Two state tournaments, two classifications … total domination.
The Fleming Island boys golf team won their second FHSAA state championship on Saturday at the Mission Inn Resort El Campeoon Course in Howey-in-the-Hills and if anyone thinks last year’s 17-shot victory in the 3A state tournament was a rout, try this one one for size: the Golden Eagles more than doubled that margin, overwhelming American Heritage Palm Beach by 38 shots at 6-over-par 582.
Fleming Island’s margin of victory was the third-highest in state history. Sanford Seminole beat Coral Gables by 43 shots in 1976 and American Heritage Plantation topped Bolles and Ponte Vedra by 39 shots in 2014. The Golden Eagles were the first Clay County school to win a state golf title last year and this year became the first golf team in school history to sweep the district, region and state titles.
“They were on a mission from the beginning of the season,” coach Bruce Cloud said. “We wanted to win our own tournament [the Randy Warren Invitational] and win the Qdobe [Tournament of Champions] and we did that. Winning the district and regional was nice but they weren’t going to be happy unless they finished it off with the state title.”
Sadaly Campbell of Fernandina wins girls title
In the 2A girls tournament at the Mission Inn Las Colinas Course, Fernandina Beach senior Sadaly Campbell won a playoff against Dariano Breto of the SLAM Academy after both finished 3-over 145. Campbell shot 71 in the second round.
Campbell overcame four bogeys among her first five holes to play a clean round over her final 13 holes, with four birdies.
Campbell birdied Nos. 16 and 18 and earned a spot in the playoff when Breto bogeyed the last.
Campbell is the fourth individual girls state champion from the First Coast in FHSAA history, and the first from Nassau County. The last state champion was Nicolette Donovan of Ponte Vedra in the 2013 Class 2A state tournament. Kelly Trent of Westside (1978) and Tamara Bowman of Parker (1968) won state titles in open classifications.
Campbell’s teammate, sophomore Elle Reisner (72) tied for third at 6-over and Lily Chiang of Stanton (71) tied for seventh at 8-over. Stanton finished 10th in the team standings and Fernandina 15th.
South Walton Santa Rosa won the team title by one shot over SLAM.
Tyler Mawhinney surges on the back nine
The only difference from last year’s tournament for Fleming Island is that junior Tyler Mawhinney didn’t win a second individual title in a row. He began the day tied for the lead with Sohan Patel of American Heritage, got off a shaky start with a double bogey at No. 3, bogeyed the eighth hole, and then reversed course, playing his next five holes at 5-under capped by an 8-foot putt for eagle at No. 14.
It wasn’t enough to catch Patel, who had one bogey in firing a 66 to win by four shots at 10-under 134. Mawhinney (70) bogeyed the last and finished 6-under.
“When Tyler struggles he usually finds a way to right the ship,” Cloud said. “He’s going to come back and do what Tyler does.”
Eagles had balance through the lineup
Mawhinney had plenty of help from his teammates. Every Fleming Island player finished among the top 25, with Emmet Kuhlenkamp (77) tying for fifth at 2-over, with a chip-in eagle at No. 14, Ryan Houck (74) tying for 10th at 8-over, Dylan Frein (70) tying for 16th at 11-over and Carson Moore (82) tying for 25th at 14-over.
Frein knocked 15 shots off his first-round 85 and birdied five of seven holes in the middle of his round.
“The guys and I talked to Dylan last night and wanted to make sure he was okay,” Cloud said. “For him to contribute the way he did, as a senior, in his last round for us, was a huge boost for us. He really gutted it out. That’s been the story of this team. If one guy falters, another one steps up.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fleming Island boys cruise, Sadaly Campbell of Fernandina wins in 2A golf
