Henke/Berg play heats up
Cape Coral resident Chase Marinell and Jack Hernandez of Fort Myers are teammates on their high school golf team at Bishop Verot. They’re good friends and have spent the past two days playing in the same group at the 17th annual Nolan Henke/Patty Berg Junior Masters Golf Tournament at Cypress Lake Country Club.
Both players will be in the final threesome again, for the final round Friday as they chase the title in the boys’ 16-18 division.
Marinell, the defending champion in the division, said being in the same group with a friend helps during the highs and lows of an 18-hole journey.
“If I was playing with somebody I didn’t know, it would be more intense and there wouldn’t be much talking,” he said. “When you play with somebody you know, it helps you relax.”
Both players seemed to thrive in the environment during Thursday’s second round.
Hernandez, 16, surged ahead with a 3-under-par 69 to post a two-round total of 141. It’s the lowest round of the tournament, so far.
Marinell, 17, is two shots back after shooting a 71 Thursday. He is threatening to win back-to-back titles in the 16-18 division and third straight overall, a feat which has not been accomplished since the tournament began in 1993. He won the in boys’ 13-15 division in 2007.
“I don’t feel too much pressure because I’ve won the past couple years,” Marinell said. “I just want to play well in the last tournament of the summer against a bunch of kids I know.”
Cape Coral’s Jake Sherwin remains in the lead in the boys’ 13-15 division after shooting a 76 in the second round. He opened with a 71 Wednesday. His total of 147 gives him a three-shot lead entering the final round.
Fort Myers’ Georgia Price has turned in two steady rounds of 78 and 80, and leads the girls’ division with a total of 158. Mallory Viera of Howey in the Hills (160), Marcy Koonce of Naples (161) and defending champion Miko Dougherty of Cape Coral (162) are within four shots of the lead.
In the boys’ 13-15 division, Cape Coral’s Dylan Hinkle made one of the biggest moves with a 71, after opening with an 84. He’s eight shots back of the lead, but managed to work his way into the final threesome with Sherwin and Malcom Oliver of Rotunda, who is three strokes back.
Hinkle said he’s been close friends with Sherwin for the past four years and added that Sherwin gave him some encouragement after his rough opening round.
Hinkle’s 13-shot improvement Thursday was made possible by the combination of good driving and putting, and, according to his mother Roberta, some “lucky socks.”
She purchased the socks from the pro shop just prior to the second round after Dylan showed up without any socks on.
For Sherwin, it’s a new experience being in contention for the tournament title.
Sherwin, 15, stressed after his opening-round 71 Wednesday that he wanted to just have fun in the second round and not put too much pressure on himself.
“I felt in control,” Sherwin said when he showed up for the start of his second round.
Sherwin wasn’t satisfied with his putting in the second round, but sank two birdies on Nos. 1 and 9, leading to his 76.
In the girls’ division, Dougherty struggled early in the second round, making 46 on the front nine. That stretch included a nine on the par-5 second.
Dougherty drove the ball well on Nos. 10-13 but was unable to take advantage around the green, resulting in pars.
Dougherty trails by four – the same deficit she made up over the final four holes last year to win.
The lowest second round score in the girls’ division was turned in by Koonce. Her 76 moved her two shots back of the leader, Price.
Price, 15, is competing in the Henke/Berg for the second time. She broke 90 once in three rounds last year, but said her confidence is better this time, and it’s led to better scores.
“I’ve worked on that a lot,” she said. “My nerves got to me (last year).”
In the boys’ 16-18 division, Englewood’s Jaime Veloz began the second round with a one-shot lead after an opening round 71. He shot a 75 Thursday to put him at 146 (five strokes back of Hernandez) and in the final threesome.
Marinell’s round began with great promise. He birdied Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5, but had trouble around the turn.
His tee shot landed in the water on the par-3 eighth, leading to a double bogey. A two-putt bogey on No. 9 put Marinell in a tie with Hernandez heading to the back nine.
On the 11th hole, Marinell had a key par save after sailing his approach shot into the bunker. He buried a 20-foot birdie putt after a great tee shot on the par-3 13th.
Hernandez’s play remained steady throughout his second round. He made birdies at Nos. 2, 9 16 and 18, and had just one bogey at 13.
“I almost played a perfect round,” Hernandez said. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens.”
Though Hernandez is in the lead, he said his plan for the final round is to play, as if he was trailing. Part of that is knowing the caliber of players behind him, including Marinell.
“I’m going to play like I’m down a couple,” he said. “I’m going to try and shoot pretty low.”