Dr. Phillips High boys golf standout Brendan Valdes shot rounds of 70 and 68 for a 6-under-par total of 138 at Mission Inn to win Tuesday in the Orlando qualifier for this fall’s Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship.
Valdes, a rising senior committed to Auburn, added the title to a strong resume. He placed fifth in the FHSAA high school state tournament last fall. He was 10th as a freshman and 11th as a sophomore in Class 3A.
Caden Burr of Windermere High shot 70-69—139 to tie for second in the tournament. Winter Park rising senior Michael Mays rallied on the second day to place fourth at 74-67—141 and also punched his ticket to the national event that is scheduled for Nov.