CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Jan. 6, 2023) — A year ago, Jay Brooks stood on the precipice of becoming a rare wire-to-wire winner at the Junior Orange Bowl International golf championships until getting chased down at the end by Nicholas Prieto’s sizzling final 65.

Twelve months later, Brooks was never any closer to the lead than three shots after any round — until Friday.

“Today was exactly the opposite,” marveled the South Florida teen, whose blistering start Friday set the stage for a role reversal and a bit of delayed gratification.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Jan. 5, 2023) — For many a Junior Orange Bowl International golfer coming from outside Florida, one of the toughest adjustments is getting used to the grainy greens seen in the region.

Marco Florioli tried a different remedy for that on Thursday.

“Think less and just play,” said Florioli, who mingled that philosophy with some strong iron play to surge past Puerto Rico’s Kelvin Hernandez and stand 18 holes away from becoming the Junior Orange Bowl’s second Italian boys’ champion in a four-year span.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Jan. 4, 2023) — Kelvin Hernandez and Vincent Stjernfeldt began Round 2 at the Junior Orange Bowl International golf championships with a four-shot cushion over anybody else in the boys’ division.

Within an hour, troublesome starts left each lumped back among the rest of their rivals.