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Highlands Today

Sizzling Scores At Sertoma

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Mark Howard (left) celebrates with teammate Dale Reed after Howard drained a long birdie putt on hole No. 9 Saturday during the 31st annual Sertoma Club golf tournament at Sun 'N Lake's Deer Run golf course.

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By BRIAN GJURGEVICH

Highlands Today

Published: August 25, 2008

SEBRING - Scott Sherrer and Kevin Witmer found Sun 'N Lake's quick greens to be just the right pace over the weekend during the 31st annual Highlands Independent Bank/Sertoma golf tournament.

The pair claimed top prize in the championship flight with a wire-to-wire victory, following up a flight-leading 68 on Deer Run on Saturday with a 60 on Turtle Run on Sunday to hold off the group of Jeff Fleeman and Steve Ready, who carded a 69-61-130 to take second place.

It was Sherrer's second straight victory in the prestigious annual tournament, which is a two-man best ball on Saturday and a two-man scramble on Sunday: Sherrer won the first flight in 2007 alongside partner JJ Pauley.

Sebring High School golfer Blake Liles and Randy Proctor took third place in the championship flight on a match of cards with a 69-62, followed by Bud Wester and Don Sizemore, whose 70-61 took fourth.

The event drew 260 competitors, up a bit from last year, and that was an encouraging sign for Sun 'N Lake assistant pro and Sertoma Junior Tour director Andy Kesling.

"It's wonderful to get this many players out," he said. "They do a lot for the junior tour, and we have a lot of great guys who come and support the club."

Jimmy Morris and Paul Morris won the first flight with a 70-62-132, followed by Dale Reed and Tim Devlin (71-64), Jason McGirr and Ryan Adair (69-68) and Jim Walker and Tim Coury (73-66).

In the second flight, the duo of Glenn Scarpa and Rick Bairley took top honors with a 73-67-140, followed by Brian Bierwagen and Rick Williams (77-65), Tim Foster and Todd Foster (75-67) and Don McPherson and Tommy Reeves (75-67).

Matt Hall and Mike Terrell also enjoyed a wire-to-wire win in the third flight: They shot 73-65 to lead the whole way and hold off Frank Guglielmi and Jimmy Tsakalos, who fired 76-66. Adam Meadows and James Myrece (77-66) and Darren Sapp and Mike Moore (76-68) followed in third and fourth, respectively.

Another wire-to-wire win went to the group of Steve McGrath and Charlie Stephens, whose 74-69-143 held off Jeff Reece and Mike Kirkland (77-70), Rick Hertel and Tom Fengler (77-74) and Charlie Douglas and Ray Elliote (80-73).

The first four flights played the quick and difficult Deer Run on Saturday and the more-wide open Turtle Run on Sunday, the main reason for the drop in scores from day to day, according to Kesling.

"We had the greens cut and rolled (on Deer Run), and that certainly gives the course a different feel," Kesling said. "It'll scare some guys who have downhill putts."

Dave Corso and Steve Monosky won the fifth flight with a 74-70-144, followed by Rick Hitt and Tres Stephenson (74-73) and Gary Hill and Jeff Cook (72-77).

The sixth flight went to the team of Buddy Yarborough and Larry Kelly, who shot a 76-70-146. They were followed by John Palmer and Randy Wright (74-73) and Don Einwag and Mike Hodgkinson (76-71). The seventh flight was won by Jess Glarner and Ted Glarner (76-72-148), who finished ahead of David Greenslade and Dennis Tondee (75-74) and Mike Crenshaw and Remo Beaver (80-75).

The eighth flight needed a playoff to decide its winner, and in the end, it was Jady Prescott and Scott Dressel who followed up a victory in the ninth flight last year with a 78-77-155 to win the flight above this time around. Ryan Leaphart and Shane Brown (83-72) and Frank Whidden and Rick Whidden took third place with a 77-81.

The ninth flight was another wire-to-wire winner, the group of Allen Sange and Frank Beauchamp (75-77-152). They were followed by Charlie Layton and Earl May (82-79) and Curt Chewning II and Curtis Chewning (86-78).

NOTE: Two players - Ted Mawhinney and Clyde Creech - hit holes-in-one on the same hole Sunday, No. 17 of Deer Run.

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

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