the back nine with another bogey, she hit a birdie on the par-5 14th hole to bring her score back to just one-over. Vernier finished the tournament with a two-day total of 151 to claim the Junior Masters Girls Overall division. "I was really just trying to focus on my own game, because obviously you can’t control other people’s games. I knew I was close,” Vernier said. “I wasn’t focusing on just winning. I was focusing on one shot at a time.”
West Florida’s Abby Vernier said it was a mental game on Thursday, knowing that she was in a tie for first place going into the second round of the Southern Juniors. But she persevered to secure the Junior Masters Girls Overall championship with a two-round 149, carding a 73 and 76 in both rounds.
Vernier played her best golf on the back nine, shooting a 37. The Jaguars freshman had three birdies and three pars during a sixth-hole stretch. "I picked myself up on the last five holes. I really was like 'I have nothing to lose right now, I'm just going to make some risky shots.' And I did," she said. "I executed them pretty well. My chipping and putting really helped me while some of my approach shots got better throughout the round."
Girls Golf: Abby Vernier, West Florida - The freshman finished one stroke under par to claim the low medalist at a four-team meet at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Navarre.
Abby Vernier, Fr., West Florida
In line to make a Hultstrand-like impact, Vernier is set to debut at the high-school level this fall for the Jaguars. She captured a pair of events on the GPJGA Summer Tour. In the Tour's first event, she used a sub-par second round to take the Cook Family Classic by two shots over Hultstrand. Three weeks later, she defeated Davidson by a stroke to win the Blue Angels Cup.