Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Double delight for Pederson in tourney win

By DAVE THEALL
Published April 8, 2006

When is the last time you heard of someone making an eagle and double eagle in the same round?

Missy Pederson , 25, the pro shop manager at Pasadena Yacht and Country Club, did it en route to the Sarasota City Amateur Championship last weekend.

After opening with 3-under 69 Saturday, Pederson hit her approach shot on the par-5, 410-yard sixth hole to within 4 feet using a 4-iron. Though she made the putt for the eagle, she turned around and gave it back with double bogey on No.7.

The 405-yard par-5 13th proved the most memorable. After using the same driver and 4-iron she used successfully on No.6, Pederson walked around the edges of the green before a tournament official pointed out the approach shot had rolled into the cup.

"It was amazing and even more so to win the tournament," said Pederson, playing in only her seventh tournament after taking up the game three years ago.

In the concurrent better-ball match paired with Pasadena member Mary Ann Petrillo , Pederson again was a winner.

"Mary Ann was a big help to me in the tournament by coaching me to stay aggressive and just have fun," Pederson said.

Though Pederson is relatively new to golf, she brings a keen competitive edge honed playing and starting at point guard on the University of St. Thomas basketball team in her home state of Minnesota.

Through Petrillo, Pederson found an ideal instructor, Tierra Verde's Jennifer Cully , a nationally-acclaimed teacher at Apollo Beach Golf Club.

Cully recently was named by Golf For Women magazine as one of the nation's top 50 teachers for the second consecutive year.

COVE CAY: Bryan Belair set the early pace in the 36-hole club championship with 1-under 69 then coasted home last week with a 77 to win by four strokes over fellow Canadian Doug Stewart . He shot 76-74-150.

Ross Pollard sealed the Canadian sweep taking third place in the Championship Flight.

In Flight 2, Bary Easton 's 158 total was 12 strokes better than Bob McLean. Third Flight winner Dick Camerlin 's 169 was only two better than Don Gregory 's 171.

Robie Shults won the Seniors title with a 158 with Jack McCraney second, 170.

Though Mary Riepe carries a 17 handicap, she brought her A game to the second round of the Ladies Championship crafting a 78. That was sandwiched between rounds of 87 and 90 for 255, 15 strokes up on Mary Bober .

"I went into this year's tournament more relaxed since I haven't had the opportunity to practice as much as I'm used to," said Riepe, a retired high school principal from Davenport, Iowa.

"I was one stroke behind Mary (Bober) after the first round and never got overconfident after taking the lead with the 78. She's a formidable opponent who could have overcome that lead easily."

Riepe won the title for the third time, aided she said, by having two teenage grandchildren in attendance.

"I was happy with the decision to base the women's championship on three rounds, not just two," she added. "That way you really have to earn it."

Connie Meaux 's 136 won Flight 2 over Marge Legge (139). Fay Francis took Flight 3 with 140 with Irene Smith posting 151. And Carol Coyle prevailed among Seniors with 136.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: Dunedin's Bob Heintz opened the Wine Country Classic in California last weekend with rounds of 75-79 missing the cut and dropping out of the top-20 money list early in the season.

WEST COAST WOMEN: Agnieszka Hunter of Countryside Country Club tuned up for the April24 league championship with a round of 79 at Monday's match at East Lake Woodlands. She won by a stroke over Jackie Currier of Walden Lake.

Cathy Schlenk of the host club took net honors with par 72.

Flight winners include Vickie Stafford, 81 in Flight A; Audrey Barnfather, 85 in Flight B; Wanda Cook , 86 in Flight C; and Haesoon D'Hondt of East Lake Woodlands, 86 in Flight D.

COUNTY GA: Richard Bullock of Clearwater teamed with Decker Todd at Monday's better-ball match at Feather Sound and again came out a winner.

They clicked with 2-under 70, two strokes up on the teams of Bobby Jolley and Sean Martin , plus Jeff Pett and Claud Johnson .

ZIP LONG MEMORIAL CLASSIC: The 12th annual fund-raiser for the Long Center was won by the scramble team of Bouchard Insurance with 13-under 59. The members were Ray Bouchard , Dunedin; Todd George , Bardmoor; Keith Joline , Seminole; and Mike McClain , Clearwater.

Tournament director Dough Graska of Safety Harbor headed up the runner-up team of UBS Financial Services. He was grouped with Pat Kaylor and John Timberlake of Clearwater, plus Andrew Gracy of Dunedin with 60.

Provise Management won the Mixed Division with 63. Ray Ferrara , Belleair, Kim Adams , Tampa, plus Carol and Mark Marquardt of Belleair made up the winning team.

A stroke back were Belleair residents Barb and Jerry Rothmyer, plus George Knold and Sara Rollins . They combined for 64.

This tournament has raised more than $500,000 for Long Center programs and grants over the years.

LARGO SCRAMBLE: The bi-weekly winners, posting 11-under 51 on Saturday, were Greg Farrey of Seminole, plus Largo's Jerry Johnson, Dick Stickley and Jim Mattie .

COLLEGE: Dunedin's Lara Smilnak (CCC) finished second for Boston College at last weekend's Georgetown Invitational at Raspberry Falls Country Club in Leesburg, Va.

She shot rounds of 85-79 and was 28th in the field of 80. BC finished eighth as the host Hoyas won.

FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR: Belleair's Evan Jensen tied for sixth (78-80-158) at the recent FSGA event at Rio Pinar in Orlando.

Megan McChrystal won with 153, a stroke ahead of Madison Pressel , younger sister of LPGA Tour member Morgan Pressel , the 17-year-old phenom.

This weekend the tour travels to Riverwood Golf Club in Port Charlotte where Zach Sobel , 15, of Clearwater Beach will go for his second FJT win of the season. Sobel leads his 13-15 age division in the points standings for the 2005-06 season, just ahead of Mike Herbert of Palm Harbor.

FUTURES TOUR: Jenny Gleason of Clearwater is in Lafayette, La., playing in the Louisiana Futures Classic at The Wetlands course.

Tampa's Beth Bauer , a former LPGA Tour rookie of the year, and Kelly Lagedrost (USF grad) of Brooksville, are also entered.

[Last modified April 8, 2006, 00:33:16]