Golf: Naples youth wins Drive, Chip and Putt title
SARASOTA – Braden Miller experienced his own version of Groundhog Day on Saturday at TPC Prestancia.
And the young man from Naples could not be more pleased.
Winning the boys 10-11 Division at the Drive, Chip and Putt Sub-Regional, Miller fired the exact 38-45-60/143 he shot last year at the same tournament on the same Tournament Players Course in Sarasota.
Miller will advance to the same Regional he won last year at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. The 10-year-old won his region division last year to qualify for the national tournament that was held during Masters Week in Augusta, Georgia.
After the great experience he had last April, Miller had all the motivation he needed to try for a repeat performance again this time around.
“That was the best experience of my life,” Miller said. “Meeting all those people was really a lot of fun.
“I definitely have 100 percent motivation to go back. Going there back-to-back would really be a great accomplishment.”
Miller lugged a total of four medals back to Naples on Saturday. In addition to his overall title, he tied for first in putts (60), and finished in second place in driving (38) and chipping (45).
“The reason I won was because of my driving,” Miller said. “I really hit it pretty good on my second drive.”
Another Naples resident also won a division crown and took home four medals on Saturday. Winning the 7-9 Girls Division, Jensi Krampel racked up 126 point, as well as finishing first in chipping (55), second in driving (21) and second in putting with a score of 50.
The top two overall finishers in each division on Saturday qualified for the regional competition, meaning that Miller and Krampel will be joined by two other area junior golfers next month at TPC Sawgrass.
Playing in her fourth DCP series of tournaments, Alexa Oates of Naples took second place in the 14-15 age division with a score of 56-21-60/137. This will be her second trip to the regional tournament.
“Drives aren’t really my thing, but I did really well with my first two drives,” Oates said. “I was proud of myself. The chipping was all right.
“It’s the start of something new. Every time out you get better.”
Cape Coral’s Kevin Kelly will be making his first trip in three tries to TPC Sawgrass after claiming second place overall in the 12-13 Division with a total of 46-35-65/146. He also finished tied for first in putting and in second place for driving.
“I was really solid in my putting,” Kelly said. “My short game, within 100 yards is the best part of my game right now.”
Kelly would love to experience what Miller did last year by playing his way to Augusta.
“That would really be cool,” Kelly said. “It’s something to think about.”
It was a disappointing day for Sam Kodak of Naples. Kodak joined Miller as a region champion in Augusta last spring. But he finished with an overall total of 108 on Saturday, well behind second-place finisher Brendan Valdes of Orlando at 146.
A total of 164 junior golfers, who qualified through local tournaments, each got three drives, three chips and three putts and played on the first hole at TPC Prestancia for the Sub-Region competition.
Girls Results
7-9 Division – 1. Jensi Krampel, Naples 21-55-50/126; 2. Dannika Hines, Odessa 25-45-41/111
10-11 Division – 1. Gloria Nip, Port St. Lucie 39-36-32/107; 2. Arienui Faana, Lake Mary 12-26-55/93
12-13 Division – 1. Kavya Ajjarapu, Lutz 43-25-60/128; Kailey Kleinatland, Lutz 44-26-55/125
14-15 Division – 1. Norah Catlin, Zephyrhills 53-26-60/139; 2. Alexa Oates, Naples 56-21-60/137
Boys Results
7-9 Division – 1. Alexander Kaufman, Sarasota 40-41-60/141; 2. Jacob Menard, Sarasota 21-25-65/111
10-11 Division – 1. Braden Miller, Naples 38-45-60/143; 2. Jack Vanderschuur, Lutz 34-45-60/139
12-13 Division – 1. Ariahu Faana, Lake Mary 53-45-60/158; 2. Kevin Kelly, Cape Coral 46-35-65/146
14-15 Division – 1. Gregory Solhaug, Bradenton 51-50-55/156; 2. Brendan Valdes, Orlando 61-30-55/146