Florida Amateur Match Play Championship looms Thursday for three county golfers
The annual Florida State Golf Association’s Amateur Match Play Championship is set to start Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club. Four of the five past champions are in the field, including Bradenton’s Philip Knowles. The University of North Florida golfer and former Bradenton Christian star recently qualified for his third straight United States Amateur. Also from the county competing are University of Virginia’s Danny Walker, who won an individual state title and three straight team titles at Lakewood Ranch High, and Bradenton’s Ryan Southworth. The three compete in one 18-hole stroke play round Thursday to determine seeding for the match play portion, which starts with the Round of 64 Friday morning. The Round of 32 is held Friday afternoon, while the Round of 16 and quarterfinals are slated for Saturday. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for Sunday. Spectators are welcome to attend.
Florida Junior Cup results
Bradenton juniors represented the South team in the recent Florida Junior Cup. Lakewood Ranch High’s Drew Angelo, Out-of-Door Academy’s Max Coutsolioutsos and Bradenton’s SiQin “Ariel” Yu played for the South, which fell 18-14 to the North at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter on Tuesday. Angelo finished 1-1-1, Coutsolioutsos finished 1-2-0 and Yu finished 0-2-1 for the two-day Ryder Cup-styled event.
Mika Liu advances in U.S. Women’s Amateur
All three IMG Academy golfers competing at this week’s United States Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pa., qualified for the match play portion of the event. Mika Liu was the lone winner, earning a 2-and-1 victory over Sweden’s Jessica Vasilic. Rinko Mitsunaga lost her first-round match 5-and-4, while Jaravee Boonchant lost in 20 holes. The U.S. Women’s Amateur continues Thursday with the Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches. The tournament concludes with a 36-hole championship match Sunday to decide the next women’s national amateur champion.
Holes-in-one
On Tuesday, June 14 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Ray Rogozinski aced the 222-yard second hole with a 3-wood. Witnessed by Paul Stahl.
On Friday, July 1 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Larry Wahl aced the 131-yard 13th hole with a 13-wood. Witnessed by Richard Scriannone.
On Monday, July 4 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Clif Schleicher aced the 122-yard 17th hole with an 8-iron. Witnesses were Taul Taramelli and Jeff Betti.
On Thursday, July 7 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Bob Winter aced the 109-yard third hole with an 8-iron. Witnesses were Donna Winter, Stephen Kasden and Carol Kasden.
On Friday, July 22 at The River Club, Ed Hechler aced the 141-yard second hole with a 6-iron. Witnesses were Kerry Leitch, Jim Tuohey and Jeremy Carter.
On Saturday, July 23 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Randy Stewart aced the 192-yard ninth hole with a 7-wood. Witnesses were Joe Albright and William Forrest.
On Saturday, July 23 at Pinebrook/Ironwood Golf Club, Michael Wood aced the 208-yard fourth hole with a 4-iron. Witnesses were Chris Arnold and Matthew Wood.
This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Florida Amateur Match Play Championship looms Thursday for three county golfers."