By Barbara Palmgren
On a bright, sunny autumn tournament held at The Pines Course of the Fort Walton Municipal Golf Course, teams from Northwest Florida and as far as Tallahassee competed for school and individual honors.
Tournament director, Patrick Lucy, a teacher and golf coach at Choctawhatchee High School, has been in charge of this event for four years. Encouraging all golfers and seeing there was water and snacks available during play with pizza afterwards, Patrick was pleased the weather cooperated for the 96 young players. Seventeen teams were sent to begin the 18-hole play at 9 a.m. with parents allowed to follow with carts but giving no advice. These young men were soloists in a sport demanding patience and accuracy.
The following schools participated: Choctawhatchee, Fort Walton, Niceville, Crestview, Rocky Bayou, Destin, Tate, Gulf Breeze, Chiles (Tallahassee), South Walton, Mosely, West Florida, Bay, Pensacola, Alethias, Walton, and North Bay Haven.
Cade Denecke, a junior from Mosely High School, was the Class 3A, Region 1 winner with a score of 72 for eighteen holes. Team honors went to Tate High School, Class 3A, Region 1, District 1 with a total score of 300. There are four boys whose scores averaged 75 to receive this top honor.
Congratulations to all these future golf stars as they participate for their schools. Golf in Northwest Florida is indeed a sport that is growing in popularity not only for adults but for our area teenagers.
