Amateurs put on a clinic

They didn't pop champagne on the top balcony of the River Greens Golf Course clubhouse, nor did they need any celebratory fist pumps after a momentum-swinging putt.

Three hours into their Sunday singles matches, the amateurs had reclaimed the Highlands County Ryder Cup.

"It was very anticlimactic toward the end," amateur captain Bobby Barben said, "but our first eight guys got all the points that we needed."

Not that he was complaining. Not after two years of humbling losses.

With a refreshing mix of young and old(er) talent, the amateur team beat the professionals, 14-11, on Sunday morning for its most lopsided victory since 1998.

Before handing over the silver cup during a post-round ceremony in the River Greens clubhouse, professional Jason Beatty told Barben: "You guys had a really good team and you all played well."

Did they ever.

Leading 7-5 at the start of Sunday singles - a format in which the professionals would presumably have an advantage - the amateurs won a full point in five of their first eight matches, halving two others. By the time Barben was on the 16th hole, it was over.

"It was a tough battle," Beatty said. "I've been playing in this for seven years, and this is the strongest team I've ever seen them have."

After losing by a combined 32-16 the past two years, Barben, the Avon Park boys golf coach, actively recruited some younger talent. They qualified, and he then matched his star player, Greg Gentry, and Sebring senior Blake Liles in Saturday's better ball and alternate shot formats.

Good call.

Gentry and Liles, long-hitting left-handers who are competing this week in the high school regional golf tournaments, combined to shoot 9 under during Saturday's sessions, pounding the professional team of Mike Lamere and Dave Schumaker 7-and-5 and 7-and-6.

"It was a lot of fun," Gentry said. "I felt like I was one of the better players in the Heartland, beating most of the pros."

Gentry continued his strong play Sunday, claiming a 5-and-3 victory over Brian Bone - the amateurs' only win in the final five matches, when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"They just had a real good mix of guys," Beatty said.

On another sun-splashed morning, Austin Smith cruised to a 5-and-3 victory over Cory Decoteau, Greg Knowles defeated Lamere 5 and 4, and Mike Browning claimed a 3-and-2 win over Val Patarini, pushing the amateurs' lead to 11-6 after the first wave of matches.

Sun 'N Lake's Andy Kesling claimed the morning's first point for the pros, winning 1 up over Rene Brown.

But the amateurs clinched the cup after Larry Roy's 4-and-3 victory over Marty O'Hora, and Jeff Klingbiel closed out Pete Gorgone 3 and 2.

"Most of the times the amateurs are playing more golf than the professionals," Beatty reasoned. "They play more tournaments, and they're probably a little sharper in those pressure-packed situations."

Whatever the reason, the amateurs now hold a 10-5 advantage over the pros in one of the area's most prestigious events. This one - a 14-11 win - was the amateurs' most dominating victory since 1998, when they won 14½-9½.

"That does seem weird," Gentry said, referring to the amateurs' past success against the pros. "You wouldn't think it'd be like that."