Head Coach Mark Cammarene believes his Vero Beach High School boys golf team has an excellent chance of qualifying for the 2015 state championship tournament and holding its own once it gets there.
“This year I didn’t really know what to expect as far as performance goes,” Cammarene said. “It was a young team but they have played some amazing golf. I’m really encouraged.
“We are playing well at the right time. We are getting ready for our district, regional and hopefully state tournaments. I thought it would be a really great year just to get to state. So far from what I’ve seen I’m pretty sure we can get there, and I think we can compete there,” Cammarene said.
“I truly think so. We’ve played in some events with the defending state champs (Lake Mary) and they returned all but one senior. After one round of a recent event they were only one shot ahead of us. They pulled away from us on the last day, but we didn’t play well. I think our best against them would probably be good enough.”
The district tournament was scheduled for this week. The regionals tee off next Tuesday before the state finals commence the last week of October.
To prepare for the demanding postseason, this past weekend VBHS participated in the prestigious Honda High School Invitational at PGA National. Cammarene described this 36-hole event as featuring the “best of the best” high school teams in Florida plus a few from out-of-state.
This team doesn’t shy away from stiff competition and district rival Viera will provide the first test. The coach says he “has a pretty good idea of the top five moving forward” during the knockout phase that began this week.
Beck Fox (37.3), Austin Aliff (37.5), Marcus Herndon (38), James Fischer (39.3) and Bryce Hauser (40.8) led the pack of nine varsity golfers in stroke average through October 7. Not that far behind were Ben Yurigan (41.4), Conner Smith (42.2), Corey Stepanek (42.4) and Hugo DeCarvalho (43.9).
Six strokes per nine holes separates this team from top to bottom. Two golfers touched on the nervous intensity present in their contests.
“I started playing golf when I was two years old,” senior Marcus Herndon explained. “I had been to state and world championships until I was 12 years old. At that point I quit.
“It just wasn’t fun anymore primarily because I had been playing it for so long. The competition was ruining the sport for me. If it’s not fun, why would you want to do it? I was still playing on and off after I quit, but I was not playing competitively.
“I came back when I was 16 and joined the varsity as a sophomore. About a month ago I realized that that I want to play golf in college and possibly try to play as an amateur or professional after that. Of course that all depends on what I want to do and what my passion is after college.”
Herndon said he returned because, “I love the sport.”
Junior teammate Beck Fox got a late start in the game compared to Herndon. He told us, “I started playing golf when I was four years old.” There doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day for this young man to enjoy what he does on the course. He chose to play for VBHS despite other options.
“Vero was the best high school golf team in Florida that I wanted to be on. In 8th grade after school from three o’clock until dark I was hitting balls every single day, Monday through Friday. Then I came out for tryouts and it paid off.
“If you are going to the next level you have to be on the best team possible to prove yourself. This is where I wanted to be.
“I went to states with the team as a freshman and I know we can get there this year. No doubt in my mind. I really want to contend and I think we have a chance of winning. Viera is our main competition to get to states and if we all play like we can we should have no problem.
“I would say putting is the aspect of my game that I need to work on the most,” Beck said. “I’m a pretty good putter, but it comes down to two or three putts I miss that separate me from the best out there. That’s it.
“If I shoot a 78 or 80 I will go back home and practice for two or three more hours. I’m never satisfied with anything. When I go out on the course I’m going to have some fun. I know how to hit a golf ball the right way.
“Our team this year is very consistent. Everybody can break 80, which is perfect. If you can get four scores in the 70s you have a chance to go anywhere as a high school team. Everybody here has amazing talent; everybody practices hard.
“I think this is our year to prove something.”
