Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2008

Schneider, Balit win Donald Ross titles

As Out-of-Door Academy senior golfer Gaby Balit discussed her third-place finish in Monday's 15th annual Donald Ross Memorial Invitational at Sara Bay Country Club, a listener kept waiting to hear theme music from "The Twilight Zone."

"I'm disappointed, but there's nothing I could have done," Balit said after rain and lightning turned a probable victory into a third-place finish behind Lakewood Ranch senior Ericka Schneider and Casey Kennedy of Venice. "I'm happy for Ericka. She did a good job on the back nine, and she deserves to win. It's just bad luck."

Balit was referring to the weather, which forced a two-hour delay before officials reduced the tournament to a nine-hole competition with 12 groups yet to finish because of a continuing threat of lightning.

Balit - who also finished third in last year's Donald Ross, played over the full 18 holes - was in the first girls group Monday, along with Schneider and Jennifer Neville of Manatee. Over 18 holes, Balit edged both by two strokes, 78-80.

But when Mother Nature interfered, Balit found herself upstream without a paddle. Since the entire girls field had completed the back nine, that's the side that counted - with Balit's 2-over par 38 a stroke behind Schneider's winning 37.

Wait, it gets worse. Balit lost a match-of-scorecards playoff for second place against Kennedy, who also shot 38 on the back (Neville scored 40 on both nines). Kennedy did not finish the front side.

At least Balit had the satisfaction of congratulating younger brother, Zach, a Thunder junior who shot 2-under par 34 on the front nine to win the Boys Division. The younger Balit tied with Erick Bennett of Venice, but Zach's eagle-3 on the par-5 ninth made him the winner via a match of scorecards.

Even her brother's success carried a tinge of irony for Gaby. Zach, who won the American Junior Golf Association Coca-Cola Junior in Michigan during the summer, has been climbing the junior ranks a little faster than Gaby.

"He never mentions it, but it's always in the back of my head," Gaby said of Zach's success. "But it makes me want to try harder to get as many trophies as he has."

Schneider led the Mustangs to a second-place team finish behind Riverview. "It's just one of those things that happens," Schneider said of the strange conclusion. "I'm happy to win, but I would like to win playing the entire 18."

Zach Balit, who knocked a 9-iron shot from 155 yards to a foot on No. 9 for his decisive eagle, was excited to add his name to the list of Donald Ross winners. He finished second last year. "I hit the ball really well," he said. "It (Sara Bay) is a great course and fun to play."

Manatee junior Sean Jacklin was the Boys Division hard-luck story. He shot 2-under 70 (35-35) for 18 holes, and Balit - who had hit his tee shot on No. 14 when play was suspended - made bogeys on Nos. 10 and 13 and would have needed to play his final five holes in 2-under par to force a playoff, had he been permitted to finish.

Lakewood Ranch's boys team finished second behind Venice in the team competition. Rocky Khara led the Mustangs with a 36 and sophomore Cole Medvetz shot 37.