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Golf

Home course is no advantage

By DAVE THEALL
Published September 16, 2006

The final score reads Mangrove Bay 19, St. Petersburg Country Club 13.

That was the outcome of the modified Ryder Cup format two-day match held last weekend at St. Pete Country Club between 16 representatives of the municipal course and the country club. On paper, the teams were equal, or virtually equal. That's what the founders of the match, pros Terry Decker and Kenny Betz, attempted to do. But on the course it was a different story.

In the first nine-hole scramble match Friday, Mangrove Bay took a quick lead, 6 to 2.

SPCC partners Richard Hope and Mike Riggins won a half-point against Johnny Williams and Ken Durkin. Plus, teammates Lee Robinson and Phil Shasteen salvaged a half-point in their match with Mangrove Bay's Tim Cyr and Gary Scott.

The home club's brightest light was the full point earned by Decker and assistant pro Tony Goff, as they won 2 up over Mangrove Bay pros Betz and Steve Stergeos.

In Friday afternoon's alternate-shot match, Mangrove Bay built on its lead, scoring 5.5 points to St. Petersburg's 2.5 to carry an 11.5 to 4.5 lead into Saturday's singles matches.

Mangrove's full-point winners were Dave Girouex paired with Bubba Paris, Scott Crider and Tom Charlton, Dan Ness and Spencer Gaylord, Greg Sironen and Louis Rodriguez plus Williams and Durkin.

The teams returned to St. Pete Country Club the second day due to unplayable wet conditions at Mangrove Bay. But with a reasonably comfortable lead, 11.5 to 4.5, the municipal team was ready for the singles matches.

Led by Decker and Goff, who won consecutive matches, St. Pete Country Club salvaged the singles matches 8.5 to 7.5 but lost the coveted St. Pete Cup based on total score.

"We were too far behind going into the singles matches," said Decker, who won his match over Betz on the 18th hole after first taking the lead on No. 17. Decker shot 72 for the round. "The teams were evenly matched and the competition was great. There has been so much interest from both sides that we will double the field next year and have a qualifier to make the teams."

Five Mangrove Bay players who won all three of their matches should return intent on keeping the cup in their pro shop for another year.

They were Rodriguez, Ness, Girouex, Charlton and Crider. The only players on the 16-member St. Pete Country Club team with perfect 3-0 scores were pros Decker and Goff.

NOTES: Charlton and Crider were teammates 10 years at Northeast High for a successful Vikings team. They were coached by Dennis Crider, Scott's father. Scott went on to play at Austin Peay University in Tennessee.

"Tom played great both off the tee and on the greens," said Crider, who plays to a 1 handicap. "Matching up with someone you are used to is definitely helpful."

But playing alone in his singles match with scratch player Doug Root of SPCC, Crider got off to a rough start. It was the third time they teed off together in the three-phase match. Three down after three holes due to three bogeys forced Crider to collect himself.

"The key for me in that situation was to not get down on myself," Crider said. He chipped away at Root's lead, finally winning on the 17th hole with a 2-stroke lead.

- The other Mangrove members were Dale Johnson and Symphay Bie, who earned a total of two points toward the winning cup.

Rounding out the SPCC squad were Jeff Adams, Blair Campbell, Bob Douglass, Bobby Eggimann, Charlie Goldson, P.J. Penrose, Phil Powell, Kent Whittemore and Pete Yellen.

PINELLAS MEN'S INTERCLUB: The kickoff match for the 2006-07 season, which was set for Sept. 11 at Lansbrook, will be played Monday starting at 1 p.m.

CGA: Barry Smith prevailed under adverse conditions last week at East Lake Woodlands. Three-over 75 won while Bob Blair captured senior honors with an 80. In net competition, 70 won for Tom Smith and Ken Kmet while Charles Ferguson won senior net with the same score.

Teamed with Tampa's John King, Smith also won Monday's better-ball match at Crescent Oaks with net 11-under 61, which was one better than Ed Shedd and Jeff Neugebauer's gross 62 to win the regular division. Tommy Roe and George Leone won among seniors (71).

NATIONAL MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Dunedin's Ken Palladino missed the 36-hole cut at the age 25-and-over USGA championship in Flagstaff, Ariz., last weekend. His 159 (78-81) missed the cut by 11.

FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR: Largo High teammates Evan Jensen and Andrea Messer finished second and third, respectively, at last weekend's opening match of the FJT season at the Venetian Golf and River Club in North Venice.

Jensen posted 145 (72-73) and Messer 147 (70-77), finishing three strokes behind Monica Miller (71-71) of Davie, who finished 2 under.

Seminole's Meghan Chapman carded 85-83--168.

In the boys match, Blayne Barber of Lake City posted an opening round of 4-under 68 but was still a stroke back of leader Chris Carlin of Miramar. But Barber's second round of 70 gave him the title, 138 to 139, over Carlin.

Mike Myregaard of Clearwater was the top Pinellas player shooting steady rounds of 75-74-149. Zach Sobel of Clearwater Beach, the Times 2005 player of the year, shot par 72 after opening at 78 for 150. Mike Holmes of St. Petersburg shot 157 (80-77), Jimmy Kubisiak of Seminole posted 161 (83-78) and Chad Fleming, also Seminole, had a 162 (83-79).

PROS: Kevin Durkin (Countryside High) finished tied for sixth on the Nationwide Tour last weekend in Sandy, Utah. Finishing rounds of 67-66-68 left him at 274, only two strokes off the lead, and a check for $16,000.

- On the LPGA Tour, Jenny Gleason (Clearwater High grad) shot second-round 1-under 70 for 147 in Broken Arrow, Okla. She missed the cut by a single stroke as Miami's Cristie Kerr beat Annika Sorenstam for the title in the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.

Gleason will be in Danville, Calif., next week for the Longs Drugs Challenge.

[Last modified September 16, 2006, 06:38:16]