The girls individual title of the inaugural Honda Classic High School Invitational isn't North Palm Beach's Caroline Araskog's first win this season, but it's the one that stands out.
"This is one of a kind," said The Benjamin School sophomore, who edged Juliana Herrera of Plantation-American Heritage and Abbey Carlson of Winter Park-Circle Christian by two shots. "To win a tournament with this many teams and the caliber of players, it's really special."
That was the plan when tournament organizers Ken Kennerly, executive director of the Honda Classic, and Kevin Hammer, an accomplished area amateur with deep local ties, invited many of the top golf schools from Florida to play a two-day event on one of the state's best-known golf courses.
The blueprint didn't include bad weather that cut the tournament to 27 holes at PGA National's Champion Course.
Bradenton-Lakewood Ranch, led by individual champion Hunter Sagar, won the boys title on the second playoff hole against Community School of Naples. Plantation-American Heritage won the girls title by nine strokes over Delray Beach's American Heritage, which co-hosted the event along with Benjamin.
But rain and lightning delays on Saturday didn't dampen the enthusiasm for a first-time high school tournament with the potential to be unlike any other in Florida.
Other than the season-ending state championship, few high school events are longer than one day and host both boys and girls from 1A and 2A classifications around the state.
Then there's the quality of the golf course and endless amenities of PGA National.
"This is the classiest event we've ever played in, and I've been coaching for 30 years," Lakewood Ranch coach Dave Frantz said before his team kept its unbeaten season alive.
Frantz said the quality of the competition and the venue, coupled with the presence of Florida State Golf Association officials, will make the tournament one every team in Florida will want on its schedule.
With five golf courses available at PGA National, the field easily could grow beyond the dozen boys and nine girls teams in this year's event.
"We're trying to become the best high school tournament in the state," he said.
Araskog and Frantz aren't the only ones who think it already is.
"This is a great atmosphere," said Ryan Jahn, a junior and team co-captain at The Benjamin School. "It's just going to get bigger and better."
~edgar_thompson@pbpost.com
BOYS RESULTS
Team scores
Bradenton-Lakewood Ranch (BLR) 436 (won on second playoff hole), Community School of Naples (CSN) 436, Plantation-American Heritage (P-AH) 438, Benjamin (BEN) 447, Jacksonville-Bolles (BOL) 450.
Individual scores
Hunter Sagar, BLR, 70-36-106
Mike Perez, P-AH, 74-33-107
Ramsey Touchberry, BLR, 72-35-107
Jackson Stroup, CSN, 71-36-107
A.J. Crouch, BOL, 74-33-107
Ryan Celano, CSN, 71-37-108
Zach Hoskins, Winter Park-Circle Christian 74-35-109
Hank Lebioda, Winter Park-Trinity Prep 75-34-109
Jalen Ledger, BEN, 72-37-109
Clancy Waugh, BEN, 72-38-110
Connor Richardson, Cardinal Newman, 73-37-110
Jorge Garcia, P-AH, 74-36-110
Connor Baldwin, BLR 71-39-110
GIRLS
Team scores
Plantation-American Heritage (P-AH) 471, American Heritage (AH) 480, Winter Park-Circle Christian (CC) 485, St. Andrew's (SA) 510, Lake Mary (LM) 560.
Individual scores
Caroline Araskog, Benjamin, 71-40-111
Juliana Herrera, P-AH, 76-37-113
Abbey Carlson, CC, 75-38-113
Marissa Kaye, SA, 71-44-115
Samantha Marks, CC, 76-39-115
Ashley Burke, AH, 76-40-116
Alessandra Kutz, LM, 76-40-116
Alexa Hammer, AH, 74-43-117
Nicole Ferre, P-AH, 78-39-117
Claudia DeAntonio, P-AH, 78-41-119
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