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Extra work all around in A-6 tournament

Three playoffs mark the event at Inverness Country Club, with only Saddlebrook being predictable.

INVERNESS - This district tournament had it all, from the predictable to playoffs.

The usual at Monday's Class A, District 6 tournament was Saddlebrook, taking the first step toward a third consecutive state title with a 35-shot victory over Citrus at Inverness Country Club.

The Spartans' 292 total featured a pair of 72s (Diego Tamayo and Kazuki Imura) and 74s (Phillip Lippy and Riccardo Davis).

The unusual? Try three separate playoffs, from medalist to team qualifiers and individual qualifiers.

Saddlebrook, Citrus (327) and Bushnell South Sumter (331) secured three regional tournament berths, but Hernando and Gulf both shot 342 to tie for the fourth and final spot. That meant a massive 10-man playoff, as the Leopards and Buccaneers sent their entire five-man teams out to settle matters.

"That was really weird," Hernando senior Ryan Armstrong said. "But it was fun though."

It turned out fun for Hernando, beating Gulf 19-24 on the playoff hole. The four low scores counted and the Leopards prevailed behind clutch par 4s from Armstrong and Zach Koch to advance to the regional a second straight year.

Once that was settled, three golfers faced sudden death for the fourth individual qualifying spot among players on nonqualifying teams. Pasco's Dustin Lycans, Zephyrhills' Eric Dokendorf and Gulf's Joe Giunta shot 83 in regulation, and Lycans prevailed in the playoff with par on the third hole.

"I was shaking the whole time," said Lycans, who shot 37 on the back nine after 46 on the front. "I had no idea this was going to happen."

The third playoff was between Saddlebrook's Tamayo and Imura for individual medalist, with Imura winning.

"They all played solid," coach Mark Hirschey said. "They don't want to not play well, they've got to go back to school and deal with the other kids, if they don't play well they'll hear it."

PALM HARBOR - Mitchell is back.

Back in the regional, that is, after tying East Lake for third at Monday's Class 2A, District 8 tournament at Tarpon Woods. Both teams shot 322, 18 strokes behind district champion Countryside and two behind runnerup Seminole.

Last year, the last scores to come in off the course pushed the Mustangs out of the top four.

This year, R.C. Hyatt's 77 led the team. After a playoff between the three other players tied his score he finished fifth overall. Cisbani had 78, Datoli 80 and Mark Salerno 87.

"It's our second trip in three years," Hyatt said. "I missed it last year so I'm really excited to be going back, especially as a team. We deserved it. We've had a rough year, but we earned it."

Dunedin's Preston Knox shot 73, then broke the tie with Countryside's Dustin Taylor in a playoff for the district title.

Pasco County also will be represented in the regional by Land O'Lakes' Spencer McIntosh, who shot 78 and won a playoff for eighth place, and Ridgewood's Phillip Marina, who also had 78. McIntosh missed the cut by two strokes last year and by one in 2002.

The senior will make his first trip to the Class 2A, Region 4 tourney at Tampa's Rogers Park Golf Course on Oct.25.

"(I feel) like a burden's been lifted off my shoulders," McIntosh said.

-JAMAL THALJI, Times staff writer

Through nine holes, Central's bid for a repeat regional tournament berth appeared stuck in the mud of Ironwood Golf Club in Gainesville.

But no one had a better back nine Monday than the Bears, as top players Austin Grey and Grey Gonzalez each shot even-par 36 to lift Central to a third-place finish, good enough to advance. The Bears' 314 trailed Gainesville Buchholz (299) and Gainesville (313), and Lecanto (317) secured the final team qualifying spot.

"We played kind of so-so, but we got through and that's what matters," Central coach Gary Morton said. "The way we came back was good, we were in deep trouble at the turn."

Lecanto's Bret Baliszewski tied for second among individuals with 73, with Grey shooting 75 and Gonzalez 77.

-JOHN SCHWARB, Times staff writer

TAMPA - In a tough battle with Chamberlain and Tony Diaz, Wesley Chapel and Cameron Knight finished a close second at the Rogers Park Golf Course.

Knight shot 75, just shy of the 74 medallist score by Diaz. Chamberlain edged Wesley Chapel 312-319 for the team title. Both teams qualified for the regional tournament, set for 8:30 a.m. Monday at Rogers Park.

"It was a rough match for me," Knight said. "I simply didn't play well. I will have to work on my putting before Monday. This is not bad for us though. We have a young team, with everyone coming back and Chamberlain has mostly seniors. They do have a very good team though."

Wesley Chapel coach Alan Black was pleased with his team and thinks they should improve next week on the same course.

"We shot a strong front nine today, but didn't do so well on the back except for (Kris) Struble," Black said. "He shot 43 on the front, then a 38 on the back. Monday we are going to have to eliminate some penalty shots and play a little more consistently. We will have to shoot below 310 to do well in the regional meet."

-TERRY JONES, Times correspondent