Central Florida
varsity golf teams are primed for success.
What can Central Florida’s golfers do for an encore a year after The First Academy was rated as the No. 1 girls team in the country?
The stage is set to see more low scores and high achievers because golf academies across the area continue to feed top talent to high school rosters.
TFA, which was rated No. 1 by the National High School Golf Association, shot a record-setting score at the Class 1A state tournament with rounds of 283 and 282 for an 11-under-par total for 36 holes. Gone from that title team is individual state runner-up Sophie Guo, who is not playing high school golf this fall. But the Royals still have Ariel Yu, who shot 68-67—135 at Mission Inn to win the individual championship as a sophomore.
Circle Christian ran away with the boys 1A crown to make it five consecutive seasons in which Orlando-area powers have swept both 1A team titles. The Centurions are led by senior Evan Sun and 2017 area player of the year Canon Claycomb, who shot a 63 to win his district tournament, 64 to take the region crown, and 69-72—141 to tie for third at state last season.
Lake Mary lost its top two players — Jenny Kim and Macy Somoskey — to college golf after winning its sixth 3A championship since 2007. But the Rams regularly reload.
Other 1A girls contenders include Windermere Prep and Lake Mary Prep, the 1A champ in 2014, 2015, 2016 and runner-up last season. The Griffins will push TFA again with a squad led by junior Mimi Chen, who was a 2015 state runner-up and 2016 champion.
Teams to watch in girls 3A include Freedom, which had only one senior on a team that finished third at state last season; second-year Windermere High; and Lake Nona, which had no seniors on a squad that finished fourth in 3A.
Lake Nona senior Erika Smith shot a 64 region round and consecutive 70s at state to place second to Kim in 3A. Freedom was led by junior Lauren Clark and senior Emily Staples last season.
Bishop Moore’s boys tied for second in 2A last season and return talented underclassmen Chase Gullickson, Trey Diehl and Brad Hull. The Hornets are entered in today’s Winter Park Invitational at Rio Pinar — alongside Circle Christian and others.
Windermere High has the depth to make a lot of noise. In a preseason tournament at Mission Inn, the Wolverines won with a 302 score for two rounds, followed by Bishop Moore at 308 and Winter Park at 311.
The list of accomplished boys due back for 2018 includes Dr. Phillips’ Brendan Valdez, who was a top-10 state finisher as a freshman; reigning district and region champion J.D. Driscoll of Lake Mary Prep; and Windermere Prep All-Area seniors Artem Yalovenko and Eric Berggren. Oviedo sophomore Joshua Stewart shot consecutive 69s to win district and region titles as a freshman a year ago.