Nicholas Prieto of Miami, stormed back in the final round to win the Junior Orange Bowl International. The 2021 Rolex Junior All-American opened the tournament with a 2-over-par 73, leaving him eight back of the lead. With three rounds still to play, Prieto kept his composure and started working his way back into contention. The University of South Florida commit rebounded from his over-par opening 18 with back-to-back rounds of 2-under-par 69 to get in shouting distance. Prieto entered the final round at 2-under-par 211 and six strokes back of fellow AJGA golfer Jay Brooks. As daunting as that deficit may have seemed, it didn't change Prieto's gameplan. Focusing on the things he could control, Prieto went on to fire a bogey-free 6-under-par 65 which was enough for the come-from-behind win at 8-under-par 276. Prieto has competed in AJGA tournaments since 2020 with his best finish being T3 at the 2021 Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior honoring Jim Bell.
Maria Jose Marin Negrete of Colombia, got redemption at the Junior Orange Bowl International. After finishing fourth in 2021, Marin Negrete opened the 2022 tournament with a 1-over-par 72 and an even-par 71 in round two. Knowing she had only two rounds left to climb the leaderboard, Marin Negrete made a huge move in the third round. The 2021 Junior All-Star Team member fired a bogey-free 8-under-par 63 that featured four straight birdies to open her round. Not only did this give Marin Negrete sole possession of the lead, but it was also the lowest round of the tournament. From there, Marin Negrete set her sights on closing out the victory, which she ultimately earned by three shots at 8-under-par 276 after closing it out with a 1-under-par 70. Marin Negrete has only competed in two AJGA tournaments, but she's already made her mark, winning both of them (2021 Harold Varner III Foundation Junior All-Star and the 2021 Junior Golf Hub Junior All-Star).