Round 3 Recap

What a finish as Warnquist wins 3rd title!

There was nothing "run-of the-mill" about the Amelia Island Open.  It was more like a game of Stratego.  You had to keep an eye on the players - almost all of them - as things changed constantly and there was lots of sharing space at the top of the leaderboard.

At the end of 18 holes of play

Alex Dienes of Jacksonville, FL (2009) and

Greg Carrier of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (2009)

 were co-leading after opening with rounds of 73 (+1).  Dienes carded 13 pars on Friday while Carrier had three birdies.  On Saturday dense fog delayed the starting time for several groups and presented some challenges on the course.  Other than that it was a perfect day for golf at the Oak Marsh Course. 

Hunter Howell of Raeford, NC (2008) carded a 74 to move into a tie for the lead with Carrier at the end of round two.  Howell, a third year player, won the 2005 FCWT Duke Open while Carrier, also a 3rd year player, won at the 13-15 level in January of 2006.  Carrier came very close to a win a couple of weeks ago at the University of Florida Open where he finished T2, 2 strokes back of the winner Jordan Rizzo.  Carrier showed a lot of fight on Sunday when after struggling on the front nine, he carded an eagle on the 18th hole to include himself in a three-way playoff with Ben Warnquist of Rockville, MD (2011) and

Dykes Harbin of Augusta, GA (2009), who carded the Low Round of the day, a 72, to move from 6th to a co-leader.  The strength of Harbin's game was also seen in this event as he moved from 10th on day one, to 6th on day two, to finish T2.

But when all was said and done, Ben Warnquist of Rockville, MD (2011) made a name for himself.  The 14-year old, who won twice already this season at the 13-15 division, moved up to the 16-18 division for this event and won his 3rd event of the season in 3 starts.  At the end of round one, Ben was tied for 6th place with several players including Hunter Howell.  At the end of round two he moved into 3rd place and thus played in the last group of the day on Sunday.  Even though Ben made a bogey on the 18th hole when a par would have given him the title, he quickly re-grouped.  All 3 players, Warnquist, Carrier, and Harbin, made par on the first playoff hole.  On the 2nd hole of the playoff, Ben made a par 5 which was enough to give him his first 16-18 title.  Nothing like a late Christmas present.  Howell finished in 4th while Anthony Aicher of Wausau, WI (2009) finished 5th. 

Fifteen year old Victor Monte of Chantilly, VA (2010) made a noteworthy performance on Sunday with a round of 73, the second best of the day, which moved him into T10 after a second round of 88.

In the Boys 13-15 division, Patrick Rodgers of Avon, IN (2011) led from wire-to-wire to earn his second title of the season and his fifth Top 3 finish.  Patrick is making a strong case for himself for a place on the FCWT 1st Team All-Americans for the 13-15 division.  He led this division in birdies with 7 for the event and pars with 34 for the weekend.

 Kevin Giulini of Frankfurt (2011), a second year FCWT player, finished in 2nd place at 235 in his first event of this season.

 Walter Kerr of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (2011) finished in 3rd place, just 2 strokes back of Giulini.

Patrick Grahek of Cincinnati, OH (2011) finished in 4th place.

In the Boys 11-12 division, Luke Malanchuk of Arlington, VA (2013) led from wire-to-wire to win his first event of the season.  He led this division in pars with 25.

Hourihan cards a 73, the Low Round for this division for the event and wins!

The Opening Round of the Amelia Island Open began at 8:00 am on Friday with temperatures in the 70s as round one ended.  The Amelia Island area is FCWT Girls Chairperson, Laura Diaz's hometown.  She learned to play golf here under the tutelage of her father Ron Philo, so this is always a fun site for the girls to play.

This season in the first round of  the Laura Diaz Girls 13-18 division, Michelle Lee of Mississauga, ON, CANADA (2010) took the lead with a round of 5 over par 77.  Fifteen year old Michelle, who was playing in her first FCWT event, continued to lead after round two where she posted an 82.  However, FCWT veteran Brighid Hourihan of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (2009), who began the second round in 5th place, was closing in.  On Saturday Brighid carded a round of 78 that moved her into a tie for 2nd place with FCWT veteran Victoria Bauman of River Hills, WI (2009).  The two began the final round within 3 strokes of their final round playing partner, the leader, Miss Lee.  On Sunday, despite some intermittent rain, Brighid carded the Low Round of the event for this division with a 73, which was just what she needed to finish one stroke ahead of Miss Lee.  Brighid began the day with a bogey on # 10 then Michelle made birdie on # 11 and things weren't looking too good.  Being a veteran player, Brighid knew she needed to keep playing her game and by the 8th hole (the 17th of the round), she was tied with Michelle.  Brighid made a par on # 8, while Michelle made a bogey, putting Brighid in the lead for the first time.  The both made par on their last hole, giving Brighid her first win of the season.  Miss Bauman finished in 3rd place at 243 and Natalia Ghilzon of Windsor, ON, CANADA (2008) finished in 4th at 244.