EAST LAKE — As coaches gathered in the East Lake Woodlands clubhouse, a television showed a continuous radar loop of orange moving over north Pinellas County. It was clear rain and lightning were not going to allow play to continue Monday afternoon at the Outback Invitational.
The 18-hole event was shortened to 11 holes, which all players completed. Since it was a shotgun start, players didn’t complete the same 11 holes so team and individual scores were given relative to par.
Lakewood Ranch won with a team score of 3 over par, four shots ahead of Orlando Olympia. West Orange was third at 8 over, Windermere Prep fourth (9 over) and Sarasota Riverview fifth (13 over).
The best area team was Mitchell’s A team, which was 13 over but lost a scorecard playoff and finished sixth. Hillsborough County’s best finish in the 16-team tournament was Tampa Catholic, which was eighth (14 over). Pinellas County’s best team was St. Petersburg (11th at 23 over).
The individual championship went to Kelly Sun of Lakewood Ranch, who was 2 under.
“I birdied the first three holes I played,” Sun said. “I had two more birdies in the round so I was playing pretty well. I’d been playing well so far and the putting was pretty good today.”
Sun edged Bryce Burke of Windermere Prep, who was 1 under.
Nilo Sanchez of Tampa Catholic was the top area individual thanks to a scorecard playoff. He shot 1 over after starting on the sixth hole. He had three bogeys and two birdies on his rain-shortened day.
“I had five more holes left and I felt I could’ve scored on them,” Sanchez said. “But you can’t do anything about the weather.”
Cameron Wolfe of St. Petersburg was also 1 over after 11 holes.
Jesuit’s Matt Ruel, Sean Fromme of Palm Harbor University, Mitchell’s Mike Spinger and Anthony Swinford and St. Petersburg’s Blake Dyer were 2 over to tie for 10th. Scorecard playoffs determined the top five individuals.
Andrew Heric of Clearwater Central Catholic was 3 over.
Teams: 1. Lakewood Ranch (3 over); 2. Olympia (7 over); 3. West Orange (8 over); 4. Windermere Prep (9 over); 5. Sarasota Riverview (13 over); 6. Mitchell A Team (13 over); 7. Spruce Creek (13 over); 8. Tampa Catholic (14 over); 9. Jesuit (20 over); 10. George Jenkins (23 over); 11. St. Petersburg (23-over); 12. Clearwater Central Catholic (25 over); 13. Sebring (27-over); 14. Palm Harbor University (32 over); 15. Mitchell B team (32 over); 16. Berkeley Prep (37 over)
Top 10 individuals: 1. Kelly Sun (LR) 2 under; 2. Bryce Burke (WP) 1 under; 3. Kyle Tate (WO) even; 4. Mark Siner (SC) even; *T5. Nilo Sanchez (TC) 1 over; T5. Ramsey Touchberry (LR) 1 over; T5. Jackson Burtram (Olympia) 1 over; T5. Luke Miller (LR) 1 over; T5. Cameron Wolfe (SP) 1 over; T10. Matt Ruel (J) 2 over; T10. Sean Fromme (PHU) 2 over; T10 David Spreen (SR) 2 over; T10 Mike Spinger (Mitchell) 2 over; T10 Anthony Swinford (Mitchell) 2 over; T10. Blake Dyer (SP) 2 over
*Won a scorecard playoff