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Largo teammates share girls Back To School crown

By Times Staff
Published August 16, 2005

It's unusual when a tournament ends in a tie. But that's what happened in the girls division of the Innisbrook Back To School Classic last weekend.

On top of that, co-winners Andrea Messer and Evan Jensen of Belleair are close friends and Largo High School team members.

The tie didn't come easily.

Jensen opened with 2-under 69 on the Highlands South course and finished with 3-over 73 at Highlands North on Sunday for 142. The original deadlock came about after Messer posted 72-70.

An afternoon playoff ensued on the par-4 18th. Somewhat weary form the oppressive heat, the practice partners and teammates proceeded to bogey the first time then made a double bogey in their attempt to break the tie.

But poetic justice prevailed, as threatening weather forced tourney director Doug Laseter to halt the duel and declare the girls co-champions.

"I'm glad we didn't have to continue playing because we were playing so awful," said Messer, who - like Jensen - is a sophomore.

Maria Castellanos of Stuart placed third (146) and was followed by Windemere's Nathada Huachai (148) and Northside Christian teammates Danielle Jackson (151) and Sophie Dembroski (157).

Davis Miller , a Tampa Prep senior, carded 70-69 for 2-under 139 to capture the boys high school crown. He had to overcome a two-stroke deficit after Saturday's first round when Dunedin's Jhared Hack produced 3-under 68.

Though Miller didn't qualify for the final threesome, he kept chipping away and dropping putts to win by a stroke over Zach Walters of Countryside High.

"I thought it might be my day when, on my second hole, my 12-foot putt hung on the lip for a second then fell in for a birdie," Miller said.

"I figured I needed a few more birdies because I knew I had to break par to win," he said.

"This win does a lot for my confidence," Miller said. "And as a team, we have five solid players back so we're ready for the high school campaign."

P.J. Kolosvary , Walters' teammate at Countryside, finished at 69-72-141. Trailing were Dan Dumala of Temple Terrace, 69-73-142; and Hack, then there was a 146 tie between Tampa's Matt Cooney and Clearwater's Mark Wilkins .

In the boys middle school competition, Taylor Hancock of Clearwater crafted the round of the day, a 3-under 67 on Highlands North, to secure a 143 win.

Hancock, who competes for Skycrest Christian School, said his iron play and steady putting helped produce the sub-par round, his lowest ever.

"I had a 69 at Doral (Miami) last year," Hancock said. "But I've been working with teaching pro Jim Smith (Missing Links) a lot. That has helped my game, plus Little League baseball season is over so now I'm concentrating on golf."

St.Petersburg's M.J. Maguire took second (147), and Riverview's Ian McConnell was third (150).

The middle school girls division turned in the most outstanding result. Dakoda Dowd of Palm Harbor took the title by 18 strokes over Dunedin's Justine Knox .

Dowd, a member of last year's state champion Northside Christian team, shot 73-74 in a field of five.

She played from the same tees as the high school class, in which her score was the fourth best. Dowd's opening round qualified her to play the final 18 in the same threesome with Jensen and Messer.

Overall, the tournament attracted a record 83 players.

MORE JUNIORS: Kent Graham , an Admiral Farragut Academy junior, competed in the Re/Max Long-Drive Championships last week in Blaine, Minn.

After qualifying in California with a 348-yard drive, his best (320) in the semifinal round was good for fifth. Four advanced to the final, and a 400-yard drive won for a Canadian in the 16-18 division.

FUTURES TOUR: Clearwater's Jenny Gleason finished strong in the Betsy Puskar Classic in Morgantown, W.Va., on Sunday. A 4-under 68 moved her up to a tie for ninth from a deadlock for 39th after 36 holes.

Gleason remains in fifth place on the money list with $33,746, barely ahead of Nicole Castrale 's $33,650. Both have won twice this year. The top five qualify for full exemption on the 2006 LPGA Tour. Last season, Malinda Johnson was fifth ($35,356).

The next match is scheduled for this weekend in Queenstown, Md., and the finale is the four-round YWCA Futures Classic in York, Pa., that starts Aug.24.

STATE MID-SENIOR: David Sutton of Maitland won the FSGA Championship for men 40-and-older with a final-round 4-under 68 at World Golf Village in St.Augustine last weekend. Sutton shot 211 for 54 holes in a field of 70 players.

Oldsmar's Vic Morelli tied for 24th with 74-77-74-225. Jim Brandvik of Belleair (225) tied for 31st, and Clearwater's Peter Jones (231) received a share of 43rd.

CGA: Dan Rupp was the big winner at Isla Del Sol last week, shooting 1-under 71. Jim Bakos captured net honors with 63, two strokes ahead of Tony Bakos .

Dennis Williams prevailed in the senior division at 74, two up on Wayne Mateer . John Erickson 's 61 topped the net competition.

REGIONAL AMATEURS: St.Petersburg's Mike Barbosa , a junior for top-ranked Georgia Tech, fired a 5-under 65 at the Cardinal Amateur in Greensboro, N.C., on Sunday to finish with a three-round 207 and in fourth place.

The 65 tied Barbosa's career best. He was the defending champion in the major tournament, which draws the best players from the South.

CALADESI OPEN: The fund-raiser to support Caladesi Island State Park was played Saturday at Lansbrook. In a field of 62 golfers, 10-under 62 took first in the scramble. The members of the winning team, all from Clearwater, were Tom Greenawalt , Bob Ingram , Don Swary and Jay Walsh .

TAP-INS: Joe Kraus has been appointed the assistant pro at Westin Innisbrook Resort. He moved from Temecula, Calif.

The Tarpon Woods Pro-Am is scheduled for Friday at noon. The format is two-best balls, gross and net, of each foursome. The entry fee is $95. For information, call the pro shop, 784-7606.

The Sam Parks Junior Invitational is set for Aug.27-28 at Belleair Country Club.

[Last modified August 16, 2005, 01:29:18]