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Letter to the editor

State amateurs vie for ultimate bragging rights

By DAVE THEALL Golf
Published June 24, 2007

This week Innisbrook Golf Club is hosting the premier amateur event in the state - the 90th Florida Amateur Championship.

From a field of 845 participants who attempted to qualify, 168 were in Thursday's starting field. Twenty-nine were exempt from local qualifiers through different categories, including 2006 winner Jeff Dennis of Parkland. The field also includes two veterans from last week's U.S. Open. Neither Jeff Golden of Winter Park or Chris Condello of Heathrow made the cut at Oakmont but neither did Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia and a few other notables.

The Pinellas entries are Mike Barbosa and John Crum, St. Petersburg; Zach Sobel and Dam Humboldt, Clearwater; David Niles and Patrick Olive, Tarpon Springs; P.J. Kolosvary, Safety Harbor; Jeremy Evans, Palm Harbor; and Kollin Woodbury of Largo, a sophomore at Indian Rocks Christian.

Kolosvary qualified with 2-under 69 at Wentworth last week. At last year's State Am, he advanced to the final field.

Today's pairings and tee times are listed at www.fsga.org.

U.S. SENIOR OPEN: Clearwater's Frank Saxon tied for first with 2-under 70 at Monday's qualifier at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers. It will be Saxon's second trip to the national championship for amateurs 50 and over. Two years ago he made the cut to the low 64 players for match play. This year's championship will be played July 5-8 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.

WEST COAST WOMEN: Cindy Kahle of Cypress Run and Kelly Patterson of Clearwater Country Club tied (81) for first at last week's match at Cypress Run. Innisbrook's Kim Hollister took third with 84.

In net scoring, Becky Miles of Rocky Point won with 74 followed by the Vinoy's Cathy Moss, 81.

Kathy Conroy of East Lake Woodlands won Flight B with 85, one stroke ahead of Lyla Kinsel of Feather Sound. In Flight D, Anne Foster of the host club tied for second (93) with Lee Whitner of East Lake Woodlands as Ilse Burke of Lake Jovita won with 89.

ROLEX GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP: Whitney Wenglasz of Oldsmar tied with Belleair's Lee Jensen with scores of 244 for 58th place at last week's major on the junior circuit in Evergreen, Colo., at Hiwan Golf Club. Andrea Messer of Largo carded 251 with Courtney Harter of Clearwater another two strokes back. Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., who shot rounds of 68-74-74 for 217, won.

- Wenglasz moved on to the U.S. Girls' Junior sectional at Shoal Creek, Ala., on Wednesday where she shot 81. A 77 would have advanced her to the 59th annual championship set for July 23-28 in Lakewood, Wash.

MORE JUNIORS: At St. Andrews in Dunedin, the Father's Day winning team were Josh Winchell and Alex Sullivan, 50, followed by Chuck and Chris Senger, 54, and Scott and Bryson St. Angelo, 55, along with Bipin Shah and Andrew Schultz, 55.

- Aaron Watson (Calvary Christian) won the boys 13-15 division in last week's Pinellas PAL tournament at East Lake Woodlands with 78, one stroke up on Terry O'Reilly (East Lake) and Tyler White (Tarpon). Clearwater's Jordan Veghte had the same winning score in the 16-18 division followed by Justin Foster (81) and Brett Manning (86), both of Dunedin. Justine Knox of Dunedin won the girls division with 82. The medalists qualify for the Tournament of Champions at Wentworth on Aug. 6.

CGA: The two-man team of Mike Sanderson and Richard Bullock shot 7-under 65, winning the senior division of Monday's better match at Cheval. Sanderson of Homosassa crafted a shot to remember on the par-5 16th hole. His 7-iron approach shot from about 170 yards with a trailing wind stopped 8 inches from the cup for a tap-in eagle 3.

Pat Maxon and Pete Yore won the regular division with 67. Stan Lewis captured net honors with 61 followed by the 62 of partners Roy Cox with Charlie Hilleboe plus Jim Rogan playing solo. Cheryl Flaherty teamed with Laurie Wills to win (69) the women's division.

[Last modified June 24, 2007, 00:07:10]