The road to Mission Inn starts now for First Coast high school golf teams.
For three teams, the Ponte Vedra and Fleming Island boys, and the Beachside girls, it’s a quest to repeat.
Up to 100 area boys and girls teams will begin competing in 14 FHSAA district golf tournaments on Oct. 28 and 29, at sites in the five-county First Coast area, plus Tallahassee, Gainesville and Crawfordville.
It’s the first of two steps in qualifying for the state tournaments in November, at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills.
The two lowest-scoring teams and two low individuals not on those teams in each district tournament advance to the regional tournament. Four other teams and four individuals will advance at large to the regional based on their iWanamaker index.
The Fleming Island boys, led by Class 3A state champion Tyler Mawhinney, are now in Class 2A after winning the 3A team title last year. Beachside’s girls, who won the school’s first state championship ever in Class 2A last year, are competing in 3A.
It never seems to matter to the Ponte Vedra boys what class they’re in. The Sharks are in Class 3A this year and have won seven state titles in a row, the last two in 2A, 2021 in 3A and the previous four in 2A Ponte Vedra already holds the FHSAA records for the most state titles in golf (nine) and the most in a row.
FHSAA district boys golf tournaments
Oct. 28
District 2-2A, Wakulla Sands Golf Course, Crawfordville, 8 a.m.
Area teams entered: Columbia, Suwannee.
What to expect: Tallahassee Lincoln is the top-ranked team in the district (eighth overall in Class 2A on the state’s iWanamaker rankings) but Suwannee will have a fighting chance, as will host Wakulla.
2A-District 3, Fernandina Beach Golf Club, 8:30 a.m.
Area teams entered: Bishop Kenny, Fernandina Beach, Paxon, Raines, Riverside, Stanton, Parker, West Nassau, Yulee
What to expect: More than likely a two-team battle between Bishop Kenny and Fernandina Beach, the two top-ranked teams in Class 2A in the tournament. The Crusaders’ Evan Raynor is a top-15 player in 9- and 18-hole matches.
District 4-1A, Hidden Hills Golf Club, Jacksonville, 8:10 a.m.
Area teams entered: Baldwin, Beaches Chapel, Bishop Snyder, Bolles, Christ’s Church, Episcopal, Harvest Community, Hilliard, Providence, St. Johns Country Day, Trinity Christian.
What to expect: Realistically, this is a battle for second place behind Bolles, which is sixth in Class 1A and 14th in the state in all classifications. Bulldog senior and University of North Florida verbal commit Luke Balaskewicz is seventh in the state in the 9-hole iWanamker rankings and fifth in 18-hole events. Teams shouldn’t go to sleep on the St. Johns Country Day Spartans.
Oct. 29
District 3-1A, Capital City Country Club, Tallahassee, 8 a.m.
Area teams entered: Bradford County, Union County.
What to expect: It will be an uphill struggle for the area teams to get past Tallahassee teams Maclay and Florida High.
District 5-1A, Mark Bostick Golf Course, Gainesville, 9 a.m.
Area teams entered: Keystone Heights, Palatka Peniel Baptist, St. Joseph Academy.
What to expect: Gainesville Oak Hall should parlay their home-course advantage into a relatively easy victory.
District 4-2A, Eagle Harbor Golf Club, Orange Park, Noon.
Area teams entered: Clay, Fleming Island, Menendez, Middleburg, Palatka, Ridgeview, St. Augustine, White, Wolfson.
What to expect: Fleming Island is the prohibitive favorite. The Golden Eagles are ranked third in the state overall, regardless of classification, in 9-hole and 18-hole events, and is the top-ranked 2A team and third overall. Junior Tyler Mawhinney is first overall in the state in 9-hole events and second in 18-hole events. Watch out for St. Augustine as the second qualifier, if junior Luke Splane can get some help.
District 2-3A, Slammer & Squire, St. Augustine, 12:30 p.m.
Area teams entered: Atlantic Coast, Bartram Trail, Beachside, Creekside, First Coast, Fletcher, Mandarin, Nease, Oakleaf, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, Sandalwood, Tocoi Creek.
What to expect: This will be a three-way heavyweight fight among nine-time state champion Ponte Vedra, Beachside and Creekside. All three teams are ranked among the top 15 on the state’s iWanamaker index in all classifications, with the Sharks sixth in 9-hole tournaments and seventh in 18-hole events. Consider this: The three teams have played in the same 18- or 36-hole tournaments five times and all three finished among the top five in every event, with Ponte Vedra winning two and Beachside and Creekside winning once each.
