Sienna Mosquera picks up another win on Hurricane Junior Tour
Sienna Mosquera captured her second title of the year on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour in Florida at the weekend.
The Mike Bender Golf Academy student beat a formidable field to win the girls division in the Walt Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista by three shots with an even-par 144.
“It felt amazing to win the Walt Disney Classic and to record my lowest two-day scores of 71 and 73, shooting even par,” an elated Mosquera told The Royal Gazette.
“It actually felt easier shooting low these two rounds as everything I was intending to do just kept working out really well. It was a great feeling.
“This tournament had a strong field of players, including Jamaica’s No. 1 player who had won the Caribbean Junior Amateur Championships, in which I competed last July. It also had players from a total of nine different countries, so it really was a great field to be competing against.”
The 18-year-old topped the leaderboard by one shot after carding a one-under 71 in the opening round, which included four birdies and three bogeys.
Mosquera was one-over at the turn but was flawless on the back nine, which she played in two-under after carding her second and third birdies of the round.
“When I got a bogey on holes 2 and 3, I told myself to just keep good patience and I kept reading my notes and repeating my routine, which is when the birdies started to come,” she said.
Mosquera took the lead with a birdie at the par-3 16th and parred the last two holes to finish a round under par for the first time at this level.
“The nerves started to kick in on 17 when I realised I had a good chance of breaking par today, which I have never done,” she said. “ When I started to feel my nerves and excitement I made sure to just breathe and broke par.”
Mosquera, whose second-round 73 contained two birdies and three bogeys, led the field by one shot heading to the par-4 18th hole in the final round and sealed victory in dramatic fashion after rattling in a 15ft birdie putt.
The promising golfer attributes her recent success to the improvements that she has made to the mental side of her game.
“I’ve been working a lot with my mental coach on how to achieve this and I am definitely starting to get a better feel of learning how to remain patient and relaxed, which is not always easy to do but it’s something I’m working really hard on and I’m getting better with,” Mosquera said.
“I also didn’t pay attention to the leaderboard during my play, which just helps me keep the focus on my game.”
Mosquera’s other victory on tour came at the Mission Inn Junior Open and her first podium finish came at the Lake Buena Vista Junior Open, in which she placed third.
Canadian Jeri Lafleche finished runner-up in the girls division at the Walt Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista, with compatriots Alexandra Botsis and Natalie Catapano tied for third, a farther two shots back.