Local golfers don’t medal, but perform well at Summer Olympics

IMG Academy alumnus Emiliano Grillo posted the best performance among athletes with local ties in men’s golf’s return to the Summer Olympics. Grillo fired a 277 to tie for eighth place with Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia. Former Bradenton Prep student and IMG trainee Ben An finished a shot behind Grillo, Watson and Garcia. Also competing from IMG was alumnus Cheng-Tsung Pan, who tied for 30th place with a 283. Grillo represented Argentina, An represented South Korea and Pan represented Chinese Taipei. For An, it marked his inclusion as an Olympian 28 years after his parents won medals at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea. The women’s tournament is currently underway in Brazil.

Drive, chip and putt sub-regional

Only one Bradenton junior advanced through the Drive, Chip and Putt sub-regional qualifier held last weekend at TPC Prestancia in South Sarasota. Bradenton’s Simone Liang topped the girls 14-15 division with a score of 162 to earn one of two qualifying berths into the regional held Sept. 10 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Those that qualify from the regional will advance to the national championship in Augusta National Golf Club — site of the Masters — on April 2, 2017. Only one junior can qualify for each age/gender category from each regional making for a final field of 80 total participants at the national championship.

Knowles competes in U.S. Amateur

Playing in his third straight United States Amateur, Bradenton Christian alumnus Philip Knowles ended his time in the event on an uptick. Knowles fired a 3-under-par 67 in the final stroke-play round at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. However, his first-round 77 meant he missed the cut as the top 64 players advanced to the match play portion of the tournament. Knowles finished two shots out of 23-for-eight sudden-death playoff. IMG Academy alumnus, Cristobal del Solar, qualified for match play, but was eliminated in Wednesday’s Round of 64 when Baltimore’s Matt Oshrine earned a 4-and-2 victory.

Aylwin blows away WFGT field

Jacksonville’s Kevin Aylwin picked up another West Florida Golf Tour victory after firing a 15-under par 201 for a 54-hole tournament at Winter Haven Country Club this week. It was good for a six-shot victory over Ormond Beach’s J.C. Horne. Lakewood Ranch’s Chris Kennedy slipped into a tie for fourth place after a 74 in Wednesday’s final round. He entered one shot back of Aylwin on the strength of a 66 and 68 in the first two rounds. The WFGT heads to Sarasota for the next Summer Series event.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 12:24 AM with the headline "Local golfers don’t medal, but perform well at Summer Olympics."