MIAMI SHORES — The The Benjamin School boys’ golf team struggled through the opening holes of Monday’s Class 1A Region 4 tournament at windy Miami Shores Country Club, but the Buccaneers rallied to finish second and secure an automatic berth in the week’s state championships next.
Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest won the regional with a team score of 7-under 277 and Benjamin finished four shots behind.
Oxbridge Academy was third (285) and St. Andrew’s fifth (305).
The state championships will be held Nov. 12-13 at the Mission Resort + Club in Howey-In-The-Hills. Benjamin is aiming for his second consecutive title and his fifth overall.
“The thing is, you try to make it happen,” Benjamin coach Toby Harbeck said. “That was the main goal today: to finish first or second. We obviously wanted to win, but we want to defend our title. We’re going to get that chance, and I like our chances.
More: Kai Trump and Benjamin Girls Golf Win District Title at Trump International West Palm Beach
Pavel Tsar de Benjamin finishes second
Senior Pavel Tsar, the Palm Beach Post’s male golfer of the year, had the second-best individual score Monday, shooting a 4-under 67 to finish two shots behind Pine Crest’s Alexander Weinberg and two ahead of third-place Ajax Lanasa. from the Oxbridge Academy.
Tsar’s younger brother Andrew, who won the District 13 individual title, tied for fourth with a 70. Fellow sophomore Charlie Woods, the son of legendary golfer Tiger Woods, tied four others, including Joey Iaciofano, a second year Oxbridge student, in sixth place with 71.
Sophomore Brooks Colton and junior Jake Valentine each shot 73 for Benjamin.
“Overall, I would say we played solidly,” Pavel Tsar said. “It was enough to move forward.”
“We got off to a bad start,” Harbeck said. “I don’t know if it was nervousness or what. We were about four or five over par after two holes. I thought to myself, “What is going on in this world?
“But you know, this group is fighting back,” Harbeck continued. “They’ve been doing it all year. They did it last year. So they know how to fight back when things don’t go their way.
“I’m really proud of them. Shooting 3 under par on this golf course is awesome. We don’t know. It’s wet. It’s long. It’s windy.”
Pavel Tsar, who will play at Notre Dame next year, made bogey on holes No. 2 and 5, as well as the 10th, but recorded an eagle on No. 13, a birdie on the next hole and a birdie on the final hole.
“Tough day with the wind, but I’m happy with the way I played,” Tsar said. “We all knew we were a few (shots) behind (Pine Crest and Oxbridge), and I felt like if I did something it would boost the team as well. And it kind of ended like that.
Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren were watching Charlie
Charlie Woods made bogeys on the second, third and eighth holes. But birdies at Nos. 6, 12 and 13 helped him finish on par. Woods’ father, wearing a white cap and sunglasses, polo shirt, and navy shorts (with a black sleeve on the right leg underneath), watched silently while sitting in a golf cart for most of the game . However, the two chatted briefly on several occasions, most notably over number 12.
Tiger’s ex-wife and Charlie’s mother, former Swedish model Elin Nordegren, accompanied Tiger in the golf cart for part of the ride, wearing a white sun hat and long-sleeved t-shirt with “Buccaneers” printed on the front.
After Charlie made his final putt on No. 18, she was the first to greet him with a hug. Charlie declined to comment on his performance to the Post.
“He is hard on himself. If he could just relax and play, store some of that energy, that would be good,” Harbeck said. “He’s just young. He has a lot of dad in him.
Harbeck said Woods, Colton and Valentine, who made two birdies on the back nine, all steadily improved their scores over the course of the round, and Pavel Tsar “put the pedal to the metal when he needed to.”
This article was originally published on the Palm Beach Post: Tiger Woods watches Benjamin boys golf team advance to state
