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Big Hitters, Bigger Turnout

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: August 4, 2008

SEBRING - Tres Stephenson figured it'd be a special day when he watched teammates Curtis Donovan and Rick Hitt tee off on the long-drive-contest hole on Saturday during the ninth annual Sebring Firemen Memorial Golf Classic presented by AXA Advisors, LLC and Home Depot.

"Curtis hit first and it looked like he'd won it," Stephenson said. "Then, Rick stepped up there."

Hitt smashed his drive well over 300 yards, and it turned out to be a sign of good things to come, as the Stephenson group birdied its first nine and 13 of its first 14 holes to win the championship flight of the annual tournament, which drew a record 232 players to Sun 'N Lake's Deer Run and Turtle Run golf courses.

"We played solid from the very beginning," said Stephenson, whose group - which also included John Gose - fired a 55 to edge Scott Todd, Abbas Naqui, Larry Bush and Michael Jackson by a single stroke in the top flight. "Rick and Curtis are real long, so they put a lot of short irons in our hand."

The championship flight played from the black tees at Deer Run, a setup Sun 'N Lake assistant pro Andy Kesling said stretched the course out to more than 7,000 yards.

"It's different than most scrambles you see around here," Kesling said. "It favors the big hitters."

The team of Tripp Walters, Mike Moore, Darren Sapp and David Reynolds took third in the championship flight with a 60, and a match of cards edged them past the team of Jacques Trombley, Kip Goolsby, Chris Lyall and Matt Moye.

The first flight was won with a 58 from the team of Warren Cornell, Whit Cornell, Jared Zolkos and Dennis Knoche, two strokes ahead of Scott Fairchild, Dr. Brian Pauze, Carole Speer and Kevin Transue. Third place went to Jimmy Acevedo, Tony Gerhart, David Gerhart and Daniel Baker, who shot a 61, and fourth went to Tommy Lovett, Lisa Lovett, Steve Hogan and Harold Hitt, who carded a 62.

The second flight was won by the team of Dennis Tonee, Jim Brooks, Dave Greenslade and George Kelly, whose 60 on a match of cards edged the team of Stephen Sauls, Chaz Abeln, Cody Watt and Joey D. Third place went to Jady Prescott, Dan Hoehne, Greg Kramer and Adam Cruise with a 61, which, in a match of cards, edged Kim Schlosser, Dr. Luis Pena, Dr. Carlos Gonzalez and Dr. Ron Fronda.

The third flight went to the team of Norman Elliott, Pat Bray, Jason Harmeling and Adam Meyer, who shot a 57. Second place was taken by Leon Williams, Colt Williams, Jimmy Goins and James Goins, who shot a 60, and third was taken by Tim Baker, Bruce Baker, Robert Cannon and Walter Kohl on a match of cards. Fourth place went to Dr. John Caruso, John Schroeder, Roy Allen and Joe Decerbo.

Tournament organizer and Sebring Firemember Tommy Lovett Sr. said the record turnout was "fantastic."

"It really surprised me with the way the economy is," Lovett said. "But it also doesn't surprise me, because the folks that play in our tournament each year believe in what we're trying to do for the kids and the community.

"We just can't thank them enough - without our partners and our players, we couldn't make this thing happen."

Stephenson called the tournament "top-shelf" because the prizes and cause are "second-to-none." He noted he was especially happy for his group to win it because of its affiliation with the Firemen.

"John and I are both in the Firemen Association," he said. "So it was extra special to have a couple of Firemen up there on the leaderboard."

Brian Gjurgevich can be reached at 863-386-5841 or bgjurgevich@highlandstoday.com

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