Former Bradenton resident Ben An comes up short in PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open

Bradenton Prep alumnus and former United States Amateur champ Ben An was in position this past Sunday to claim his first career PGA Tour victory at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

An entered the final round with a lead after rounds of 66-66-65. Then he stumbled to a 73, finishing three shots out of a playoff with a 14-under-par total. An struggled on the pressure-packed back nine, during which he bogeyed four holes en route to a 40 on in Scottsdale.

Despite the Sunday setback, An vaulted from No. 142 on the PGA Tour’s money list to No. 72.

Symetra Tour returns to Sara Bay

The LPGA Symetra Tour released its schedule, and that means the dates for this year’s tournament at Manatee County’s Sara Bay Country Club are now known. The event, which Guardian Retirement sponsored in the past few years, does not have a sponsor attached to it as of now. It’s listed as the Sara Bay Classic and it takes place April 21-23, which is a Friday-Sunday schedule. The event has a $110,000 purse.

Sara Bay has been a tour stop since 2012, and four of the five winners earned their LPGA Tour cards either via the season-ending money list or the three-win promotion system. The Symetra Tour begins March 10-12 with the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven.

WFGT major looms this weekend

The West Florida Golf Tour is holding a major, the 2017 Bobby Jones Open, at Bobby Jones Golf Club’s British Course this weekend. The three-day, 54-hole tournament begins Friday and concludes Sunday. There’s a $7,000 guaranteed first-place prize.

Bradenton’s Charles Wang won the WFGT’s tune-up for this weekend’s tournament in a playoff over Tampa’s Doug Letson at Bradenton Country Club on Monday.

Both players carded 3-under par 69s, before Wang earned more than $1,000 for the sudden-death playoff victory.

Local juniors delight at GSGA event

Braden River High School’s Matthew Bruton and Brandon Pozzie went one-two in the boys 16-18-year-old division of the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association’s 18-hole tournament at Serenoa Golf Club on Saturday. Bruton won with a 70, while his Pirates teammate, Pozzie, fired an 81 for second place. Lakewood Ranch High School’s Ashlyn Einwachter and Bradenton’s Vivian Kuang tied for third place with 70s in the girls 13-15s. Lakewood Ranch High School’s Maya Isom posted a 78 to finish as runner-up in the girls 16-18s. Lakewood Ranch’s Katie Kroos-Roberts was three shots back of Isom to take third place.

Bradenton’s Bryan Choi and Dylan Gabbart recorded top-five finishes in the boys 13-15s. Choi shot 78 to take second, while Gabbart logged an 81 to take fourth behind Sarasota’s Jordan Evans, who won with a 76.

The tournament’s highlight came in the boys 12-and-younger division when Sarasota’s Aaron Setiawan blew away the field with a 9-under par 63.

HOLES-IN-ONE

On Feb. 1 at Peridia Golf and Country Club, Ed Galvin aced the 113-yard fifth hole with a 7-wood. Witnesses were Roger Robaige, Don Lane and Dale Downs.

On Feb. 2 at River Run Golf Links, Glen Walters aced the 164-yard eighth hole with a 5-iron. Witnesses were John Blessing and Larry Tapp.

On Feb. 7 at River Wilderness Golf and Country Club, Kathy Holmes aced the 104-yard seventh hole with an 8-iron. Witnesses were Jacque Fenelon, Sheree Ruck and Vicky Watson.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 12:18 AM with the headline "Former Bradenton resident Ben An comes up short in PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open."