Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Golf

Kerper keeps eye on the trophy in amateur tourney

By Times Staff
Published July 12, 2005

Success breeds success.

For Safety Harbor's Rick Kerper , it was experiencing the final-day pressure of a big amateur tournament and coming out on top.

Kerper was among 92 players from across the state vying for the trophy in last week's Innisbrook Amateur. Everyone in the field has a handicap index of 12 or under. Kerper plays to 0 or scratch.

On the last day, Kerper was in a threesome with co-leader Jeff Neugebauer of Odessa. They posted identical scores of 72-71 in the first two rounds. Dunedin's Tom Perci val was in the final group by virtue of his opening 74-73.

Despite seeing his three-stroke lead after nine holes evaporate with a series of bogeys, Kerper made more pars and fewer mistakes on the Copperhead course's back nine to capture the coveted title by two strokes. He finished with 75 to Neugebauer's 77.

In last year's 49th annual Gasparilla Invitational at Palma Ceia, Kerper withstood the final-day pressure to win.

He said that knowledge helped him at Innisbrook.

"Having won before helps you to think more clearly and to focus," Kerper said. "You can definitely build on that experience."

But Kerper was trying to get a monkey off his back in this tournament. He was second in 1994, '97, '98 and last year.

Kerper, 47, a Countryside Country Club member and former Florida Southern player, didn't panic when he bogeyed No.10 and 11 this time while his main opponent was posting a birdie and par to even the score.

Kerper calmly regained the lead with a birdie on No.12. The deciding hole, however, was the long and narrow par-4 16th - a watery grave for many, including PGA Tour pros in the Chrysler Classic each fall.

Neugebauer faltered with a double bogey, and Kerper drained his breaking downhill 25-foot par putt to go three up with two holes to play.

"From that point on, I just tried to go for the center of the green," Kerper said. "My putting was the strength of my game all week. Jeff's strength was off the tee. He was long and straight."

INNISBROOK NOTES: Percival had a final-round 76 for 223 and a share of third with Orlando's Jeff Sunday .

Orlando's Jim Weick (224) was fourth. Danny Allen (226) of Palm Harbor and Eckerd College, Shalimar's Rusty Napier and Palm Harbor's Neil Vanleeuwen tied for fifth.

Defending champion Jason Elliott captured a share of 14th with 79-73-76-228.

Elliott, the Times 2003 Pinellas high school player of the year, said the two courses were tough after the week's intermittent rain.

His game wasn't up to par, Elliott said, because he hasn't been practicing or playing much since completing his USF season in May. Elliott and the Bulls move up to the Big East Conference next fall.

Kerper, who started playing the game at age 6 in his hometown of East Hanover, N.J., offered some advice on putting.

"Speed is everything," he said. "Trust your stroke and get away from mechanics."

Kerper's favorite in next week's British Open is lefty Phil Michelson . "I'd like to see Tiger ( Woods ) in the hunt," he said. "But my favorite PGA Tour player is John Huston . I play with him occasionally."

Kerper's alma mater, Florida Southern, has won the NCAA Division II championship with future PGA Tour stars such as two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen , Marco Dawson and Rocco Mediate .

Doug Laseter , the Innisbrook Amateur director, estimated that the age range of this year's field was 18-66.

SCRAMBLES: A 14-under 58 at Dunedin Country Club held up for the winning team in the Dunedin High School baseball team fund-raiser.

The members were Chuck Jones , Phil Wyllie , Michael Donner and Chris McGrath .

At Largo Golf Course, 10-under 52 won the June 25 bi-monthly match for John Eppard and Al Spyies of Clearwater, Seminole's Don Goble and Largo's Steve Hensley .

JUNIORS: Oldsmar's Whitney Wenglasz competed in the Nike Quad Cities Classic last week in Long Grove, Iowa. The AJGA circuit event was for the nation's top teenagers.

With a 74-72-74 for a 4-over 220, the Northside Christian player finished second and a stroke behind In-Ah Park of Las Vegas.

PROS: Tampa's Dawn Coe-Jones tied for fourth in the recent Hy-Vee Classic in Johnston, Iowa, with a two-round 142.

St.Petersburg's Marilyn Lovander , 50, received a share of 15th (146) in the LPGA event for members 47-and-older.

In last weekend's LPGA Corning Classic in Toledo, Ohio, Lovander placed 10th with a 6-under 278.

RECOGNITION: The Innisbrook Troon Golf Institute has been named among the nation's top 25 schools, based on a poll of readers conducted by Golf Magazine .

The institute finished 13th in the survey of 3,700 alumni of various schools.

Lew Smither III is the Innisbrook school's director of instruction. The staff includes Jay Overton , Dawn Mercer and Linzy Clark .

REPRESENTATION: Seminole's Brittany Lincicome , a LPGA Tour rookie, has a professional courtesy agreement to represent St.Petersburg Country Club this year and next.

The club has a Major Contender Program involving aspiring pros. Lincicome has use of the course, displays the club's logo on her golf bag, plays with members during the off season and conducts clinics at the club.

Lincicome is in Nova Scotia for the Canadian Women's Open starting Thursday.

REGISTRATION: It's not too soon to sign up for the Innisbrook Back to School Classic I, a tournament with separate divisions for prep boys and middle school boys and girls.

It will be played Aug.13-14 on the Highlands North and South courses. The entry fee is $90. For information, call (727) 942-5557.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Thursday's County Golf Association match has been relocated from Seminole Lake to Clearwater Country Club.

The competition is expected to start at 8:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Register online at www.countygolf.com or call 727 530-7226.

[Last modified July 12, 2005, 01:26:22]