The Jacksonville Area Golf Association has added 18 new recipients who will use JAGA Scholarship Trust grants to further their education.
The Class of 2026, headed for schools such as the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Florida, Mississippi, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Alabama, was announced on May 19 during the JAGA Trust annual awards dinner at the Deerwood Country Club.
In addition, JAGA awarded grants to four Northern Chapter PGA Level 2 students to continue working towards their PGA of America Class A designation.
The number of students receiving JAGA scholarships since the Trust was established in 1974 is now 475, with more than $2.5 million awarded.
This year’s class represents 12 area high schools and will be attending 13 institutions. Their combined grade point average is 4.2
The Class of 2026, with their JAGA club affiliation, high school, and college:
The PGA professionals receiving grants are Jaxon Butler and Stephen Rodriguez of Sawgrass, Jarrod Barsamian of the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club and Jarred Garcia of Fleming Island.
Also earning special recognition were Lyle (Furyk Scholar Award and Kochera Award), Grunewald and Pia (Henry Tuten Gator Bowl Pro-Am) and Spencer (Billy Drake/Billy Walker Community Service Award).
Colton Swartz helps Mocs win 14th title
It’s been a memorable post-season for Colton Swartz of Fleming Island, a junior at Florida Southern.
Swartz, who won the Sunshine State Conference individual title on April 21 in Dade City, shot par or lower in five of his six rounds in the NCAA Division II National Championship tournament May 18-22 to help the Moccasins win their 14th national title at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev.
Swartz tied for 23rd in the 54-hole stroke play qualifier at 4-under 212 (73-69-70) as FSC won the team title at 35-under, eight strokes better than Missouri-St. Louis. He tied for 18th in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional at the Valdosta (Ga.) Country Club, posting 2-under 214, to help the Mocs finish fifth to make the national tournament.
Swartz then went 2-1 in match play. He shot 66 to beat Bradley Mulder of Colorado Christian by six shots in the first round and then posted a 64 to beat Drew Zielinski of Lee (Tenn.) by five shots in the second round.
Swartz lost to Lewis Beeden of Wingate in the championship match, but his teammates rallied for a 3-2 victory in the finals. Tyler Mistretta, Donte Groppuso and Max Barile won their matches, with Barile earning the clinching point.
Swartz averaged 69.0 in the national championship. In 12 post-season rounds, he averaged 69.67 and did not have a score higher than 73.
Ages and eagles fall at San Jose
It’s not unusual for elderly golfers to shoot their age, especially in Florida, where there is a large, active demographic of retirees.
But four in one day? In the same group?
It happened at the San Jose Country Club on May 19, when four players, who average 81.5 years old, combined to average 75.7 on the golf course, all breaking their age.
In order, chronologically, Doug Dickey (age 93) posted an 81; Tom Dearing (79) had a 76; Rufus Dowell (79) shot 75; and the young one in the group, Bill Hammel, (75) had a 1-under 71.
That wasn’t all the heroics in one week at San Jose. A day after the foursome beat their age, Michael Del Rocco made an eagle-two at the par-4 18th hole, using a driver and a 7-iron from 406 yards. Three days later, he eagled the par-4 fourth hole, using a hybrid and sand wedge from 390 yards.
Flagler’s Henriette Stranda earns All-America
Flagler College senior Henriette Stranda capped a stellar college career by being named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Division II All-America team.
It was her third All-America honor in a row and joins former teammate Stella Jelinek as the school’s only three-time WGCA All-America selections.
Stranda finished with a No. 19 national ranking and earned first team All-Peach Belt Conference honors for the third time this year. The Kråkstad, Norway native won two tournaments and had six top 10 finishes and led the team with a 74.44 stroke average.
In three years at Flagler, Stranda finished among the top 10 in nearly 75 percent of her 31 starts, with 23 in all. She was among the top five 16 times and won four tournaments.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Area Golf Association announces 2026 scholarship recipients
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
