Comunity

Consistent stretch leads Root to title

By DAVE THEALL, Golf
Published January 12, 2008

St. Petersburg Country Club member Doug Root brought a measure of consistency to the winner's circle during last weekend's 82nd annual New Year's Invitational.

Root posted rounds of 78-72-73-72 to finish at 7-over 295.

At age 58, Root won the Senior Division, 55 and older, for the third time in four years, crafting par on the final day to expand a 10-stroke lead to a resounding 13 after four rounds.

Starting on No. 5, a 328-yardpar 4, Root drilled a 35-footer into the cup to nail his first of three birdies and set the tone for the ensuing rout.

"All in all, the three gentlemen in my final-day foursome played better than I did tee to green, but my chipping and putting were better," said Root, who plays to a 2 handicap. "The greens were in great shape, and that helped me to go around in only 30 putts after hitting 12 greens in regulation. I could have struck the ball better on Sunday, but I couldn't have putted any better.

"That first day was so cold and windy you'd never play under those conditions unless it was a tournament," said Root, who didn't take up the game until he was 37 after finishing with a score of 127 and last in an annual company tournament. "We had so many clothes on it affected your swing."

Asked if he was comfortable with a 10-stroke lead Sunday morning, Root said he wasn't.

"We amateurs never have that sense of security," he said. "I could have had back-to-back bogeys while someone in our group could have birdied, and all of a sudden my lead would have been cut in half," he said. "With the pros, a 10-stroke final-day lead would be safe."

On Sunday, Root was playing in the foursome with fellow St. Petersburg CC member Jim Holbrook, who shot 75 and finished second at 308; Eric Dollenberg, from South Carolina, 312; and Canadian Sandy McBride, 318.

Championship division:Hudson Johnson of Vanderbilt took the third-round lead with 5-under 67 for 209, but a final-round 74 dropped him into a tie for third with Will Strickler (Gator junior) at 283.

Bryce Ledford, a recent graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga, emerged victorious, closing with 71 to go with three rounds of 72-70-68 to finish at 281. Last year, Major Manning of Augusta State won with15-under 273. Luke List of Vanderbilt won in '06 with 281.

Teen division: Although not formally recognized, Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, only 18, shot a closing round of 68 for 4-under 284 and fifth place. He'll be a freshman at Oklahoma State in the fall and back in the 83rd annual Invitational in January 2009, hopefully.

Similarly, 17-year-old Bud Cauley of Jacksonville, who finished second only one stroke off the pace, will be a freshman at Alabama in the fall.

Winning history:Manning and List have turned pro, as have most of the past winners going to 1994, when St. Petersburg native Dan Stone won the coveted title. After earning All-America honors twice at the University of Florida, Stone played on the pro developmental tours for 10 years before reverting to amateur status.

Terry Decker, the club's head pro, said seven Invitational winners have gone on to win on the PGA Tour, including three of the four majors.

They are: Johnny Revolta, who won the 1935 PGA Championship; Bob Goalby, the '61 U.S. Open and the '68 Masters; television analyst Gary Koch has won six times on tour; Gary Hallberg, the 1980 winner, has three tour wins; Len Mattiace ('86) has won twice; J.B. Holmes, the 2003 titlist, won the PGA Tour's FBR Open in '06; and Vanderbilt's Brandt Snedeker, the 2004 winner, captured last year's Greensboro Open.

CGA: Jeff Mucciarone shot 3-under 69 under ideal weather conditions last week to win the county match by five strokes over Jett Pett. In net scoring, Hadley Manings and Bill Haldeman tied at 68.

Dick Clemens won the senior title with 70, while net honors were won by Joe Hannigan. Lorrie Post had 72 net for the women's title.

Largo Golf Course: Greg Farrey of Seminole was in the winner's circle again in the biweekly scramble, contributing to a score of 13-under 49 with partners Randy Parker, John Rezabek and Massachusetts snowbird Ron Peterson.

Jim Casey of Manchester, N.H., aced the 155-yard No. 4 on Jan. 1 with a 5-wood.

Gasparilla Invitational: The 53rd annual mid-amateur tournament in February at Palma Ceia in Tampa will earn the winner an invitation to the PGA Tour's PODS Championship, set for March 3-9 at Innisbrook's Copperhead course in Palm Harbor.

PODS Championship general chairman Peter Jones said: "We've been looking for a way to support Tampa Bay's golf community with one our sponsor exemptions but did not want to be arbitrary. We have no doubt that someone who can win the Gasparilla can hold his own even in the demanding PGA Tour environment."

PGA Tour veterans Hal Sutton and Bob Murphy are among the former Gasparilla winners.

[Last modified January 11, 2008, 21:31:42]