Sarasota Golf News

David Leadbetter has moved his family from Orlando to Bradenton, and two of his children are enrolled in the Leadbetter Junior Golf Academy at IMG Academies. It is a good environment for his two teenagers, James, 14, and Hally, 16.

On any given day, there is a future or current star on the driving range. LPGA star Paula Creamer, who spent six years at the Leadbetter Academy, returned this week to get a tune-up from director of golf David Whelan. 

Wendi Golden of Lakewood Ranch maintained her lead in the Florida Women’s State Golf Association Player of the Year point standings despite finishing tied for fifth in last weekend’s State Amateur Stroke Play Championship on the West Course at the Laurel Oak Country Club. She has 1,600 points.

Gennifer Mendez, who tied for third in the  State Amateur, is fourth with 975 points. She had the best finish of the 18 area women entered in the three-day tournament. 

John VanVranken fired an even-par 71 to win the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association’s 18-hole boys division Monday at Bradenton Country Club. Crystal Smith won the girls division in a playoff with Stefanie Mitchell on the fourth extra hole. Both girls posted 77s.
  
Here are the results for all divisions:   

Scott Yow birdied the first playoff hole to lead his team to victory in the Lake Venice Golf Club Two-Man Championship last weekend. Yow and Chris Bradshaw finished in a three-way tie for first with the teams of Charlie Hodges-Rob Rainey and defending champs Tim Garofalo-Spencer Dunford.
   
Hodges and Rainey fired a 60 in the first-day scramble, making 12 birdies. The second day was a best-ball. Some 124 golfers competed. 

The top 156 Professional and Amateur golfers in the state will compete this week with hopes of winning The Florida Open Championship at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach. Chris Kennedy of Lakewood Ranch leads a strong area contingent. For tee times, pairings and results, visit www.fsga.org.

Before reaching the championship, more than 1,100 participants attempted to qualify at one of 16 sites across the state setting a tournament record for entries filed. In all, 23 players earned exempt status through a variety of different means. The oldest player in the field, Ed Sabo, of Tequesta is 60 years young, while the youngest player in the field Joey Petronio, of Orlando is 15 years old. The field consists of 76 professionals and 80 amateurs. 

Wendi Golden and Gennifer Mendez have to be two of the favorites in this weekend’s Florida State Women’s Golf Association Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Laurel Oak Country Club.

Play begins Friday on the West Couse at Laurel Oak, with more than 80 women from around the state are entered in the FSWGA top amateur tournament. 

More than 30 current and former club pros teed it up in the Southwestern Chapter Championship of North Florida PGA this week on the Eagle Course at The Oaks Club in Osprey.

The course was designed by Arthur Hills and has the only SeaIsles Supreme Paspalum grass on the entire course in the country. For many of the pros, they had never played the Eagle. The contingent of area pros all came away impressed. 

Long-hitting Dave Hronek cruised to a seven-stroke victory in winning his second Southwestern Chapter Championship of the North Florida PGA on the Eagle Course at The Oaks Club on Tuesday.

The Plantation Golf and Country Club assistant pro shot an even-par 72 on a difficult course. Plantation head pro Mike Domalske finished tied for second with Waterford pro Jack McFaul. 

Kristen Swindell of Bradenton finished fourth in the recent Florida State Women’s Golf Association Junior Girls Championship at Plantation in Venice. Calusa Lakes Golf Club is closed for renovation to the green but it should reopen by early September, barring weather delays.

The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club will host the 60th FSGA State Four-Ball Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Championship will feature teams of two who qualified by playing 18 holes of four-ball stroke play.  

Some people like Tiger Woods for different reasons.

He got kicked off driving ranges when he was a junior golfer because of the color of his skin, and then went on to become one of the greatest golfers of all-time.