Belleair gets on a roll for Interclub victory

Everyone came through for Belleair Country Club in the Pinellas Men's Interclub match last month at Lansbrook.

The 10-member team, divided into pairs in a better-ball format, shot a whopping 26 under its quota to win by 17 strokes.

On the strength of Belleair pro member Jim Slattery's 5-under 67, he and partner Eli Chinonis recorded a 64.

The club's other four twosomes did even better.

With handicaps, Bill Cummings and Erik Pierce produced with a 59, the best of the day among the 10 clubs. Fred Barry and Cecil Rowe shot 61, and Martin Purdy and Marv Zoromski and partners Dave Ball and Doug Jones each posted a 63. "We were in shock realizing we did so well," said Slattery, who has been at Belleair since graduating from Florida State in 1985.

"As a team, we haven't been doing so well," he said. "Now, after eight matches, we may challenge for the Jim Ainsworth Trophy, given to the playoff tournament runner-up."

Slattery had two eagles and three birdies in his round. He reached the par-5 second and 16th holes in two, then sank putts of 15 and six feet.

The most memorable hole was the par-4 18th where he drove into a fairway bunker, then into the water from a bad lie.

"I took off my shoes and socks and went after it," said Slattery, whose best competitive round is a 7-under 65 in a North Florida PGA event. "My third shot held the green, and I made the putt for the par."

The win moved Belleair from 10th in the 12-club standings to eighth. Only May and June matches remain on the schedule.

Cypress Run, in its first year in the league, maintains its lead. Following are Innisbrook, East Lake Woodlands, Lansbrook and Seminole Lake.

INTERCLUB NOTES: The Vinoy's Randy Mosley logged a 68, Steve Martin of Cypress Run a 71, and Innisbrook's Chris Slattery, Jim's brother, a 75 to round out the top pro scores.

Among amateur pairs, Mike Well and Jim Pullen of Innisbrook tied for second with a better-ball 61.

Cypress Run will play host to the May 23 match. It starts at 12:30 p.m.

TWIN BROOKS: Tim McFadden of St. Petersburg was the big winner in the municipal par-3 course's annual One Club Tournament.

Using a pitching wedge, McFadden, 42, shot 6-over 60 to top Stu Epley by eight-plus strokes. McFadden had three birdies in his round, including a successful putt from 12 feet.

Last year, he came in third with a 64. Steve Hensley fired a 59 for the victory.

"I practiced a lot with that wedge, and it paid off," McFadden said. "The $40 gift certificate I won enabled me to buy a new glove and more golf balls."

BENEFIT TOURNAMENT: The annual Boys and Girls Club of Tarpon Springs had 116 competitors at Silver Dollar Golf Club last month, raising nearly $6,000.

The winning team carded a 13-under 59 in the scramble format. The players were Mike Kouskoutis, Blake Ferrell, Nick Gerakious and John Magoulis. Members of the Tarpon Springs Police Department took second, 60. They were Jeff Young, Mike Young, Ed Miller and Kris Walguarvery.

STATE SENIORS: Joe Cristillo of Crystal River won last month's FSGA senior title at Forest Country Club in Fort Myers.

He posted a 71-73-77-221.

The top area finishers, tied at 225, were Brandon's Skip Lujack (73-77-75) and Dade City's Gary Petit (73-78-74). Clearwater's Rick Anderson shot 235.

Bill Meehan of Treasure Island finished seventh in the Super Senior division, 78-81-82-241. PRO TOUR: Dan Stone, who played at St. Petersburg High School and was a two-time All-American at Florida, finished second in a Hooters Tour event in Oklahoma last month.

He carded a 7-under 277 (70-68-60-69), collecting $9,000.

U.S. OPEN QUALIFIERS: Tampa's Doug LaCrosse, the 2000 Florida State Golf Association Player of the Year, will tee it up at Innisbrook's Island course today in one local qualifier.

Joe Alfieri of Lutz, the FSGA's top player last year, has entered Monday's qualifier at Hunter's Green.

In all, 8,468 golfers will be in first-round qualifiers nation-wide at 105 sites, 17 in Florida. Successful local qualifiers move on to a sectional, one of which is Old Memorial in Tampa on June 6.

The U.S. Open is June 13-16 at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. CGA: Tampa's Kevin Mock, the 1998 champion of the New Year's Invitational at Lakewood Country Club, was a two-time winner in the County Golf Association last month.

He shot a 72 at Seminole Lake and a 3-under 69 at Plantation Palms.

In the senior division of the Seminole Lake match, Dennis Williams and Greg Hamlin tied at 71. Eagles were made by Steve Perry, on the 12th; and Dalan Farren, 13th.

DID YOU KNOW? That Jim Thorpe, winner of the season's first Senior Tour major two weeks ago at Countrywide Tradition in Arizona, attended Morgan State University on a football scholarship. He was a running back. PUTTING: Pat Livingston, the Belleview Biltmore Resort's director of golf, has developed a step-by-step outline for becoming a better putter.

He advises using a pendulum stroking motion from the shoulders:

1. Place the ball in the middle front part of your stance. 2. Keep your eye on the ball, not the putting blade, as you stroke the ball. 3. Use the reverse overlap grip.

4. Keep the blade low on your back swing and low following through. 5. Accelerate through the ball. 6. Keep your left wrist moving toward the hole after striking the ball.

7. Keep your head still while making your stroke. 8. Keep your eyes directly over the ball. 9. Have the brand name of the ball on the line to the hole to help with direction.

COLLEGE: South Alabama teammates Ryan Gildersleeve (Clearwater High) and Matt Lemma (East Lake) each shot a 3-over 219 for three rounds and tied for third in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Gildersleeve, the Jaguars' No. 1 player, had a hole-in-one. More importantly, his team won the tournament's title and will advance to an NCAA regional, May 16-18.

COUNTY GOLF: In last week's CGA better-ball-of-pair match at Cypress Run, Mitch Bentley and Bill Pawlicki won with a 4-under 68. Ken Palladino and Dalan Farren were the runners-up, 72.

In the senior division, Dennis Williams and Bruce Lauer combined for a winning score of 70. Jim Hunter and Dave Derrick and partners Wayne Mateer and Bob Hamilton tied at 71.

COMING UP: Greenbrook Nursing and Rehab Center is having a fund-raising tournament 12:30 p.m. May 18 at Isla del Sol for the American Lung Association.

The entry fee is $300 per foursome. For information, call Sandy Alexander, 557-1108.

The Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association will celebrate its 25th anniversary in honor of founder Rob Gamester on May 19 at Westchase Country Club.

There will be a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and a 1 p.m. shotgun scramble that is followed by dinner.

For information or to make reservations, call (813) 988-2000 or e-mail

rowens5@tampabay.rr.com.

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