Cooper Franklin shoots 67, James Nagle 68 to lead Sharks to a one-shot victory in Central Florida Prep Invitational
NFL Week 1 has arrived for Jags, Bucs, Dolphins; Gators host USF | 2MD
The NFL’s Week 1 is here. The Jaguars are at home while the Dolphins and Buccaneers hit the road; the Florida Gators host USF at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
Are the Ponte Vedra Sharks back to being a dominant team in the state?
That will have to wait for a final judgment at the FHSAA Class 3A state tournament, Nov. 11-12 at Mission Inn.
But the Sharks, whose streak of nine consecutive state titles ended last year, took a huge step on Sept. 3 when they won the Central Florida Prep Invitational at the Country Club of Orlando over an elite field, placing four players among the top 15 on their way to a one-shot victory over Palm Beach Benjamin and Charlie Woods.
Cooper Franklin tied for fourth with a 3-under 67 and James Nagle tied for sixth with a 68 to lead the Sharks to a team total of 5-under 275. Benjamin, led by Clint Lewis with a 67, shot 4-under, First Academy was 2-under and Montverde, led by tournament medalist Hung Le (63) was 1-under.
The difference came in the final three holes. The Sharks players who scored shot 3-under with only one bogey at Nos. 16, 17 and 18 while Benjamin was 2-under.
In addition, Woods cooled off after a hot start. He birdied three of the first five holes but didn’t make another birdie, had a double-bogey at No. 13 and a bogey at No. 14, and shot even-par 70.
Easton Oliva and Jake Mason both shot 70 for Ponte Vedra.
Kaitlyn Schroeder reaches career milestones
University of North Florida junior Kaitlyn Schroeder shot a career-low 5-under 67 on Sept. 3 at the Birck Boilermaker Complex Kampen-Cosler Course in West Lafayette, Ind., and with a 4-under 212, tied for second individually to post her best college finish.
Schroeder’s third round matched the low for the day as he made six birdies during a 13-hole stretch.
UNF finished 11th in the tournament. Ole Miss beat Indiana by one shot in the team competition.
Schroeder was rewarded a day later when she was named the first ASUN women’s golfer of the week of the season. It was her third weekly ASUN award and it’s the first time a UNF player has won the first of the season since Wyndom Burnett in 2022.
Jake Mason comes close in FJT Major
Jake Mason of Ponte Vedra Beach shot 66 in the second round but eventually came up one shot away from winner Eddie Gu of Ontario, Canada in the Florida Junior Tour’s 16-18 54-hole Major at the Reunion Resort and Club Nicklaus Course in Kissimmee.
Gu (70) finished 4-under 212 and Mason (72) was 3-under.
Mason had a two-shot lead over Gu with six holes left after a birdie at the 11th hole and bogeys for Gu at Nos. 11 and 12.
However, Mason bogeyed Nos. 13 and 18 to finish with a 72 and Gu birdied the 13th hole, then parred out for the victory.
Luke Splane of St. Augustine (218) tied for sixth. Lily Wachter (224) finished seventh in the girls’ division.
In the FJT 13-15 54-hole major at the Sun ‘Lake Golf Club in Sebring, Jack Cole of Jacksonville Beach shot 3-over 219 and finished solo seventh, five shots behind winner Arnold Pouncy of St. Cloud.
North Florida Tour sets fall schedule
The North Florida Junior Foundation Fall Series will begin Oct. 26 with the NFJG Tour Opener at the St. Johns Golf Club in Elkton.
The nine-tournament series include two stops in Georgia (Trident Lakes at the King’s Bay Subbase on Nov. 16 and Laurel Island Links on Dec. 14), another in Ormond Beach (Dec. 21) and tournaments in Duval, St. Johns and Clay County.
For information on the First Coast’s largest junior tour, visit nfjg.org.
Jax Beach Varsity field set
Defending champion Bolles, Ponte Vedra, Beachside and Episcopal lead the eight-team field for the sixth annual Jax Beach Varsity Invitational on Sept. 20 at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club.
The tournament combines the four best scores from each team’s boys’ team and girls’ team for a total team score. Bolles won the girls competition by nine shots and the Bulldogs boys’ team was second to Ponte Vedra by eight. The net result for Bolles was a 10-shot victory over Beachside.
Also playing are Nease, Creekside, Providence and St. Johns Country Day. Tee times will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. off Nos. 1 and 10. Admission is free.
Furyk & Friend needs volunteers
The Constellation Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions event has openings for volunteers at the event, which will be at the Timuquana Country Club from Sept. 29-Oct. 5.
Those interested can obtain information by visiting constellationfurykandfriends.com.
JAGA Four-Ball registration open
Registration for the Jacksonville Golf Association Four-Ball at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club Ocean Course Nov. 3 began on Sept. 5.
The entry fee is $300 per two-player team, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
The Four-Ball is the first of four tournaments remaining on the 2025 schedule. The Club Team Championship is Oct. 27 at the King & Bear, the JAGA Scholarship Trust is Nov. 24 at Deerwood and the JAGA Family Championship is Dec. 20 at Jacksonville Beach.
Information on all tournaments and entry is available at jaxareagolf.org.
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