It was a good day for the St. Cloud High boys golf team at Tuesday’s Orange Belt Conference championship tournament at Royal St. Cloud Golf Links.

The Bulldogs won with a team score of 356, and adding to the excitement of the day, junior Bryan Hernandez won the individual title in a playoff after he and Harmony’s Austin Price tied at 80.

The two parred the White nine’s par-5 first hole, then Hernandez birdied the second after knocking a 5-iron to 25 feet then coolly sinking the birdie putt.

“I’d never done anything like that, but I just went out and played golf,” Hernandez said of the playoff that was joined by teammates, friends and family on foot and in a cavalry of golf carts. “I had 190 yards into the hole, and when I saw it was on the green, I thought, ‘I still have to make the putt to win.'”

Teammates Chad Knollinger (88), Tanner Allore (92) and Dylan Montoya (96) added to the winning team effort. Defending champion Celebration (382) finished second followed by Osceola (392), Harmony (414), Tohopekaliga (421) and Poinciana (473).

Joining Hernandez and Price on the All-Conference team (top seven) were Celebration’s Owen Ingram (83, third year in a row), Tohopekaliga’s Jonathon Bonilla (83), Knollinger, Allore, Gateway’s Will Giger (92) and Osceola’s Andrew Mazon (92).

“The tournament is definitely a great lead-in to next week’s districts, since we’re playing the same course, and it’s great to play for county bragging rights just days before districts,” St. Cloud boys course. “Especially us having a young team and playing the way they did (Tuesday). “This makes me optimistic about how we will compete next week. And watching Bryan win that playoff, that was just cool for him and our team. I’m really proud of him.”

 

This is the first time in program history that St. Cloud has swept the OBC boys and girls titles.

The Bulldogs, Tigers and Longhorns will be right back at Royal St. Cloud on Monday for the District 3A-7 tournament. The three teams in the 10-team field, as well as the three individuals not on those teams, qualify for the following week’s regional tournament.

Celebration is in the 3A-5 tournament at North Shore on Tuesday; Osceola is in the 3A-6 tournament at The Club of Eagle Brook near Lakeland.