Third time’s another charm on links
Springs golfer once again successful against a tough field in men’s amateur tourney
T.J. Shuart feels like a kid in a candy store when he competes in the Broward County Men’s Amateur Golf Tournament.
“It is very exciting. I look forward to playing in it,” said Shuart, who has entered the event three times, winning twice and finishing in third place the other time.
The 28-year-old from Coral Springs recently captured his second Championship Flight victory with a three-day 217 at the Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation. He also won the tournament in 2005 and was third in 2006.
Shuart came through with a huge effort down the stretch and wound up five shots ahead of Dave Moxey (Coral Springs) and David Yarmitsky (Sunrise).
“I had to pass on playing in the tournament the past few years, but I am happy to come back and win it again,” Shuart said.
Shuart was a standout golfer at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, and his effort during the state tournament in 2001 helped the Raiders attain a sixthplace finish. He went on to excel at Loyola University, where he posted three individual championships.
He has played in seven United States Golf Association events, including two this year, where he made the round of 32 in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships (Portland, Ore.) and the U.S. Mid-amateur event in (Houston). Shuart also won the Florida Azalea Amateur Championship in Palatka.
He opened play in the Broward men’s amateur challenge with one of the only two under-par rounds as he carded a 1-under-par 70 on day one on Jacaranda’s East Course. He was 2-over-par each of the next two days.
Moxey was the other under-par performer, completing a 1-under-par 71 on the West Course in the second round and led Shuart by a stroke with eight holes to play, but fell victim to a red-hot Shuart, who birdied 14 and 16 to seize the lead for good.
Shuart joins eight others as twotime winners of the event. Other accomplishing that feat are Michael Nealy (1998,1999), Jody Pelfrey (1994,1995), Gary Onorati (1983, 1984), Pete Wegmann (1975, 1977), Roger Kennedy (1967,1968), Harry Maccallum (1966, 1969), Chick Hendrickson (1964, 1965) and Charles E. Maccallum (1960, 1961).
Chris Couch (1987, 1988, 1990) and Doug Ritter (1997, 2001, 2004) are the only three-time winners of the event.
“I hesitate to get too caught up in statistics and results,” Shuart said, “but that is a pretty neat little stat, and hopefully down the road, they will be talking about me winning the tournament three times.”
Moxey, 52, was pleased with his overall play and that he was in the hunt right down to the wire.
“I play once a week,” Moxey said. “I was a little surprised how well I did. I just needed to make a few more putts.”
Yarmitsky, 41, won the title in 1992 and enters the event regularly. He missed last year’s tournament with an injured elbow.
Weston’s Rohan Ramnath, who was on the golf team at Cypress Bay High School, took seventh place with a total score of 226. He was one shot behind defending champion John Wegmann, of Southwest Ranches, who managed a 225 and sixth place.
This was Ramnath’s first time competing in the Broward men’s amateur tournament.
“I played a lot of junior events when I was in high school, and now I am starting to move on to amateur events because I am too old,” said Ramnath,19. “There aren’t a lot of amateur events in Broward County or in Florida at this time of year.”
Ramnath is excited about playing at Harvard later this year.
“The coach is great and the team is
great,” Ramnath said. “We get to play a lot of nice courses, and it is a good education. I wanted a good mix of golf and academics.”
Palm Beach Gardens’ Larry Powell won the First Flight in a playoff, while Coconut Creek’s Jeffery Hand won the Second Flight.
The tournament also included a Senior Flight, and Weston’s Mike Corbin, 55, rose to the occasion with that title in his first year of eligibility. He has played “on and off ” in the regular bracket of the tournament since 1984.
“What was cool about it is that I have played in the Broward Amateur with Chris Couch, and the best I had ever finished was 13th,” said Corbin, who also won the Jacaranda Club Championship in 2010. “To get in the seniors my first year and win it was great.”
Jacaranda Golf Club General Manager and Director of Golf Danny Howard said he was pleased with the turnout of 43 golfers who competed at the event.
“This was probably our strongest field,” said Howard, adding that he is working with two organizations that could result in a much larger field next year. “That is the most competitive field we have ever had.”
Gary Curreri can be reached at Sportscom5@aol.com.