City Championship golfers battle windy conditions
Golfers in the 27th Cape Coral City Championship played the first of two rounds Saturday under sunny skies, but also battled windy conditions at Coral Oaks Golf Course.
“It was windy out there, and there are 20 mph winds expected tomorrow,” said Scott Zedeker, who is playing in Flight A and shot 81.
Many will know Zedeker as one of the weathercasters at WINK news. He has played this tournament four times, and gave his analysis of the course.
“You’ve got to stay out of the rough and you’ll be in good shape,” he said.
The Championship flight has co-leaders through 18 holes at 74. Jim Marcelak, the 2013 winner, is tied with Eric Costa. Jeff Spingler and Billy Boone are tied for third with 76.
“There was nothing spectacular about my play today. I just kept it in play,” Marcelak said. “The wind was a big factor. It seems there are several harder holes that we played into the wind. Key (to winning) is just patience, taking what the course gives you, and then concentrating on each putt.”
“We’re maxed out at 184 (players) and we actually have 185 playing,” said tournament director Allen Manguson. “If we had more sunlight we could accommodate about 260.”
As it is, it is the biggest field in tournament history for the second straight year.
The event is broken down into five men’s flights and one women’s flight. A player’s golf handicap determines in which flight they are placed.
Manguson added the women’s flight in 2007. Gigi Higgins won the trophy for the first three years. In 2011 and 2012, Gina Falvey took first place. The last two years the winner was Brooke Ciccone. Falvey came back from college to compete again this year. She leads after 18 holes with an 82, compared to Ciccone’s 85.
A second part of the women’s flight is a trophy for the net score leader. The women’s handicap is subtracted from their actual score for a net score. Net score leaders after the first round are Judy Pierce and Linda Smith with 70s.
Phil Everhart is tied with Blake Joyner for the first-round lead in the A flight.
“My front nine was nothing to speak of,” Everhart said. “But I held it together and had a really good second nine.”
Everhart shot 2-under for the back nine.
“I hit a 30-foot putt on number eight for a birdie, and then birdied nine also. The wind was very difficult,” he said.
In other flights Phil Everhard and Blake Joyner share the lead in Flight A at 75, followed by Troy Grabow at 76.
Matthew Dodge leads Flight B with 81, four strokes in front of John Young at 85.
Larry Silverberg’s 79 leads Flight C by two strokes over Denis Nuccio (81).
Steven Nance shot 89 to lead Flight D by one stroke over Matt Dukas (90).