Mason Seaton, Jake Mergo lead Fletcher to Gateway Conference title

Stanton wins girls Gateway title behind Lily Chiang, Alyssa Hardy

• The Fletcher boys golf team won the Gateway Conference Championship, sweeping the top five individual spots.
• Stanton’s girls golf team, led by sophomore Lily Chiang, captured the Gateway Conference title.
• Tocoi Creek freshman Kaden James earned medalist honors in a tri-match, narrowly beating the 2023 individual state champion.

The Fletcher boys golf team gave itself some momentum heading into perhaps the most rugged Class 3A district in the state when the Senators swept the top five spots on Oct. 21 to win the Gateway Conference Championship at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. 

Fletcher senior Mason Seaton and junior Jake Mergo tied for medalist at 1-under 70, seniors Jackson Runquist and Mathias Toal tied for third at even-par 71 and senior Cole Slater was fifth with a 72. The Senators shot 2-under 282 as a team, beating second-place Wolfson by 33 shots and third-place Sandalwood by 42. 

Juniors Michael Rattigan (73) and Gavin Kennedy (74) were the top finishers for the Wolfpack. 

Fletcher will play in the District 3-3A tournament on Oct. 27 at the Stillwater Golf and Country Club, with an uphill battle to qualify for the regional. Among the leading contenders are Ponte Vedra, ranked first in the state among Class 3A teams, Tocoi Creek (seventh) and Beachside (10th). 

Fletcher is 16th, Nease is 26th, and Creekside is 27th. 

Stanton wins girls Gateway 

The day before the boys Gateway tournament, Stanton’s girls captured the top two spots at Jacksonville Beach to win the Gateway Conference by seven shots over Mandarin at 60-over 344.  

Sophomore Lily Chiang (73) won the individual title and teammate Alyssa Hardy, a senior, was second at 76. Wolfson freshman Akery Paig (78), Fletcher sophomore Ava Zaharie (82) and Mandarin senior Jenna Leonard (82) rounded out the top five. 

Tocoi freshman Kaden James edges Tyler Mawhinney 

Tocoi Creek is deep enough with Ambrose Kinnare and Brady Dougan but the Bulls may have another player in the mix in the district tournament.  

Freshman Kaden James shot 2-under 33 at the Golf Club of Fleming Island on Oct. 23 to earn medalist in a tri-match with the host Golden Eagles and Bolles. James birdied Nos. 15 and 17 and nipped 2023 individual state champion Tyler Mawhinney by one shot.  

William McCready of the Eagles also posted a 34 and Neal Kuthiala of Bolles shot 35. Thirteen players broke 40 in the match, with Fleming Island winning the team title by one shot over Tocoi Creek. 

Jacksonville Beach Army veteran named HOPE Ambassador 

Don Moore of Jacksonville Beach participated in the PGA HOPE National Golf and Wellness Week at the Congressional Country Club near Washington D.C. Oct. 9-13, and has been named a PGA HOPE Ambassador for the North Florida PGA Section. 

Moore enlisted in the Army in 1992 as a Military Policeman and served as an investigator, protective service, drug suppression and a SWAT team leader. He was later commissioned and served as a platoon leader, intelligence/force protection officer, commander, provost marshal and director of emergency services.   

His deployments include three campaigns in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and two campaigns in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Moore served with the 82nd & 101st Airborne Divisions and 2nd Infantry Division and his decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medals, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medals, Combat Action Badge, Airborne and Air Assault Badges. 

Moore began playing golf in 2018 and went on to win a flight in the Veteran Golf Association national championship. He is a golf teaching professional, coach, and club-fitter and is pursuing his PGA membership, enrolled in the PGM level I. 

First Coast players ready for Florida Cup 

Six First Coast golfers will represent North Florida in the Women’s Florida Cup Oct. 26-27 at the Mountain Lake Country Club in Lake Wales. 

Therese Quinn of Jacksonville is the co-captain, with the North the defending champions after winning in 2023 for the first time in the history of the event, after the South won the first five 

Also playing are Tama Caldabaugh, Lori Collins, Christine Hunt, Tian Jones and Shauna Snyder. 

Caldabaugh is coming off a pair of high finishes, a tie for fifth in the Women’s Southern Golf Association Senior Championship in Tulsa, Okla., and a sixth in the Women’s Eastern Senior Championship in New Bern, N.C.