Safety Harbor's Huston strikes back on Copperhead

By DAVE THEALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 24, 2000

The local and national golf story of the week was fully splashed across the newspaper's Section C on Monday.

That is, Safety Harbor's John Huston, a 1979 graduate of Dunedin High School, and his come-from-behind win at the Tampa Bay Classic.

Huston, who played collegiately at Auburn, rallied with birdies on three of the last four holes on the challenging Copperhead course.

The previous weekend, Ryan Cockman of St. Petersburg had something to celebrate.

He, too, came from behind to win the Skip Alexander/St. Petersburg City Amateur Championship at Mangrove Bay.

Cockman, who plays to a 4 handicap, shot a 2 over 74 in his opening round but came back strong in the second 18 with two birdies, 14 pars and two bogeys for a 72 and a 36-hole total of 146.

That left him three-up on runner-up Duke Clark (74-75).

There was a three-way tie for third among Ted Bosen, Bill Hamm and Jim Bova, who shot 153.

Cockman birdied the par-4 10th hole both days by hitting his approach shots in tight. His longest putt of the day, 20 feet, was good for his second birdie Sunday.

"It's great to win it twice," Cockman said.

"Look who else has done it," he said, pointing to a list of former winners that included Doug Root (1996 and '97) and Bobby Grace (1985, '88 and '91).

Spencer Gaylord, the only player to win the tournament in the open and senior divisions, captured the senior title (55 and over) for the second time. He shot rounds of 76-80-156 for a five-stroke margin over Larry Moser.

Phil Leckey, who won the senior title in '96, '98 and '99, wasn't in the city championship this year after having recently moved to Tampa.

"I still miss him," Gaylord said. "He brought out the best in me."

Danielle Jackson, 12, a seventh-grader at Northside Christian, took the women's title in a field of three competitors. She shot 93-88-181 after getting a better feel for the greens on the second day.

NOTES: The tournament reverted to the management of staff at Mangrove Bay with head pro Kenny Betz serving as tournament director.

In recent years, the County Golf Association has run the tourney.

Jeff Hollis, the city's director of golf, explained that since the city has the staff and the facilities to conduct the tournament, it should run it.

"The CGA did a great job running it," Hollis said, "but we felt we should take it over. We plan to help it grow in the future."

Mayor David J. Fischer presented winners with framed prints of golf legend Ben Hogan winning a tournament.

Those winners included First Flight medalist Mark Cook and guest division winner Scott Eicher of Feather Sound. Eicher shared the tournament's low round, a 72, on the first day.

ELSEWHERE: On the same weekend of the City Championship, the annual Invitational de Avila was being played at Avila Country Club in Tampa.

Palm Harbor's Neil Vanleeuwen tied for seventh with rounds of 75-73-79-227.

Vanleeuwen, who has played with Huston's father, Jerry, at their club, Innisbrook, said he was thrilled John Huston won the Tampa Bay Classic.

"It was a great win for him," Vanleeuwen said. "He really knows the grain of the greens out there at Innisbrook, and it showed that last day."

MEN'S INTERCLUB: The Renaissance Vinoy won the second tournament of the 2000-2001 monthly schedule, played at Innisbrook's Island course.

That put the St. Petersburg club alone in first place, having tied for first with Seminole Lake and Dunedin in the September match at Lansbrook.

The Vinoy's head pro, Matthew Barnes, led the way with a 72. However, Wentworth's Paul Coe led the pro division with a 68 followed by Derek Simpson (71) of Belleview Biltmore.

Lansbrook, which finished second at Innisbrook, had the best two-man team scores in the handicap format.

Dave DeMarco and Dick Fratus shot 62, as did teammates Skip Gibney and Pete Matthews.

Cove Cay plays host to the November match at noon on the 9th.

WOMEN'S SOUTHERN GOLF ASSOCIATION: At the Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Margaret Leigh of Countryside Country Club shot rounds of 88-89-89-266 for second place in the second flight.

Patty Moore of Charlotte, N.C., won the 50-plus championship with rounds of 74-76-76-226.

Treasure Island's Joan Vernotzy, a member at Pasadena, served as tournament director.

She reports that LPGA co-founder and Hall of Famer Patty Berg, 82, spoke at the closing ceremonies.

COLLEGE: In the Beacon Woods Invitational, Largo's Courtney Burdick, playing for Florida International, finished third on her team with scores of 80-88-78-246.

Burdick won last fall's district title for Largo High School.

Natalie Smith, a Seminole High School graduate playing for South Alabama, finished third for the Jaguars with 251.

The Miami Hurricanes' Lavana Davis, a former two-time Pinellas player of the year for Seminole High School, was held out of the tournament due to tendinitis in her wrist.

Jenny Gleason (Clearwater High School) led third-place UNC-Greensboro in scoring at the Nittany Lion Invitational in College Park, Pa.

She had rounds of 78-75-74-227 for fifth place among 50 players.

In last weekend's Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C., Gleason fired an 80-76-76-232 to finish second for the Spartans and 44th overall among 119 players.

Freshman Amanda Dick (Countryside High School) at Florida, tied for 27th in Greenville, finishing second for the Gators with scores of 73-78-75-226.

She placed second for the Gators this fall with a 77.5 average to Brittany Straza of Fort Myers.

JUNIORS: Brittany Lincicome of Pinellas Park upset Whitney Code of Tampa for the girls' 16-18 title in a GTJGA match at Saddlebrook Resort on Oct. 13. Lincicome won by a stroke with a 73.

Code captured the 1999 Class 6A championship playing for Chamberlain High School.

Lincicome, Dick and Code were named to the 2000 AJGA Polo All-America honorable team. Code's sister, Mallory, winner of last summer's Tournament of Champions, was named to the first team. St. Petersburg's Mike Barbosa was named to the boys' honorable mention team.

TAP-INS: The winning members of the Highlander Tournament, a fund-raiser for the Scottish Highlander Band and Boosters of Dunedin High School, were Jim Dundee, Jake Carreo, Robert Chapman and Robbie Walters.

Clearwater Executive has added R.J. Ziats to its staff as a PGA teaching professional.

Ziats won the 2000 North Florida PGA West Central Chapter Championship at Black Diamond last May.

John Huston and PGA pro Greg Climans lease the course from the city.

Teaching pro Vincent Reid, a dedicated supporter of junior golf in the bay area, has formed the Vincent Reid Foundation to help children with special needs become independent and productive members of society.

As one of its first activities, it will host a junior tournament at the Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club in Clearwater onSaturday. It's open to kids 6-18.

For details on the tournament or the foundation, call Reid, 813-496-1515.

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