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Buc limits mistakes, advances

TAMPA -- Berkeley Prep's Ty Callahan doesn't pick any specific number to shoot for when he tees it up in an important tournament. Instead, the Berkeley Prep senior tries to stick with one simple goal.

"My main thing is to try to not make too many stupid mistakes," Callahan said.

Monday at Westchase Golf Course, Callahan didn't make too many of those as he easily walked away with the individual medalist honors, shooting three-under par 69. He beat Clearwater Central Catholic's Rodrigo Suarez-Mendez by three shots.

"I hit it pretty good, I was really stuffing it in there pretty close," Callahan said. "I had four birdies on the front and my longest putt was six feet."

Callahan's biggest problem came at No. 8, a par-5 on which he knocked his drive in the water when somebody near the tee box put a golf cart in reverse just before he swung. He carded a double bogey on and added a bogey on the par-3 No. 15 when his ball jumped out of a ball mark and away from the hole as he tried to tap in. But those were his only two missteps of the day.

"A seven on a par-5 is kind of ridiculous for me," Callahan said. "If not for those two, I'd probably shoot 66 or 67."

Callahan led the Bucs to their fourth consecutive district title and will travel to Harder Hall Golf Course in Sebring Monday for the regional tournament and a chance to advance to state.

The Bucs won the team title with a total score of 307, six better than CCC. Tampa Prep was third and Jesuit was fourth, rounding out the teams that advanced to the regional tournament.

Jason Gemminger from Cambridge Prep, Jay Azzarelli from Tampa Catholic, Calvary Christian's Greg Smith and Osceola's Ryan Koch also advanced to the regional tournament as individual qualifiers.

-- MIKE READLING

Wildcats glide into regional

TAMPA -- The toughest thing about beating Wharton is that it has five guys who can shoot around par for any given 18 holes.

One has a bad day, somebody else is there to pick up the team.

Or, as in Monday's Class 2A District 9 tournament, just about everybody plays well and it's a blowout.

When the last scorecard was signed at Carrollwood Golf Club, the Wildcats had 305, 18 ahead of Chamberlain (323) and 25 in front of Sickles, Gaither and Plant (330).

Wharton's David Tiffenberg won medalist with 1-over 73 and was followed by teammates Patrick Gibson (third, 75), Leslie Baron (78), Barrett White (79) and Mike Giammaresi (79).

Giammaresi, the Times' Hillsborough County player of the year in 2001, was the only Wildcat to struggle.

"It was his putting," Wharton coach John Benson said. "The greens were tough out there today. They were inconsistent. One green would be hard and fast, the next might be soft and furry.

"(Giammaresi) told me he had eight three-putts, which is unbelievable for him. He's a good putter, but today they just weren't dropping for him."

The Wildcats advanced to Monday's regional tournament at Hunter's Green, their home course.

"I think you'll see some better putting out there," Benson said. "I can almost guarantee it."

Moving with Wharton to regionals is Chamberlain, Sickles and Gaither, the latter two earning passes by winning a one-hole, sudden-death playoff over Plant.

After tying at 330 in the 18-hole match, Sickles, Gaither and Plant teed off on the par-4, No. 1 hole with five players each. Sickles and Gaither finished the hole even and 2-over respectively to earn the two qualifying spots.

Plant didn't make it as a team, but the Panthers did qualify two players as individuals, Cameron Taylor and Mark Woodroffe. Taylor placed second overall with 74, and Woodroffe shot 77.

Chamberlain, a preseason favorite to challenge Wharton, continues to show promise and to confound at the same time.

The Chiefs' top two players Monday were freshman Brad Brunner and sophomore Kennedy Fisher, who each shot 79. Junior teammate T.C. Seibert, who almost averaged par as a freshman, struggled with 87.

"I'm happy to finish second and move onto regionals, but I also know that we can play better," Chamberlain coach Hank Bontrager said. "And unless we play better in the regionals we won't be going to state.

"But I'm an optimist, and I think we'll play better next week."

-- SCOTT PURKS

Lakeland captures the championship

WINTER HAVEN -- Lakeland edged Plant City by two shots Monday to capture the Class 2A, District 10 boys championship.

Both teams, along with Winter Haven and Durant, earned berths in Monday's regional tournament at Hunters Greene Golf Course in North Tampa.

Winter Haven senior Joey Knapek shot 70 for district medalist. Riverview's Matt Colson was second with 72.

"The greens were rolling pretty good today, and what little wind we had didn't have any affect on my long ball," Knapek said. "This was my second year of winning the individual district championship, and I hope I shoot better than the 74 I shot last year at the regional. I'd say I was satisfied with most of my performance today."

Even though Colson's team didn't place in the top four, he qualified for the regional. The top four individuals not on teams that advanced also earned berths.

"My drive was working pretty good today, but my short game was off," Colson said. "I will be working on my short game between now and next Monday."

Lakeland coach Bill Joyner's team is 24-3.

"We didn't do as well as we should have," Joyner said. "Our No. 1 player (Shane Kelley) averages 37, and he shot a 43 on the front nine, and some of the other guys didn't play up to their averages.

"I hope we just play up to our capacity next week."

Plant City entered the tournament 16-0. Coach Gary Brady said his squad did well, and can do better.

"Last year we were third in the district tournament, down by nine strokes," Brady said. "I think we were ready today.

"Last Saturday we came here to this course to play a practice round and have lunch together. It helped us to know the course a little and brought us together mentally. We plan to do the same thing Saturday for the Hunters Greene Course."

-- TERRY JONES

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