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From modest golfer to state champion

A Bloomingdale High student has a breakout performance at the recent state 2A tournament.

By BRYAN BURNS
Published November 18, 2005

VALRICO - Bloomingdale High School junior golfer Robby Carl doesn't like to talk about his game too much.

Trying to get him to open up is similar to trying to make the green out of a sand trap 200 yards from the pin.

Perhaps it's this quiet, unassuming nature that allowed Carl to sneak up on the field at the state 2A golf tournament.

Carl let his game do the talking for him, shooting an opening round 73 and following that with a one-under par 71 at Vero Beach's Sandridge Golf Course to take home the state championship last week. His two-day total of 144 was two shots better than second-place finisher Devin Spies of Sarasota.

So, how do you think Carl reacted when he learned he had won the state championship?

"I was pretty happy," Carl replied.

You don't say.

"I was a little surprised," said Bloomingdale head coach Brack Harris. "Brad Schneider probably had the lower nine-hole average on the team."

Schneider, also a junior at Bloomingdale, held a three-tenths scoring advantage over Carl during the regular season, averaging 38.14 over nine holes to Carl's 38.44. Schneider shot 149 (78 and 71) to place ninth at the state tournament. Bloomingdale shot 312 and 304 as a team, tying them with Countryside in Clearwater for fourth place

"At the state tournament, he just had a couple of good days," Harris said of Carl's performance. "You never know if and when a kid is going to come into his own."

In a pivotal moment during the tournament's second day, Carl was one-under but appeared to be in trouble on the par four, 17th hole when his tee shot sailed right, landing close to several trees. His second shot cleared all the trees but the last one and settled in the rough about 40 yards from the pin.

Carl needed to get up-and-down to save par and maintain his lead. He chipped his third shot onto the green, about 12 feet from the hole, and sank the putt to save par. After making par on the final hole, Carl finished the day one-under to secure the state championship.

"(The course) was kind of tight and short," Carl said. "I usually hit the ball pretty straight, but the course was so short that I could still hit short irons into the green.

"I hit the ball better (at the state tournament) than I had been. I didn't expect to win going into the tournament. I wanted to play the best I could and make the top 10."

Carl, by his own admission, hadn't been as consistent during the regular season as he would have liked. Asked what went wrong early in the season, Carl replied: "Everything."

The junior golfer, however, turned it on late in the season, winning the district title and leading his team to the district championship over Plant City. Both teams entered the District 11 tournament undefeated but Bloomingdale edged the Raiders by four shots to take the district crown.

"It seemed like every year, Robby would start out slow and then get better as the year progressed," Bloomingdale head coach Brack Harris said. "He won most improved golfer his first two years on the team."

Bloomingdale finished second after a playoff at the regional tournament to earn a berth in the state tournament.

Carl trains with his personal coach after school for two to three hours during the week and for up to six hours on weekends and during the summer. He competes in junior tournaments throughout the year and hopes to earn a scholarship to play collegiate golf. It's still early in the decision process, but, initially, he is looking at the University of Florida, Florida Southern, and Rollins College.

"I think he may be on the edge of going from a good golfer to an outstanding golfer," Harris said.

As for next season, Carl is direct about his chances to repeat as state champion.

"I hope I can do it."

Well said.

[Last modified November 17, 2005, 08:15:09]