Winter Park Invite features a number of state title contenders
Saturday’s Winter Park Invitational boys golf tournament features a worthy cause and a talent-laden field that includes two of the top four teams from last season’s Class 3A state tournament.
For every birdie made across the board, the Winter Park High School golf program will donate $5 to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of Rick Robison, the father of Wildcats coach Rob Robison. Rick Robison died in July 2019.
Winter Park brought back four of its five starters from a team that tied Lake Nona for second place behind Tallahassee Chiles at state last season.
Windermere High placed fourth and also returned four starters.
Winter Park’s four senior state veterans are Michael Mays, Andrew Clark, Stephen Hickman and Lowen Chesley.
Windermere’s returning cast is younger. Caden Burr, Juan Echeverri and Louis Giovacchni are all standout juniors, and they are joined by talented ninth grader Carson Baez. The Wolverines won The Quad tri-match versus Dr. Phillips and Olympia on Wednesday to run their record to 7-0.
Dr. Phillips, led by Shawn Lamoni and Brendan Valdes, is another state top-10 finisher in the Winter Park field. So is Lake Mary, which carded a 291 for 18 holes at Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes on Wednesday to top Circle Christian by three strokes.
The Rams feature Jackson Snedaker, Mason Berzovich, Garret Ebbert, and Mark and Matt Exum.
Circle Christian sophomore Cooper Claycomb, the younger brother of two-time Orlando Sentinel Player of the Year Canon Claycomb, shot 3-under-par 69 for medalist honors in the match against Lake Mary.
The Centurions are also entered in the Winter Park tournament, along with Boone, Timber Creek and Port Orange Spruce Creek.
Winter Park’s Clark carded a 68 at in a win against Boone and Edgewater at The Country Club of Orlando.
Hickham shot 69 when the Wildcats topped Lake Mary 289-295 in an 18-hole match at Legacy Club. And he and Mays shot matching 35s for nine holes to lead the Wildcats to a 147-157 win against Dr. Phillips.
Hornets are happy
Bishop Moore, a region champ five years in a row, returned four of the six players who led the Hornets to a thirdplace finish in last year’s 2A state tournament. They’re off to another strong start with a corps that includes seniors Chase Gullikson, Trey Diehl and Jack Lovely and junior Rob Goulet.
The Hornets shot 288 at The Country Club of Orlando to win The Citrus League Invitationjal opener ahead of The First Academy (292), Windermere Prep (308), Trinity Prep (334) and Lake Highland Prep (335). Diehl tied TFA junior Mohit Balaji for individual medalist honors with a 68 score.
Gullikson shot 34 in a ninehole 148-152 win against TFA at Falcon’s Fire. Royals eighth grader Palmer Haynes turned in a 35 that day.
In a rematch with TFA at Dubsdread the Hornets prevailed again, 146-162, with Gullickson and Diehl firing 35s.
Extra points
DP’s Lalmoni shot 32 to lead DP to a 148-162 nine-hole win against Lake Nona at Bay Hill.
Windermere Prep sophomore Camden Smith shot a 32 for nine at Ritz Carlton Golf Club in a season opener against Bishop Moore, which won the match 146-148.