With four strokes separating the top four teams going into Saturday’s second day of the Honda Classic High School Invitational at PGA National Resort & Spa in West Palm Beach, it was a given that the prestigious tourney would come down to the final shots.
Who knew there would be extra holes between a pair of Central Florida defending state champs?
The reigning Class 1A and defending Honda Classic champ, First Academy, had a one-stroke lead after Friday with Class 3A state champ Lake Mary four behind. At the end of another 18 holes on Saturday, they were tied following a 292 by the Rams on the Fazio Course.
In the end, TFA won on the second playoff hole to earn a second straight Honda Classic crown.
“That was real fun, real exciting and real intense,” Royals coach Chris Bateman said. “We played solid golf all weekend.”
Ariel Yu led TFA with a consistent 70-70 for 140, enough for third overall (three behind medalist Maisie Filler of Oxbridge), while Taylor Zeng and Meiyi Yu each posted two-day totals of 148. But it was the Royals’ fourth player that pleasantly surprised Bateman.
Teresa Zhuang didn’t make the TFA postseason roster last season as a sophomore. But after the Royals lost a couple of key players, Bateman knew someone needed to step up and on Saturday it was Zhuang.
“I didn’t know how she would perform under pressure, but she had pars on 17 and 18, the toughest holes out there today,” he said. “This was a very satisfying win for us.”
Lake Mary was led by Izzy Pellot’s fifth-place effort of 69-75 for 144, one stroke ahead of teammate Karoline Tuttle’s 145. Tuttle was tied with former individual state champ Erika Smith of Lake Nona.
“We knew this second day we’d be competing head-to-head against state finals contenders, which is what you want for the girls,” Lake Mary coach Dennis Burchill said. “I felt good about the way we fought to get to the playoff. In the end, somebody had to win and it was [TFA].”
Burchill also has his own pleasant surprise as Gabby Perlstein finished the day with 10 consecutive pars for an even-par 72 and her career personal best.
The top local boys team was also First Academy, placing sixth with a two-day total of 618 (317-301) on the Champion Course. Sampson Zheng led the Royals with 147 after an even-par 72 on Saturday. He was sixth overall, two strokes behind Circle Christian’s Canon Claycomb, who rebounded from a tough 76 on Friday to shoot 69 and finish fourth. Drew Angelo of Lakewood Ranch was first with 141.
Winter Park finished eighth with 622 while Windermere was 11th with 630 and Circle Christian finished 13th with 632.
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