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2007 SAC Golf Tournament May Look A Whole Lot Like 2006

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By MATTHEW PARKE Tribune correspondent

Published: October 11, 2007

Hidden Creek. Wesley Chapel. Mitchell. T.J. Adipietro. And a Van Etten.

If this list appears familiar, then you may think you are reading about the girls 2006 Sunshine Athletic Conference Tournament. When the driver meets tee at Hidden Creek for a second year in a row, there will be the sense this has already happened.

However, there are some key differences: Wesley Chapel's firm hold of the SAC regular-season title after its 10-0 season; Mitchell's Megan Van Etten playing instead of her sister, Emily; and the sure bet that every ball will be properly marked on the green.

While front-runners Wesley Chapel and Mitchell are busy sorting out their unique and storied rivalry, a spoiler like River Ridge could sneak away with the tournament.

WESLEY CHAPEL: If this is their year to win the SAC, Coach Scott Boyd's Wildcats (10-0) have played themselves into the perfect position to capture it with important wins against Mitchell and River Ridge. The setting in which to do that could not be more appropriate. It is the same course where Adipietro's disqualification on No. 18 cost her the tournament championship last year.

Adipietro and Samantha Friese have been playing well all season, and Boyd said his top two have been feeding off each other's success and are indispensable to one another.

'I don't know if there is a bigger asset to T.J. than Sam and vice versa,' Boyd said. 'A lot of these teams we play against; T.J. and Sam do not have a lot of competition up front. Their scores are attributed to each other because they compete against one another.'

The tournament's expanded 18-hole setup may present a challenge to Wesley Chapel as it has not seen much of the back nine this season. Its experience on the front nine is extensive as it has played three times the past two seasons at Hidden Creek. According to Boyd, the course's reduced confines might trip up his long hitters.

'It's a very short course and a great opportunity for someone that does not hit that far. It could hurt us more than helps us. T.J. is very accurate and you can be assured that she will be on the fairway most of the time,' Boyd said.

MITCHELL: Coach Joe Castellano's 9-1 team has rebounded from its eight-stroke loss to rival Wesley Chapel with a win against Land O' Lakes on Oct. 2. Castellano is confident the Mustangs' worst golf is behind them.

'It was another match. We felt empty after losing against Wesley Chapel. But the season goes on, you have to keep plugging along,' Castellano said.

Megan Van Etten has replaced her sister Emily as the No. 1 golfer for the Mustangs. This is her second year playing at Hidden Creek for the SAC Tournament, and the experience drawn from her sixth-place finish in 2006 will help the newcomers.

Castellano said his team will need to tighten up its short game in order to compete at its top form.

'Putting and irons. That's what it is going to come down to at that golf course,' Castellano said.

'My girls have to play the best they can play and the best golf I know they can play. Because Wesley Chapel, they'll be tough. They are primed and ready to do something in this tournament,' Castellano said.

RIVER RIDGE: The 8-2 Royal Knights will not back down at the tournament because they lost to Mitchell and Wesley Chapel. Coach Ernie Beck's team played the Wildcats tough in its final regular-season match. They pushed the SAC's top team to its limit in a squeaker, 214-218.

'We kind of surprised them a bit. They came over here and played on our course and we gave them a good go for the money,' Beck said.

No. 1 freshman Kim Donato will lead her young and inexperienced team that only returned one senior, Brittany Hahn. According to Beck, the longer tournament will not affect his top golfer because Donato is used to playing 18 holes regularly in her free time.

'She plays on her own. I think she'll fare OK,' Beck said. 'If Kim has a decent day, she could be in the top five or six.'

Although Mitchell had an easier time with the Royal Knights in a 46-stroke rout earlier this year, Beck said his team has improved since that match and their result against the Wildcats is evidence of their potential.

'Going into it, I really think we have a solid shot at third place. I don't think that's unrealistic. I am not taking my eyes off first place,' Beck said.

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