Martinez rallies to win Honda Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS — American Heritage senior Alberto Martinez carded a 2-under-par 70 Saturday for a two-day total of 143 to win the seventh annual Honda Classic High School Invitational on the Champions Course at PGA National.

The Florida State commit had four birdies and two bogeys in his round Saturday as he rallied from four shots down and helped the Patriots boys win the team title for the third time. American Heritage finished with a 2-over 290 on Saturday for a 589 total and overtook Ponte Vedra, which started the day with a two-shot lead and finished with a 598.

“Right now my game is in a really good place,” Martinez said. “I am hitting a lot better than I was a couple of weeks ago. I am hitting straight and my short game is good.”

American Heritage boys golf coach Brandt Moser said the goal entering the Honda was to get a feel for what the state tournament would be like with a 36-hole competition, staying away from home. The Patriots boys also won in 2012 and 2013.

“When we get on the course, it is a battle between us and the course,” Moser said. “The course is 72 and that’s what we are trying to shoot. If we can’t get even par, our goal is always to get under 300 [as a team].”

Archbishop McCarthy’s Taylor Roberts shot a 4-under 68 to finish second with a 142, one stroke behind Lake Mary Prep’s Jennifer Zhou, who shot 72-69 for a 141 in the girls tournament on the Fazio Course.

Roberts eagled the par-4, 355-yard second hole with a punched sand wedge from 83 yards out en route to a 33, and finished with a 36 on the back nine with a birdie on the 13th hole. The bogeyfree round was only the second of her career.

“I just jarred it,” said Roberts, who finished third at the Class 3A state tournament last year while at Douglas High School. “It just flew right into the cup. I hit 17 greens today. If I made more putts, I would have shot in the low 60s.”

First-round leader Jillian Bourdage of American Heritage shot a 2-over par 74 to finish in a tie for third with Benjamin’s Sarah Beqaj, who shot a 1-over 73 on Saturday for a 143.

Heritage’s Casey Wiedenfeld was the only other Broward or Palm Beach County girl to crack the Top 10, tying for 10th with a 75-73-148.

The First Academy ran away with the girls’ championship with a 293-295 for a 12-over par, 588 total. American Heritage was second, 16 shots back as the Patriots carded 301-303-604. Benjamin was third with a 304-301-605.