Round 2 Recap

Worth the Wait ~ Scodro wins title on the 18th hole in his 19th FCWT event

Saturday's opening round of the Mission Hills Invitational proved to be nice day for golf despite the winter freeze felt throughout the country.  Even the desert Southwest, the temperatures are below normal with highs in the low 60s instead of the 70s.

Sixteen year old Reid Martin of Mukilteo, WA (2009), the 2007 Boys 13-15 FCWT National Champion, fired a 5 under par 65 on Saturday, with only one bogey to take the lead.  His 6 birdies led this division and gave him a 3 stroke advantage heading into Sunday's final round.  He was paired with two players who carded rounds of 68 on Saturday: 

sixteen year old Cheng Tsung Pan of TAIWAN and Maxwell Scodro of Chicago, IL (2008).  Scodro, who had two top 10s this season entering this event, carded 5 birdies on Saturday and was looking to win.  He has been close several times in the last 3 years, but never taken home the Champion's title.  On Sunday, that would all change. Scodro fired a round of 4 under par 66 that earned him 1st place by one stroke over Martin who carded a final round of even par 70.  Scodro's round included an eagle on the par 5, 5th hole, as well as 4 birdies.  It all came down to the par 4 18th hole where Martin made a double bogey and Scodro carded a birdie for the win! After struggling on the front nine and going back and forth with Scodro for the "lead,"  Martin got "hot" early on the back nine making an eagle on 12, then carding 3 birdies in a row to regain the 3 stroke advantage with which he started the final round.  A "6" was certainly not what he was planning on as he approached the 18th tee, but make no doubt about it:  Martin will have his day - probably sooner than later.  Pan, who won his first event of the season, the Naples Beach Open, carded a second consecutive round of 68 to finish 3rd.  The Low Round of the day went to Paul McNamara III of Palos Verdes, CA (2009), who fired a 65 on Sunday, led this division in birdies with 10 for the weekend, and finished tied for 4th at 137 (-3) with

Ben Itterman of Carlsbad, CA (2010) , who led this division in pars with 27 for the event, and

Tad Murray of La Quinta, CA (2010).  Trevor Guthrie of Fresno, CA (2009) fired a final round of 68 to move into 7th place and finish at even par for the event.  Mike Basco of Scottsdale, AZ (2009) carded a final round of 1 under par to finish tied for 8th with Glen Scher of Calabasas, CA (2009), who began the day tied for 10th, and Chris Russo of Westlake Village, CA (2009), who began the day tied for 4th.

On Saturday, in the Boys 13-15 division, Parker Middleton of Phoenix, AZ (2010) opened with a round of 73 to lead all scores. Mark Hicks of Bermuda Dunes, CA (2010) and Jacob Gralitzer of Agoura Hills, CA (2010) were 2 strokes at the beginning of Sunday's round.  None of these young men would capture the win.  Cole Chelle of Edmonton, AB, CANADA (2010), playing in his first event fired the Low Round of 71 on Sunday and moved into 1st place to took home the title by 2 strokes.  Chelle led this division in pars with 22 for the event and has now earned exempt status for the rest of the season and an exemption to the National Championship. Macgregor Hoobery of Santa Maria, CA (2011) began the day tied with Chelle, but took home second place after posting a Sunday round of 73.  Overnight leader Parker Middleton finished in 3rd place, earning his third Top 3 of the season.

After Saturday's round at the Mission Hill Invitational, three young ladies were co-leading in the Girls 13-18 division. 

Danielle Kang of Oak Park, CA (2010), Joi Pentin of Pleasanton, CA (2009), and Nicole Zhang of Calgary, AB, CANADA (2010), all opened with rounds of 72 to lead the field by 3 strokes.  On Sunday, Danielle Kang pulled away from the other co-leaders by firing a round of 2 under par that included 4 birdies on the front nine (her last nine).  Fifteen year old Danielle is a third year FCWT player, but was playing in her first event of the season.  Last year she finished 3rd in this event, but later went on to win the Hunter Ranch Invitational.

Nicole Zhang, who won the Mission Hills Open a couple of weeks ago on the Gary Player Course, took home 2nd place after finishing in 8th place here last season.  The Low Round honors went to Kaitlin Drolson of Rancho Santa Fe, CA (2008), who fired a bogey free round of 3 under par 67.  Her Sunday round allowed her to take home 3rd place as well after having T6 here in 2005. 

Jordan Ontiveros of Alamo, CA (2009), who finished 3rd at the Sun Devil in November, finished in 4th place and overnight co-leader Joi Pentin finished in 5th place.