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Fresh perspective for Hurricanes

By DAWN REISS
Published October 15, 2006

It's rare to have to a freshman in the top five of a golf lineup. Having three is almost unheard of, especially when two (Austin and Ryan Connors) are twin brothers. Citrus coach Chris Richardson calls it "a coach's dream." The freshmen trio (Connors brothers and Zach Stanley), along with sophomore Bobby Bang and junior Nick Brothers, helped the Hurricanes go 20-2 this season and finish second at the Class A, District 9 tournament. They will play in the regional at Gainesville's Haile Plantation Golf & Country Club at 9 a.m. on Monday. The Citrus freshmen spoke with Times staff writer Dawn Reiss about their love of golf and their crazy quirks.

AUSTIN CONNORS

AGE: 15

AVERAGE: 79, shot 85 at district tournament

ON BEING A FRESHMAN: "It feels good that we are freshmen. There's more to prove. Everybody thought it was a big surprise; all coaches from middle school thought we were good but no one really realized until later."

BIGGEST STRENGTH: "My mental game."

FAVORITE CLUB: "Driver because I just swing as hard as I can."

FAVORITE GOLFER: "Tiger Woods, because when I started he was starting to play golf."

HOW OLD HE IS COMPARED TO TWIN BROTHER, RYAN: 10 minutes older. "Sometimes people joke that I'm bigger than he is and stronger because I got out faster.

"When I hit a bad shot, I can get over it faster than he can; I won't be worrying about next hole."

HIS PERSONALITY COMPARED TO HIS BROTHER: "He's the talker."

WHY HE LIKES GOLF: "It gets my mind off everything else. You can't play it without thinking about it; having to play gets everything else off your mind."

UNUSUAL QUIRK: He juggles tennis balls and golf balls. "I started a couple of months ago. I can almost juggle four, but I'm really good at three."

WHY HE STARTED: "My parents sent me to my room when I was picking on my little (11-year-old) sister."

HAS HE BROKEN ANYTHING: "Not yet."

THE OTHER BROTHER: His older brother, senior Doug, is a right tackle on the football team.

RYAN CONNORS

AGE: 15

AVERAGE: 76.5, shot 78 at district tournament

HIS PERSONALITY: "I'm the kind that gets nervous about things. I'm definitely quieter than my brother, which is sometimes good, sometimes bad. He's very outgoing, never stops talking."

WHAT HIS FIRST TIME ON THE COURSE WAS LIKE: "I was horrible. They (Austin and Zach) both could beat me with ease."

FAVORITE CLUB: 7-iron. He likes the control and distance from a middle iron.

HIS SUPERSTITIONS: "Once I start playing well I don't wash my hands and I have to drink a Pepsi before every round. When I practice I drink soft drinks; whenever I don't drink one it feels like I can't swing a club."

WHAT HE'S KNOWN FOR: His flops. He takes chances on the greens and can hit Tiger Woods-esque head-high flops.

BEST THING ABOUT GOLF: "You can relax."

TWIN TELEPATHY?: "I can tell if he's playing good or bad, but I can't read his mind."

ON BEING AN IDENTICAL TWIN: "We used to look alike until he got bigger (in fourth grade.)" Now Austin is 5-7. Ryan is 5-6.

ZACH STANLEY

AGE: 15

AVERAGE: 41 (for nine holes), shot 77 at district tournament

WHEN HE STARTED PLAYING: "My dad started at 4 years old."

HOW HE GOT RYAN AND AUSTIN TO PLAY: He invited them over for a sleepover when they were 11. They've been playing together since.

WHY HE LIKES GOLF: "It's always challenging. There is always something to practice and something to improve."

FAVORITE CLUB: 6-iron, because there's not as much club and it's easier to control.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: "Remember the basics."

ABOUT BEING A FRESHMAN: "You don't even notice it. We're used to it and when we're playing in tournaments, we're competitive with each other."

HIS FAVORITE HOLE: No. 16 at Augusta National. "It's a par-3 and plays really tough with the slopes. I just love watching the pros play it."

WHAT HE DOES BEFORE MATCHES: Washes his clubs.

HIS OTHER SPORT: Baseball. He plays third base.

USUALLY CALLED: Stanley (his last name

[Last modified October 15, 2006, 07:14:32]