JACKSONVILLE - Fleming Island freshman golfer Sophia Moody opened with a six under par first nine holes to blister a 30 kept pace with an equally blistering seven under par from Beachside High's Sofia Rivera at the Deerwood Country Clubs Deerwood Country Club FCS Creekside Invitational on Wednesday, September 24. Rivera is ranked 20th in Class 3A. Moody is ranked 13th in Class 2A.
On the boys side, Fleming Island's Ryan Houck, taking over the number one team spot for a week as teammate Tyler Mawhinney, the top high school golfer in Class 2A and seventh in Florida, makes some international rounds outside the county, finished with a flurry in his second nine holes; a five under 31, to stake out a second place tie with 3A-Beachside's Jasper Kondal.
For Moody, the featured four birdies; first hole, fourth hole, seventh hole and eighth hole, but also included two bogies that kept her a stroke off the leader's pace held by Episcopal's Sahana Chokshi at 32. Chokshi, ranked 14th in Class 1A, had four birdies and the rest pars on her opening nine.
With one bogie on her back nine with three birdies, Chokshi finished with a two under 34 to finish at six under for the win with a 66 total.
Moody's second nine was a handful of pars, one bogie and one birdie on the final hole to finish with a 70.
Rivera, from 3A Beachside, shot par on her opening nine with a one under 35 on the back nine to finish at 71 right behind Moody.
For the girls team scores, Bolles had four golfers finish in the 70s led by seventh grader Chloe Pierce's 73, but one at 99 and still had the top team score to finish ahead of Beachside and Nease with Fleming Island ninth.
For the boys team scores, 3A-Ponte Vedra, ranked fifth in Florida and top-ranked in Class 3A, held an 11 stroke lead, 285-296 over Episcopal with Beachside third at 298. Fleming Island, defending 2A champion and ranked 10th in 2A, was sixth with Houck finishing tied at 68 for second with Beachside's Jaspreet Kondal. Jack Cole, a freshman at Episcopal, won with a 66 with six birdies and 12 pars.
Beachside held the number one ranking in Class 3A in the early part of the season.
Houck had an eagle on 13 to push his way up the leaderboard with four birdies but bogies on seven and eight. Houck's second nine was at 31 (5-under).
Fleming Islands' second finisher was junior William McGready tied for ninth with Jude Johnson of Ponte Vedra with a one over 73. McGready reversed a three over first nine 39 with a two birdies and pars to close with a two under 34.
Fleming Island's second finisher was senior Carson Moore with a 26th place 78.
On Monday, September 22, in a nupset of sorts, St. Johns Country Day School's boys team beat 3A number one ranked Beachside 147-151 with the Spartans getting 35 scores from the brothers Beckhams; sophomore Beckham and eighth grader Fletcher Cummings. The match was at Eagle Harbor Golf Club.
With Beachside sophomore Palmer Scott registering a stout 32 (4-under par) to win the top spot, the Cummings boys were three strokes out in a tied for second with freshman Anderson Vogt in at fourth with a 37.
For the Spartans, the top five finishers, all underclassmen, were under 41 with freshman Noa Bridges sixth with a 40 and sophomore Reece Hoffman eighth with a 41.
Note: Beachside was not playing with a handful of key players including junior Jaspreet Kondal, who was top finisher for Beachside one stroke win over Fleming Island in recent dual match. Kondal is ranked 12th in Class 3A.