With Bubba Watson helping hand out awards, two Pensacola Catholic golfers led a showcase of area high school performances for both boys and girls team competitors in the newly-named Bubba Watson Fellowship of Christian Athletes High School Golf Tournament.
Crusaders senior Mac Gilmer won the boys division on Sept. 15 with a 3-under 69. Pace High’s Adam Penrod and Tate’s Baylor Touchstone tied for second with a 71.
In the girls competition on Sept. 16, Catholic’s Elizabeth Palmer produced a 6-under 66 — one of the greatest rounds by a female player in this event’s history — to win medalist honors. Palmer held off South Walton’s Lily Martin, who fired a 5-under 67 to finish second.
The two-day event at the A.C. Read course on Naval Air Station Pensacola celebrated its 30th year. The tournament was re-named earlier this year in partnership with Watson.
The world-renowned pro golf star, two-time Masters champion with 11 PGA Tour wins, grew up playing junior golf in the Pensacola area, then played all four seasons for Milton High’s team to help launch his decorated career in the sport.
Watson attended both tournament days, meeting and greeting high school competitors and presiding at the post-round awards party. It rekindled memories of his own experiences competing in high school golf tournaments, including playing in this FCA Tournament in its early years.
Watson, 46, followed two other Milton High grads, Boo Weekley (52) and Heath Slocum (51), who now compete on the PGA Champions Tour, in an incredible rise of this trio into pro golf stardom — all with multiple PGA Tour wins. It’s a feat of three players from one high school unlike any in PGA Tour history.
The Bubba Watson-FCA Tournament is among the few 18-hole events on the local high school golf calendar. The players are treated to breakfast and a post-round lunch provided by the FCA chapter with A.C. Read and NAS Pensacola as hosts.
Under the leadership of Mike Killam, the long-time metro director of the Northwest Florida-FCA chapter, this tournament has grown into the biggest of its kind among FCA chapters across the nation. Killam, who has been involved with the local FCA chapter for the past 33 years, was guiding the FCA tournament when Watson played in it.
This year, the tournament attracted 22 boys high school teams from across the region and 105 players. There were 17 girls teams and 86 players competing on the second day. Since regular high school matches are nine-hole events, this event gives the competitors some preparation for the district and state regional tournaments in October.
With Gilmer leading the way for the Catholic boys team, the Crusaders won the team title with a 289 overall score, followed by Tate (304) and Pace (31).
There was a five-way tie for fourth place in the boys division. Finishing behind Gilmer, Penrod and Touchstone where Catholic’s Ian Morris, South Walton’s Jack Cook, Tate’s Jaxson Thomason, Catholic’s Clark Brandt and Northview’s Miles Smith, all of whom shot 73.
In the girls division, the Niceville Eagles won in a playoff against South Walton for the team title. Both finished with a 340 total. Gulf Breeze was third at 352. Niceville’s Tenley Sharron led her team with a 73 to finish fourth, followed by a two-way tie for fifth with Northview’s Anna Kunkel and Gulf Breeze’s Michelle Burt.
Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com
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