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Spartans coast without their top two

Saddlebrook tops Wharton by 16 strokes while giving some other golfers a look.

By ROD GIPSON
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 9, 2002

SADDLEBROOK -- With its top two players taking the day off and the search on for solid backups, Saddlebrook had three golfers break 40 on Tuesday en route to a 16-stroke victory over Wharton.

Saddlebrook's Nos. 1 and 2, senior Martin Ureta and sophomore G.W. Kim, sat out as coach Neil Postlethwait evaluated his Nos. 4 and 5 golfers.

Playing without No. 2 player David Tiffenberg, Wharton's lineup included two sophomores as coach John Benson also evaluated his team's depth. Mike Giammaresi led the Wildcats with a 2-over 37, buoyed by two birdies but hindered by a double bogie on the last hole.

"The last tournament we played, I played really well," said Giammaresi, a senior battling a sore right arm. "But today I hit the ball good. I started strong and played pretty well."

"We had too many excuses today," said Benson. "And we have to be more consistent. Saddlebrook played the way they are supposed to and we should be shooting better scores."

Giammaresi was the lone Wildcat to break 40. Barrett White and Les Baron each shot 43 and Patrick Gibson 44.

Saddlebrook (4-1-1) posted three scores under 40. Joo Won Ko birdied the par-5, 511-yard 14th hole on his way to a match-low 36. Song Won Jeon shot 37, Luis Freeman 38 and Kyung Chong 40.

"We feel pretty good about where we are right now," Postlethwait said. "We've got about six guys in the mix for our lower spots. We like our depth and feel good about the rest of the season."

For Wharton, the rest of the regular season can't come fast enough.

Facing a higher level of competition in the regular season -- Wharton has teed up against Orlando's Lake Highland Prep, Jesuit and Berkeley Prep in addition to Saddlebrook -- the Wildcats record has suffered but their confidence and course management skills have improved.

"It's been a little bit of an awakening," said Benson, who guided the Wildcats to an eighth-place finish last season in the Class 2A state tournament. "We have exposed ourselves to more difficult courses and top-tier players.

"But come the regionals and the state tournament, they will be on tough courses and hopefully we'll be ready to play like top-tier players."

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