SARASOTA
A year after claiming she played “horrible” during the Donald Ross Memorial Invitational, Manatee High’s Gabrielle Tomeo won it Monday in dramatic fashion at the Sara Bay Country Club.
When asked about the turnaround, Tomeo credited her new coach, Tim Sheredy, and all the work he has done with Tomeo’s swing and how he has helped with her irons and course management.
Gabrielle Tomeo of Manatee won the girls title of the the Donald Ross Invitational on the second playoff hole on Monday at Sara Bay Country Club. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI
“He’s magic,” the sophomore said.
But the biggest play Tomeo made Monday came off the course. After shooting a 76, Tomeo changed her scorecard after signing it, and tournament officials were debating whether that merited a disqualification.
“I was really shaken up,” she said.
It was decided that since she never left the scoring area, Tomeo still was eligible to compete in a playoff against Saint Stephen’s Vanessa Yan, who also fired a 76. Tomeo won the playoff in two holes, though she acknowledged she needed to gather herself after the scorecard discrepancy.
“I just took a stroll,” she said. “It’s hard to play golf when you’re mad.”
Tomeo and Yan had to wait about an hour before the rest of the field finished to begin their playoff.
“The delay really helped,” Tomeo said.
Vanessa Yan of Saint Stephen's reached the girls playoff for the the Donald Ross Invitational title on Monday at Sara Bay Country Club. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI
Tony Jiang didn’t make things as dramatic on the boys side, as the Sarasota Christian senior fired a 67 to beat Out-of-Door Academy’s Max Coutsolioutsos and Saint Stephen’s Eric Meng by five strokes as each had a 72.
“I played all right today,” said Jiang, who had four birdies on the front nine. “I didn’t make any super-long putts…I played not super-good, but all right.”
This was Jiang’s third year competing in the Donald Ross. Last year he played in the same group as Lakewood Ranch’s Kelly Sun, the boys medalist. Jiang said winning this year is a confidence boost moving forward.
“I got a chance to compete,” said Jiang, who is receiving interest from North Carolina and Wake Forest, “and just enjoy it.”
Coutsolioutsos defeated Meng in a four-hole playoff to finish runner-up.
Lakewood Ranch’s boys enjoyed themselves at the Donald Ross Invitational once again by shooting a 300 to win the title for the fifth consecutive season. At the conclusion of the ceremony, members of the team held all five first-place silver plates and posed for pictures.
Tony Jiang of Sarasota Christian ran away with the boys title in the Donald Ross Invitational on Monday at Sara Bay Country Club. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI
It was the first title for Jon Bullas, Lakewood Ranch’s new coach who received constant reminders from former coach Dave Frantz on the Mustangs’ dynasty at the Donald Ross.
“He’d text me saying, ‘You know, we’ve won the last four in a row, we need to make it five,’ ” Bullas said. “It’s exciting. And it’s big because we beat some of our rivals we’re going to see at districts, some of whom have beaten us this year.”
The Mustangs were a balanced bunch: Mike Wijas shot a 75, Louie DelFabro and Billy Herten each finished with a 76 and Drew Angelo had a 77. That was good enough to defeat Saint Stephen’s (306) and Riverview by (308).
Josh Perna and Eric Souchak each led the Rams with a 75.
The Mustangs made it a clean sweep as the girls shot a 336 to beat defending champion Venice (352) and third-place Saint Stephen’s (364).
Katie Kroos-Roberts led Ranch with a 78 and Teresa Morrissey added an 81.
Victoria Cangero carded a team-low 80 for the Indians, who have two runner-up finishes and two titles in the last four years at the Donald Ross Invitational.