The likely scenario is that two of those teams will finish first and second and the third will qualify for the regional tournament as an at-large team.
Regional tournaments
Nov. 4
Region 1-1A, Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, 7:50 a.m.
Region 1-3A, Golf Club at Cypress Head, Port Orange, 8 a.m.
Region 1-2A, Country Club of Lake City, 8:30 a.m.
Region 2-1A, Seven Springs Golf and Country Club, Spring Hill, 11 a.m.
FHSAA district girls golf tournaments
Oct. 28
District 4-1A, Hidden Hills Golf Club, 8:10 a.m.
Area teams entered: Beaches Chapel, Bishop Snyder, Bolles, Christ’s Church, Episcopal, Jackson, Providence, St. Johns Country Day, Trinity Christian.
What to expect: Bolles, ranked sixth in 1A 9-hole events and third in 18-hole events, should win based on the regular-season results. Chloe McGrath and Grace Brefitt have both been among the top 15 players individual in Class 1A all season. Episcopal, led by Sahana Chokshi, and Providence will be factors. Chokshi is No. 1 in Class 1A in 18-hole events.
District 2-3A, Eagle Landing, Jacksonville, 8:30 a.m.
Area teams entered: Atlantic Coast, Bartram Trail, Beachside, Creekside, First Coast, Fletcher, Mandarin, Nease, Oakleaf, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, Sandalwood, Tocoi Creek.
What to expect: A loaded district, with 2023 Class 2A state champion Beachside, Ponte Vedra, Bartram Trail and Nease all ranked among the top-11 in class 3A, with Creekside No. 17. It should be a great battle for individual champion among Beachside’s Sofia Rivera and Fiona Clancy, Ponte Vedra’s Stella Moritz and Bartram Trail’s Aspen Bikowski.
Oct. 29
District 3-2A, Fernandina Beach Golf Club, 8 a.m.
Area teams entered: Bishop Kenny, Fernandina Beach, Paxon, Raines, Riverside, Stanton, Parker, West Nassau, Yulee.
What to expect: Stanton may be the surprise girls team of the season, with freshman Lily Chiang and junior Alyssa Hardy leading the Blue Devils to 10th in Class 2A in 9-hole events and ninth in 18-hole events. Chiang has been the medalist four times and Hardy twice. But Kenny and Fernandina have been top-20 teams all season and it could be a pitched three-way battle to the end. Sadaly Campbell of the Pirates is ranked fourth in 2A in 9-hole events and 19th in 18-hole.
District 4-2A, Palatka Golf Club, 8 a.m.
Area teams entered: Clay, Fleming Island, Menendez, Middleburg, Palatka, Ridgeview, St. Augustine, White, Wolfson.
What to expect: Based on the regular season, the tournament is Fleming Island’s to win or lose. Middleburg is a solid bet for second and to advance.
District 3-1A, Capital City Country Club, Tallahassee, 8 a.m.
Area teams entered: Bradford County, Union County.
What to expect: Tallahassee teams Maclay and Florida High have the deepest squads in the district and should be 1-2, in no particular order.
District 2-2A, Quail Heights Country Club, Lake City, 9 a.m.
Area teams entered: Columbia, Suwannee.
What to expect: Look for the Tigers to win easily on their home course, behind senior Alison O’Brian and junior Megan Ruwe. Suwannee and junior Ryan Donaldson won’t go quietly.
District 5-1A, Mark Bostick Golf Course, Gainesville, 9 a.m.
Area teams entered: Keystone Heights, Palatka Peniel Baptist, St. Joseph Academy.
What to expect: Keystone and Chiefland should have a tight battle to the end.
Regional tournaments
Nov. 5
Region 1-2A, Quail Heights Country Club, Lake City, 9 a.m.
Region 1-3A, Hawkstone Golf and Country Club, Gainesville, 10 a.m.
Region 2-1A, Seven Springs Golf and Country Club, Spring Hill, 11 a.m.
Nov. 6
Region 1-1A, Golden Eagle Country Club, Tallahassee, 8:30 a.m.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ponte Vedra, Fleming Island boys, Beachside girls begin state title quests
