Best of the Best
Top Golfers of the Year
By ERIC MUSKATEVC Times Correspondent
Published December 14, 2006
BOYS' GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Zack Sobel
Palm Harbor University's Zack Sobel got a little fancy, maybe a little too cute. On the 18th hole of the region tournament, he cut right smack on a downward lip to the left of the green. He had never seen it there before. Ever. Taking his strides and looks, Sobel, a sophomore, set up a birdie putt that would make him 2-under and give him the title a week after winning his first district crown. But he was too quick on his first putt and the ball descended down. On his second putt, the ball rolled up and faded left. His tap-in three-putt was his first-ever bogey on 18 at Tarpon Woods Country Club, and it gave him a share of fourth-place. Turns out, the only one who can stop Zack Sobel is himself.
Why we picked him
Sobel earned his second consecutive Times’ Player of the Year award by doing exactly what he did in 2005. He won the Green Devil Invitational at the Vinoy with a 68, his lowest round of the year. He took hold of his first district championship, took a step backward at the above-mentioned region tournament, but he finished tied for seventh in the state tournament as the high local, where he shot a 69 on Day 2 for a 1-under total. He was under part for all of his 18-hole rounds this year. He shot32 twice and nearly had a 31 if not for an unplayable lie. His season was dedicated to his Aunt Sarah, who passed away before the school year, and he didn’t disappoint with the county’s best stroke-average of 36. “This year was really special for me,” Sobel said. “I just tried to focus harder with all the things going on around me. Friends, family, and golf. Tarpon Woods was great to me and the team all year long, but I just couldn’t imagine ever seeing that hole there again.”
Fun fact
Unlike most golfers, Sobel has no superstitions. But he does get the Led out. His iPod is filled with ’70s guitar work from Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Deep Purple.
What’s next
With the addition of a personal trainer, Sobel has gained 10 pounds of muscle since October and has taken this time to prep his body. Lew Smithers at Innisbrook will get him back in full swing by January, when he’ll play eight straight Florida Junior Tour tournaments.
FIRST TEAM
Tyler Wilkens Junior, Countryside: Played three rounds with Sobel and barely lost all three. Pound-for-pound the second best golfer in the area.
Kyle Menke, Senior, St. Petersburg: Not the finish to his career he'd have liked, but his body of work demands respect.
Mike Baskovich, Junior, Calvary Christian: He had a 36.5, 9-hole stroke average, finishing second place in the Bay Conference, third at the East Lake Invite, fourth in districts and eighth at regions.
Kolin Woodbury Freshman, Indian Rocks Christian Second straight first-team nod despite frustrating performances at the end. Still among the elite even at his age.
John Valenty Senior, St. Petersburg Catholic: Won districts by playoff and finished third at regions, missing the state cut by one-stroke.
M.J. Maguire, 8th grade, Shorecrest: The MVP of the Chargers state run. Runnerup to Valenty at districts, winner at regions with 1-under 71 and 32nd overall at states. Unbelievable poise for his youth.
SECOND TEAM
Nick Buccina, Jr., East Lake
Preston Knox, Sr., Dunedin
Jack McGuire, 6th, Shorecrest
Greg McClimans, Jr., Calvary Christian
David Dresselhaus, Fr., Northside Christian
Michael Myregaard, Jr., Clearwater Central Catholic
HONORABLE MENTION
Calvary Christian: Trey Howard, Aaron Watson; Countryside: Matt Arace, Zach Walters; Dunedin: Justin Foster; East Lake: Terry O'Reilly, Tom Peterson; Indian Rocks: Grant Horvath; Largo: Matt Alwin, Travis Ralph, Scott Wilson; Palm Harbor University: Andrew Henning, Tyler Corbett; Shorecrest: Michael Holmes; Seminole: Chad Fleming, Kyle Olson.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Greg Nichols, Palm Harbor University
You don't finish 10th in the state without a coach. Nichols' ability to pull the best out of his players on the baseball field has translated well on the course. Nichols kept a wily core of better-than-average seniors (Tyler Corbett, Andrew Henning, Mark Fazzini) focused, which was key to the Hurricanes winning their second-straight Green Devil Invitational title with a 295-stroke team score, finishing as the district runnersup and capturing a region championship.