It was thanks to two birdies and an eagle on his final four holes that Émile Lebrun of Laval won the South Florida Junior Circuit Championship on Sunday. And on the way to his victory he defeated none other than Charlie Woods, the son of a certain Tiger Woods, who has been causing a stir for years.
The 16-year-old golfer ended the PGA of America Junior Tour season in the Sunshine State the same way he started it last January with a win.
Lebrun, a promising player from the prestigious Club Laval-sur-le-Lac, signed a second and final card of 69 (-2) after the one of 68 (-3) on Saturday at The Park West Palm golf club.
Wild return
In the middle of a race with Woods and Cameron Kuchar, the son of Matt Kuchar, a veteran who plays on the PGA circuit, the Quebecer started his day with a bogey. He added two more in a row early in the back nine before stepping on the accelerator. From the 13th to the 18th flag, he scored three sparrows and an eagle to erase his other two bogeys.
With Matt Kuchar watching all day, the golfer scored an eagle on the 18th, which also allowed him to beat young Oscar Crowe by two strokes to better enjoy the victory.
Lebrun beat Kuchar by four strokes and Woods by five. The son of the famous golfer also achieved his best season performance during this stretch with 82 career titles, including 15 majors. In two weeks, Charlie and Tiger will once again compete in the PNC Championship, a tournament where the young golfer has been turning heads for the past three years.
Charlie Woods on the fairways of Park West Palm Golf Club, Florida. Photo courtesy of the South Florida Professional Golf Association
News of Lebrun’s victory spread on social media. The family declined an interview request made that morning.
In his 2024 season, in addition to his two victories in Florida, the young golfer took second place in the emblematic Alexandre de Tunis and Duke of Kent tournaments. In August, he placed 24th in the Canadian Amateur Championship at the impressive Pulpit Golf Club in suburban Toronto.