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Golf

Steady Root keeps big lead to win seniors

Pressure comes in different forms.

By Times Staff
Published January 10, 2006

While a gallery of 50 to 100 followed the top foursome in Sunday's final round of the New Year's Invitational at St. Petersburg Country Club, another title was being contested among the top four seniors, playing virtually alone.

Luke List 's victory over the University of Tennessee's Jonathan Mount and Ben Spickard - plus 54-hole leader Eric West of Bermuda - came down to the wire.

List birdied the par-5 16th and 158-yard 17th to take a three-stroke lead and virtually clinch the coveted 80th tournament title at that point.

In the senior division defending champion Doug Root , 56, teed it up Sunday with a nine-stroke lead over tournament director Richard Hope . Both are members of the host club.

Root shot a final-round 3-over 75 to win by 10 strokes over runnerup Christopher "Kit" James of Idaho, whose final-round 74 gave him a 312 total.

Root, who plays to a 2 handicap, said having a big lead going into the final day creates a different kind of pressure.

"Having a lead like that on the final day is not as easy as you might think," he said. "Because if you blow a nine-stroke lead people will talk about that for 10 years. ... I was 3-over on Sunday, which wasn't bad. But Sunday was the only mild day. On the other three, especially Friday, the cold winds were strong and had a major effect on scores."

Root added that those conditions, plus the speed of the greens and the pin placements, were why his winning score, 302, was considerably higher than last year when he won at 288.

TOURNAMENT NOTES: James grew up in the bay area. Root is mortgage broker with Wachovia Securities.

West, 22, the 54-hole leader in the overall and mid-am divisions after shooting 68 in the third round, saw his seven stroke lead over Dalton Melnyk evaporate on Sunday. He shot 79; Melnyk shot 70 to win the mid-am trophy by two. Melnyk, a former Gator living in Atlanta, finished at 286.

Ryan Cockman , the 2005 St. Petersburg City champion, finished with 72 to take fifth in the mid-am division.

Holes-in-one were scored by Gator Toby Ragland on Saturday on the 189-yard No.4, and on Sunday by Ryan Lafevre of Georgia Southern on the 167-yard 14th.

List, a preseason all-American at Vanderbilt, told head pro Terry Decker of the host club that he planned to stay in college for his senior year and would return in January to defend his title.

Bradenton's Paula Creamer , second on the 2005 LPGA money list, watched the Invitational Saturday, keeping a low profile. Brittany Lincicome of Seminole, another rookie on the tour last year, was there Sunday. She represents the club and conducts clinics there.

Decker expressed his gratitude to Hope, the 15-year tournament director, for running a smooth tournament while trying to win the senior title. Decker also thanked Johnny Williams , a rules official of the FSGA, and three fellow officials for being on the course all four days.

PINELLAS INTERCLUB: Innisbrook picked up the maximum 10 points winning this month's match Jan.5 at Cove Cay. Palm Harbor moved into third in the 12-team standings behind East Lake Woodlands and Cove Cay. They finished second and third, respectively, last week.

Fourth place Cypress Run was led by Roger Chisholm and Ken Powell . They had a better-ball score of 58 using their handicaps. Tom Meaux and Bob Wilson , plus Belleair's Mal Bennett and Ray Smith , were a stroke back.

The individual round of the day belonged to assistant pro Chris Slattery of Countryside. Slattery, 31, had seven birdies for a tournament-tying personal best of 4-under 66. He also had three bogeys, including four missed putts from within 4 feet.

"It was a fun round in which I hit 17 greens in regulation," said Slattery, who played for Largo High then North Florida. "I also made six putts from the 8-15 feet range, so everything evens out. It was just one of those days. Maybe if I'd made the short ones I'd have missed the long ones."

Slattery's best round is 7-under 64 at Innisbrook's Copperhead course.

Among the 12 pros, Chuck Eade of Belleview Biltmore shot 70 followed by 71s by Greg Hart of the host club and Seminole Lake's Buck Thornbury .

CENTENNIAL TOURNEY: A score of 10-under 61 won the Jan.3 Centennial Epiphany at Innisbrook's Copperhead course.

The members of the scramble winning team were Mike Sheeks , Scott Sheeks , Paul Holden and Trey Derouin , representing the Eagles Golf Club.

Second went to the foursome of Steve Pallos , Gavin Brown , Tim O'Neil and Nick Nicoletta of the ICC Financial Group at 63.

COUNTY ASSOCIATION: Odessa's Jeff Neugebauer won last week's match at Seminole Lake. His par-72 edged Rick Kalil Jr. , by a stroke.

Playing to a 16 handicap, Randy Ringer claimed net honors with 66, one better than Pat Maxon .

John King shot 2-under 70 to win the senior division by three strokes over J.R. Robertson of Belleair.

Don Sherer and Allan Swartz , 63, shared senior net honors.

[Last modified January 10, 2006, 01:52:17]