Bellevue High School girls basketball coach Tommy Sorrell and son TJ Sorrell combined for a third-place finish Monday at the annual Kentucky Adult-Child Scramble. The Bluegrass Golf Tour event was held at Griffin Gate Golf Resort and Spa in Lexington.
“It was a lot of fun to play in something like that,” coach Sorrell said. “Playing golf with my son is a pretty neat experience, and it’s a nice course down there.”
The Sorrells finished with a score of 7-under-par 65, one shot behind the winners. They carded 4-under-par on the front nine of the 6,617-yard, par-72 course and won the boys ages 15-18 crown. The Griffin Gate Golf Resort and Spa completed a multi-million renovation including the clubhouse in November 2021. This is the third golf season since the changes.
“We had a great time,” TJ Sorrell said. “I’m pretty confident when I play golf with my dad.”
Tommy Sorrell, a former Northern Kentucky University golfer, doubles as the Bellevue assistant boys golf coach. TJ Sorrell, a senior, plays baseball at Bellevue in addition to golf. He finished 11th at Saturday’s Bluegrass Golf Tour Junior Series Championship at Weissinger Hills Golf Club in Shelbyville, priming him for Monday.
“I thought we played pretty well at the scramble. But we both missed 6-foot putts on 16. That didn’t help,” coach Sorrell said. “We had a 35-footer for birdie to tie on 18 but I lipped out. He and I both thought it was in.”
The Sorrells were one of 15 combos entered in the tournament. Teams may consist of any junior with an adult high school class of 2023 or older partner. Teams must use at least one shot from the junior when scoring 3 or higher on any hole.
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Gabbard Qualifies For U.S. Amateur
Former Highlands golfer Justin Gabbard has qualified once again for the U.S. Amateur Championship. Gabbard, a 2021 Highlands graduate, finished in a three-way tie for 10th at this month’s USGA U.S. Amateur Local Qualifier at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio. He finished with a score of even-par 72. The top 15 finishers qualified.
Gabbard carded five birdies and nine pars to get back to the national event after a year absence. The 124th U.S. Amateur is Aug. 12-18 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. The tournament is played on the Chaska Town Course. Field size is 312.
Gabbard qualified for the 2022 U.S. Amateur but failed to qualify last year. This year’s qualifying, played over 18 holes, took place at 45 sites from June 4 to July 3. Final qualifying, also over 18 holes, takes place at 19 sites July 15-31.
Gabbard, from Fort Thomas, recently transferred to Northern Kentucky University from Xavier University, where he golfed three years. He placed 10th at NKU’s The Jewell in April as a Musketeers junior with a 54-hole score of 214. That was good for 1-over-par at the two-day tournament at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia, Ohio. The finish gave Gabbard two career top-10 placings at Xavier, both at The Jewell. He was fifth at the tournament in 2022.
Gabbard was the 2018 KHSAA Region 8 champion at Highlands. He was the 2018 and 2020 Region 8 player of the year. Gabbard was first-team all-state in 2020. In 2020-21, he was the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division II player of the year. He was a 12-time tournament medalist at Highlands.
Young Catacora Wins Again
Up-and-comer Cole Catacora won the boys ages 7-9 competition at this month’s Loveland Invitational Tournament. The 9-hole event was played at Hickory Woods Golf Course in Loveland, Ohio. Catacora won by 11 shots. He carded 4-over 38 to far outdistance runner-up Owen Wright from Mason. The 9-year-old Catacora carded one eagle and two birdies. He eagled par-5 No. 5 and birdied Nos. 4 and 8.
Catacora is the son of Domanic Catacora, the longtime director of golf at Twin Oaks Golf and Plantation Club in Covington. Domanic is a 1998 Dayton High School graduate. Cole is in the class of 2032 at Fort Thomas Independent Schools. From the early looks of things, Cole is a chip off the old block.
The younger Catacora recently finished first in ages 7-9 at June’s Northern Kentucky Drive, Chip & Putt competition. The event was held at Stephens Golf Center in Burlington. The top-three finishers in eight age divisions earned spots on the next leg of the tour Aug. 4. That event will be a sub-regional qualifier at Oxmoor Country Club in Louisville.
The younger Catacora not only takes after his father. His mother can play, too. While the family was on summer vacation last year, they played a round of golf at Bonita Fairways in Bonita Springs, Florida. Cole’s mom had a hole-in-one on 84-yard No. 8. Nine holes later, Cole aced the 80-yard No. 17, as an 8-year-old. Cole added a second ace last summer in a junior tournament.
Brossart’s Laker Runner-up At Loveland
Bishop Brossart’s Emma Laker finished in a tie for second in the girls 16-18 event at the Loveland Invitational. Laker, a senior for the Mustangs, was awarded the runner-up finish in a scorecard playoff. She scored a total gross score of 12-over-par 81.
Laker just missed in an attempt to earn her fifth win in 11 events on the GCGA 1905 Junior Tour. She finished two shots behind winner Jenna Lynch, a senior at Little Miami in Ohio. Laker, third at the 2023 KHSAA Region 8 tournament, birdied par-4 No. 16 at Loveland. She carded eight pars.
The 17-year-old is second in the 1905 Junior Tour player of the year points standings for her age group. Laker has accrued 675 points in seven events. She is 505 points behind Lynch, the age-group leader. Laker won at the Wyoming Junior Open, the Eagle Junior Open, the Kenton County Spring Junior and the Bel-Wood Junior Shootout
CovCath Golfers Taking Their Swings
Covington Catholic’s Elliott Fieler finished in a tie for sixth at the Loveland Invitational. Fieler, a senior, shot 9-over 79. That was eight shots behind winner Karson LaGrange, a junior at Williamsburg High School in Ohio. Fieler started well and finished fast. He was 1-over after six holes. He closed his round with a birdie on par-5 No. 18. Fieler carded eight pars, five on the first six holes.
CovCath’s Will Buckner finished sixth in the boys ages 13-15 event at Loveland with a score of 81. The sophomore had a birdie on par-4 No. 10. Buckner finished in a tie for 12th at the Walden Junior Open boys 13-15 competition. The event was held at par-72 Walden Ponds Golf Club in Hamilton, Ohio. Buckner scored 86, 10 shots behind scorecard playoff winner Michael Tomaro of Guardian Angels.