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With eye on qualifier, Saxon wins CGA title

By DAVE THEALL
Published June 17, 2006

Preparation is the key to success.

With that in mind, Clearwater's Frank Saxon used a County Golf Association match at East Lake Woodlands last week to fine-tune his game in preparation for a much bigger test: Monday's U.S. Senior Open qualifier at TPC at Prestancia in Sarasota.

Eighty-seven top tour pros and amateurs 50 and older will vie for two (possibly three) spots for the July 6-9 Championship in Hutchinson, Kan.

Things went reasonably well for Saxon at East Lake Woodlands, where he shot 1-over 73 to capture the Open Division title, though he's 56 and eligible to play in the Senior Division.

A drive out of bounds on the par-4 12th led to triple bogey, costing him another sub-par round.

"The 12th hole on the South course is narrow. I just pushed my drive to the right, and it went OB," said Saxon, who won the CGA Championship in December for the fourth time since 1995. "But I managed to birdie three of my last five holes for the 73. The main thing I'm working on for the qualifier is my putting. To qualify (in Sarasota), I'm going to have to shoot in the 60s. And to do that in that strong field, you have to make putts."

That field includes 15-20 top-quality pros, such as Senior Tour veterans Mark Lyle, Jim Albus, Mike Donald and Doug Lacrosse of Tampa.

Other Pinellas entries include Bill Buckner, Safety Harbor; Ken Mooney, Tarpon Springs; Tom Halchak, Clearwater; and Palm Harbor's Chris Hardman and Pat Tiso.

"I'm paired with PGA pro Jim Smith of Belleair on Monday," Saxon said. "I've played with him before. He's got a great game and is a pleasure to play with."

Saxon is top-tier tournament tested. After qualifying for last year's Senior Amateur Championship in Georgia, he advanced to the match play portion, losing to the defending champion, Mark Bemowski of Michigan.

Allen Doyle won last year's U.S. Senior Open, automatically qualifying for this week's 106th U.S. Open at Winged Foot in New York.

John King of Tampa had the lowest round at East Lake, shooting 2-under 70 in the Senior Division. Jim Montali followed with 76.

In net scoring, Ernie Meier and Joe Chuck tied with 65s followed by Larry Deavers at 69.

The CGA returns to East Lake on Monday followed by a match at Mangrove Bay on Thursday. For details, go to www.countygolf.com

The final 2005-06 standings are: East Lake Woodlands, 63.5; Innisbrook, 60; The Bayou Club, 56; Cypress Run, 52; Vinoy, 51.75; Bellview Biltmore, 48; Lansbrook, 44.75; Belleair, 40.25; Cove Cay, 39.25; Dunedin 36; Countryside, 32.5; Seminole Lake, 26.

Four Pinellas teens were on the Florida State Golf Association's 20-member North team that played in Orlando on Wednesday and Thursday for the Junior Florida Cup.

Singles match wins by Evan Jensen, Andrea Messer and Whitney Wenglasz on Thursday helped the North team overcome a one-point deficit and earn a 20-all tie with the South. Wednesday's format was four-ball in the morning and a second round of foursomes in the afternoon.

The three girls are ranked first, fifth and ninth, respectively, among Florida juniors by the State Golf Association.

P.J. Kolosvary of Safety Harbor dropped his singles match 3-1 to Ville Vaisenen.

"It was a lot of fun," said Kolosvary, who will play for Nova University in Fort Lauderdale this fall. "I'd like to play in it again, but I won't be eligible next year."

At an AJGA event last week in Palm Beach Gardens, Belleair's Jensen closed with the best round of the tournament, 4-under 68, to tie for sixth in the girls 16-18 division. She opened with 82-74.

Messer also moved up significantly, closing with 72 (226). Danielle Jackson of Seminole posted 76-82-79-237 for 18th followed by Courtney Harter of Clearwater, 80-86-78-244.

Kolosvary of Safety Harbor shot a final-round 73 for a 54-hole total of 222 to move up to a tie for 37th in a field of 63.

Palm Harbor's Dakoda Dowd, 13, finished tied for fourth (73-76-72-221) in the Future Collegians World Tour National Championship at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.

In a First Tee of St. Petersburg match at Mangrove Bay, Michael Holmes won the boys 16-18 division with a 75 followed by Mark Stroud and Jacob Wells at 77. Morgan Jackson of Seminole took the girls title with an 82 followed by Amber Pedersen at 84 and Emily Boyer at 100.

Ryan Domingue won among boys 13-15 with a 76 followed by Michael Rubison and Jimmy Welk at 81. Among girls, Ryan Ashburn prevailed with a 77, well up on Alex Armor's 95 and Sau-Hyon Cho's 100.

At Saturday's nine-hole Tiger Tour event on the par-3 Cypress Links Course, the winners were P.J. McNamara, boys 10-12 with a 32, and Victoria Rozner among girls with a 49.

The First Tee Program has a stroke-play match set for Monday at St. Petersburg Country Club for boys and girls 13-18. The entry fee is $20, but financial aid is available. For details, call 235-5666.

[Last modified June 17, 2006, 07:41:46]