Hernando: Area players fade at end of tourney

Area players fade at end of tourney

By BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer

The North Suncoast's top professional players had a large part in the outcome of last weekend's St.Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn., but things didn't turn out so well for either.

GlenLakes resident Glen Hnatiuk earned the empathy of every fan who has watched a good round crumble. He blew a four-stroke lead on the final day and lost by six shots to Len Mattice, who carded a 5-under par on the back nine for a 69-68-65-64-266.

Hnatiuk, who finished with a 65-65-65-77-272, was attempting to become the 10th first-time winner on the tour this year. His last round included five bogeys, a double bogey and two birdies.

Mattice, seven strokes back at one point, crafted the biggest rally for victory on the PGA Tour since Davis Love III recovered from seven down to win the 2001 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

New Port Richey's Tim Petrovic could have forced a playoff hole on Sunday when he set up for a 35-foot putt on the 18th, but he pushed the shot wide to finish second with a 68.

Hnatiuk is sixth on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy (hitting 76.5 percent of fairways) and 17th in greens in regulation (67 percent). He ranks 89th on the money list with $405,792.

Hnatiuk's best performance has been a tie for eighth in the WorldCom Classic.

CASH: Kelly Lagedrost, a former state champion at Hernando High, earned $436 on June 30 with a tie for 31st in the Futures Tour Ann Arbor (Mich.) Classic. Lagedrost, 23, is 66th on the money list of the LPGA developmental circuit with $3,583 in 12 events. Her best finish has been a tie for eighth in her first pro competition, the Futures Golf Challenge, March 22-24 in Lakeland.

FOUR: Spring Hill's Howard Vaughn and partner Carl Sullivan (Zephyrhills) qualified for the Florida State Golf Association Four-Ball Championship by firing a 70 at Fox Hollow in New Port Richey. The tandem tied for the fifth and final spot. The Four-Ball Championship is scheduled for July 13-14 at TPC at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach. Paul Royak and Mike Walters (Tampa) were best at Fox Hollow with a 64. They were followed by Kevin Mock and Scott Sims (Tampa), 67; Jason Cranford and Gerald Richardson (Lakeland), 68; Randi Crooks (Tampa) and Frank Saxon (Clearwater), 68; and Vaughn-Sullivan. Joseph Cristillo and Feff Hartson (Crystal River) shot 70, but fell to second alternate in a playoff.

JUNIORS: Brooksville's Keegan Ledford and Ryan Armstrong withdrew after one round last week in the FSGA Junior Championship. Ledford, a rising junior at Hernando High, carded an 87 on the first day. Armstrong, a rising freshman for the Leopards, retired after opening with an 88.

Information from other news sources contributed to this report.