Vikings win post-break match
April 20, 2007
This past week the Cape Henlopen High School golf team picked up right where it left off before spring break.
The Vikings easily handled the squad from Lake Forest High School on April 17, winning 163-210 on the front nine at Rehoboth Beach Country Club.
“We won big time,” said a pleased Coach Claudio Smarrelli. “All but one of the kids shot in the 40s or better. I was impressed. It was a very cold, very windy day.”
The raw effects of the recent nor’easter were still evident, as were the normal course issues that arise after the spring aeration of the greens and fairways. “The greens were a bit rough, and the fairways were still soggy from all the rain,” Smarrelli said. “So I had the teams use the lift, clean, and place procedure for the match. It was a respectable round for all of them.”
“I told the kids that with the ground soaking wet, they needed to make sure they hit the ball first,” Smarrelli laughed.
Travis Parker won medallist honors with a 2-over par 36. “It felt like it was 30 degrees out, with a 40 mile per hour wind,” he said. “I doubled my last hole [the first], playing into the wind. I hit a punch driver, and was trying to keep it low.” Unfortunately, the tee shot ballooned up, and so did his score on that hole.
Parker birdied the seventh, however, and parred the rest of his round. “The wind died on 19 when we played it,” he said. “The pin was in front, and I hit pitching wedge, so it was easy.”
Sam Purple took second place with her 41. “I had seven bogeys and two pars—the 19th and the fifth. Misjudging the wind really killed me. It was tough. On one par three I drove the ball right over the green. Some of the guys said they were hitting two clubs extra, so I hit one club more, and it was still long.”
Dino Nardo helped his squad with a 6-over par 42, according to Smarrelli. Tristan Karsnitz finished the team scoring with a 44. “I had one triple on the sixth. I had a shot go up against a tree, and all I could do was hit it out. After that hole, I finished up par, bogey, par, bogey, so I wasn’t too bad after that.”
Karsnitz was also stunned at how hard the first hole played into the wind. “I hit driver, then hybrid, and I still had 40 yards to go, so I used my sand wedge. It was tough.”
Smarrelli gave his team high marks as they approached mid-season with their scheduled April 19 match against Laurel High at RBCC. “I’m happy with the kids, but I know they can do a little bit better.”
During the squad’s spring break practice round at Baywood Greens, Purple had some additional fun, with her first eagle. “I hit a really good drive on the [par-4] 17th hole, and was 80 yards out. I hit the next shot and I saw it land on the green. Then I was like where’d the ball go, and I saw it go in the cup.”
Third Annual Jake’s Seafood House Golf Tournament
A group of local movers and shakers is seeking additional sponsors for the third edition of a popular charity golf tournament benefiting The Wellness Community. The organization provides support, education, and hope for cancer victims and their families.
This year’s event is being held at Kings Creek Country Club on Monday, June 11. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. The post-tournament luncheon is held once again at the nearby Jake’s Seafood Restaurant. Sponsors can put their names in front of the golfers with event signage, programs, and other display opportunities during the big day.
Players and potential sponsors can contact Tournament Director Tom Roy or Sussex County Outreach Coordinators Kaye Webb or Lori Watson at the TWC website, www.wellnessdelaware.org, or call 645-9150.