Golf Sponsored by www.golfurheadoff.com
See below for complete results and a photo gallery by Alysia Deem from this tournament!
From the LPS Vault
2007 Curly Licklider coverage
2006 Curly Licklider coverage
By Dan Sousa
Senior Content Editor
LoudounPrepSports.com
Front Royal (Aug. 6, 2008) – They have been teeing it up at Loudoun Valley High School for more than 40 years but never perhaps has a Viking golf team turned in such a low score as the stunning 291 carded by LV Wednesday in the season-opening 7th Annual Curly Licklider Memorial Golf Tournament at the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club.
Valley’s hot day, led by sophomore Scott Davidson’s 71, gave the Vikes the team victory in the 23-team tournament that included Centreville (295), AA Region II champion Briar Woods (298) and Sherando (300). Last season, Valley finished runner-up in the AAA Cedar Run District and then took the Northwest Region title to advance to the AAA team tournament.
“Our score was surprising today but we have a lot of potential,” said Davidson. “We can still improve.”
Sherando’s Casey Thompson turned in the round of the day with a winning four-under-par 66, some three strokes clear of runner-up Noori Hyun, a Wildcat sophomore playing in his first prep tournament in the United States after moving here from South Korea just weeks ago. Skyline’s Zach Henry, the 2007 champion, was third at 70 followed by three at 71: Davidson, Skyline’s Zach Rettberg and Broad Run’s Tyler Campos.
While Briar Woods is everybody’s pick to repeat at AA Dulles District champion, the Spartans were just five strokes back of the Falcons at 303, and Loudoun County and Potomac Falls were in the mix at 304 and 308. In all, eight of 10 Loudoun teams made the trek to the Shenandoah Valley with just Park View and Stone Bridge staying away. Other Loudoun scores included Freedom with a school record 312, Heritage at 321, Dominion at 328.
The day belonged to the Vikes with all six players scoring 79 or under: junior Zach Bosse and sophomore Tanner Welsh each shot 73, junior Brandon Deleonardis shot 74, and senior Kevin Rinek and junior Brian Hickey each shot 79.
“The 291 is probably going to be a school record and we have a long history at Loudoun Valley,” said Viking golf coach Gary McKay, who is in his 19th season at the Purcellville school. “We only started one senior today. We need to keep working as we have high expectations this year.”
The weather was fine Wednesday and the course was in good shape according to the players with the greens playing a little hard. At some par 3’s there were back-ups as the 23 teams navigated the 9-hole Blue and White courses.
Briar Woods had three players at 73 including defending district champion Michael Birmingham, another senior Carl Brendes and much-heralded freshman Adam Ochs. Besides Campos’s nice round, BR got a 75 from junior Ryan Cartee and a 76 from senior Kevin Yerks.
LC sophomores Kevin Cook (74) and Andrew Brenneman (75) led the Raiders. PF got a 76 from sophomore Brett Johnson and a pair of 77s from sophomore Ben Sweger and senior Michael Tondi. Freedom’s record-breaking round was led by a 75 by junior Tyler Blake and a 77 from junior Alex Choi.
A young Heritage team was led by freshman John Conley’s 75 and Dominion’s Sheby Shote led the Titans with a 79.
The winning score in the 2007 Curly Licklider tournament was 311 in record-breaking heat.
Who was Curly Licklider?
Wednesday’s invitational was the seventh tournament in honor of Curly Licklider who was one of the best amateur golfers to come out of the Front Royal area and he was the head superintendent at Winchester Country Club when he died of a cancerous brain tumor at age 47 in 2000.
Licklider played at Warren County from 1969 to 1971 and led the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in the old District 10. Later he would win club championships at Front Royal Country Club and Shenandoah Valley as well as winning the Frederick County Amateur Golf Championship.
Look back at past Curly Licklider Invitationals
2006 – Albemarle repeats as champ with a 311 in rec0rd-breaking heat. Briar Woods, Potomac Falls and Western Albemarle all finish at 316.
2005 – Albemarle fires a 300 as a team to win by 19 strokes over Sherando. Millbrook’s Wes Licklider improves from 95 the previous year to 79 in the tournament named for his father.
2004 – Sophomore Kevin McLister shoots 76 as Loudoun County captures the tournament with a 313, some three strokes better than runner-up Sherando.
2003 – Handley wins the tournament with a 302 as Loudoun Valley finishes second at 313. Loudoun County tied for fifth at 322.
2002 – Handley wins the first ever Curly Licklider Invitational with Warren County second.
Processing your request, Please wait....
