- April 25, 2024
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Ashtin Arlaud sizes up a putt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jake Vannucci practices on the Palm Harbor Golf Club putting green. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Londone Turlington Parker makes a putt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jake Vannucci sizes up a putt. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Ashtin Arlaud and Londone Turlington Parker on the putting green at Palm Harbor Golf Club. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Londone Turlington Parker has been playing golf since January. By Brent Woronoff
Londone Turlington Parker has been playing golf for less than nine months. He is the sixth player on the Matanzas boys golf team.
What the sophomore lacks in experience he makes up for in passion. And he has teammates willing to help him out any way they can even if his scores are unlikely to count in most matches this season.
That’s because the other Matanzas golfers are equally as passionate about the game. And they remember that not too long ago they were in the same situation.
The Pirates had a 5-0 record going into their Sept. 21 match against Seabreeze at Palm Harbor Golf Club. They are aiming to win a district championship for the third consecutive year. But there are no stars on this team. Only two of the Pirates' top five have had any prior tournament experience. The others, like Parker, started playing golf in high school.
“We all kind of started in our freshman or sophomore years,” said senior Jake Vannucci. “We’ve all been behind, but we’ve worked our way back up.”
"They’re all real competitive and push each other. There’s always a little battle within our team.”
THAD BUSBY, Matanzas boys golf coach
Vannucci, senior Marcos Defeo, juniors Alek Libby and Ashtin Arlaud and freshman Trevor Challice all have nine-hole averages between 40 and 42. Any one of them can win match medalist honors or shoot in the high 30s on any given day, said coach Thad Busby.
“There’s nothing flashy about us,” he said. “We’ve been consistent. They’re all real competitive and push each other. There’s always a little battle within our team.”
Only Challice and Libby have had tournament experience before entering high school. The youngest golfer on the team, Challice, is probably the most experienced, having played tournament golf for the past five years.
“For junior golf in today’s standards, that’s kind of late. Some start at 5 or 6,” said the freshman’s father, Dave Challice, a golf instructor and former teaching pro. “Obviously Trevor has gotten better through the years.”
Trevor Challice has qualified for the U.S. Kids World Championship at Pine Hurst the past four years. He also qualified for next month’s Faldo Hurricane Series Grand Final at Barefoot Resort and Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Defeo, Vanucci and Arlaud are all in their third year on the team, learning the game as they go.
“Golf is a tough game,” said Busby. “You’ve got to be all in or you’re not going to get better.”
The Pirates are all in. Vannucci and Defeo have golf course jobs so they can get more time on the course and personalized instruction.
Vannucci has worked for almost a year at Grand Haven Golf Club where head golf pro Billy Van Arsdale has helped him with his game. Vannucci said his brother, Troy, who plays in amateur tournaments in New Jersey and Philadelphia, has also aided in his development.
“After that match I got on the cart path and felt I could run a marathon, I was so happy.” LONDONE TURLINGTON PARKER
The Pirates have had a team score of exactly 160 in three consecutive tournaments. They believe they are capable of dropping 10 strokes from that total.
“We can do it,” said Jake Vanucci.
“We’re all able to shoot under 40,” Arlaud added.
Parker knows his day will come.
“Every practice I get better and better,” he said. “My dad has helped me out a lot, and Ashtin, Marcos and Jake give me pointers every day. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I would ever be on the team.”
Parker’s best day so far was a round of 44 on Aug. 31 at Palm Harbor in a match against Menendez.
“After that match I got on the cart path and felt I could run a marathon, I was so happy,” he said.
