Milton teen places first in national tournament

MILTON — Elise Schultz took home the gold last month as she placed first in the girl's 14-18 division of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour LPGA Junior Open in Daytona Beach. Schultz won after shooting a last round of 70 to win by five stokes.

 A recent graduate of Pace High School, Schultz has competed in the tournament for several years and has won five previous competitions. She said this win is especially memorable for her as it will be the last time she can compete in the tournament. 

"I (am) really happy with this," Schultz said. "It's nice to finish with a win."

Schultz said she began playing golf eight years ago after she watched her father do it for a number of years. While it has always been something she has enjoyed doing, she said she doesn't plan on playing professionally.

Schultz said she only had one goal when she began playing golf eight years ago.

"My goal was to play in college," she said.

And that is a goal she has managed to achieve. This year, Schultz received a scholarship to attend the University of Arkansas where she will be playing golf.

Even though golf has been a hobby for Schultz, she said she has one piece of advice for anyone interested in the sport.

"Stick with the game and do what makes you happy," she said.

Schultz's parents said that they were extremely proud of her work as a student athlete and were looking forward to watching her next steps as a collegiate golfer.

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour was founded in 2007 with the intention of providing junior golfers from the ages of 8 to 18 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. The tournament was made up of a 36-hole format with a field of six divisions that included the Tiger Woods Division Boys 16-18, Will Smith Division Boys 14-15, Ernie Els Division Boys 11-13, Bryson DeChambeau boys 10 and Under, Justin Timberlake Division Girls 14-18 and Justin Rose Girls 13 and Under division.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton teen places first in national tournament