Bradenton’s Charles Wang earns Web.com Tour start

Bradenton’s Charles Wang earned a spot into last week’s Web.com Tour event, the LECOM Health Challenge, after carding a 6-under-par 66 in a Monday qualifier on July 3.

Wang’s 66 didn’t automatically qualify him for the LECOM Health Challenge in Findley Lake, N.Y. He needed to get through a seven-person, sudden-death playoff for two spots.

Wang earned one of 12 qualifying berths awarded at the Monday qualifier held at Shorewood Country Club.

In the Web.com Tour tournament, though, the former Sarasota Christian standout missed the cut after a pair of 71s.

Junior golf update

Bradenton’s Max Coutsolioutsos rose to a tie for fourth place at the Jim Bell Memorial Junior presented by PerryGolf, an American Junior Golf Association tournament at Orlando’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge, following Wednesday’s second round.

Coutsolioutsos fired a 3-under-par 69 during a weather delay-ridden second round, but his performance boosted him from a tie for 33rd place to in the hunt for the boys division championship. He is seven shots adrift of Doral’s Leopoldo Herrera III, who leads with a 141 total heading into Thursday’s final round.

Bradenton’s Matthew Bruton won the boys 16-18 year old division of the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association’s 18-hole tournament at Venice’s Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club. Bruton posted an 80 to edge Bradenton’s Dylan Gabbart by three shots for the title.

Lakewood Ranch’s Katie Kroos-Roberts took second in the girls 16-18s with an 82, while Bradenton’s Robbie Higgins won the boys 13-15s with a 72 and Bradenton’s Ferguson McLeod tied for second in the boys 12-and-younger division with an 83.

West Florida Golf Tour update

Chile’s Hugo Leon captured the West Florida Golf Tour’s Palm Aire Masters, a three-day Summer Series major at Manatee County’s Palm-Aire Country Club, on Wednesday. He collected $6,000 for the victory, which occurred in a playoff over North Port’s Sebastian Mark, Argentina’s Jorge Fernandez Valdes and Sarasota’s Michael Visacki after the four golfers posted 13-under par 197s.

Bradenton’s Sean Jacklin, Samuel Chavez, Chris Kennedy and Jordan Miller and Lakewood Ranch’s Adam Hogue each tied for 11th place.

Holes-in-one

On July 8 at Peridia Golf and Country Club, John Shaver aced the 124-yard 16th hole with an 8-iron. Witnesses were George Pappas and John Zak.

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Bradenton’s Charles Wang earns Web.com Tour start."