A rising sophomore at the University of West Florida just came out and absolutely *lit up* the Longboat Key Club Harbourside Course, throwing down a ridiculous 6-under 66 in the first round of the 80th Florida Open. Ethan Weinberg, a college kid mind you, is currently sharing the lead after a truly wild performance on July 17, near Sarasota. This isn’t just a good round, this is a statement, especially when you consider he’s tied with seasoned pros.
This Kid Just Went Off, And the Pros Are Watching
Seriously, folks, Weinberg’s scorecard looks like something out of a video game. He delivered *two eagles* in his round. How about an eagle-three on No. 8 and then an eagle-two on No. 15? Unbelievable stuff. And if that wasn’t enough to make your jaw drop, the kid played his last five holes at a mind-boggling 4-under. He did have a couple of bogeys, but he completely erased them with that kind of explosive play. He’s sitting pretty with professionals Chase Haygood of Orlando and Patrick Ross of Delray Beach, both of whom know a thing or two about playing under pressure. Haygood, a former University of Central Florida player, kept his card completely clean, going bogey-free and snagging birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. Ross only had one bogey himself, securing birdies on Nos. 15 and 18. These guys are good, but for a college sophomore to be right there with them? That’s the story right now. Jonathan Yaun of Minneola isn’t far behind with a 67, just one shot back, and former University of North Florida assistant golf coach Tyler Gulliksen is two shots back with a 68. Every one of those top five played the Harbourside Course, so the conditions were clearly there for some serious scoring.
Big Names Stumble While Others Make Moves
It wasn’t all sunshine for everyone out there, though. While Weinberg was tearing it up, we saw some real rollercoaster rides. David Palm, a member of the pro staff at Glen Kernan, was flying high, even tied for the lead at 4-under through seven holes on the Links Course. But then, disaster struck. He played his last ten holes at a brutal 4-over, ending his day with an even-par 71, dropping him all the way back into a tie for 28th. What a gut punch. And get this: three-time Florida Open winner and the *defending champion*, J.C. Deacon, who also coaches golf at the University of Florida, shot a 72 on the Links Course. He’s way down in a tie for 40th. That’s a massive hole to dig out of. On the local front, Andrew McLauchlan of Neptune Beach, who played collegiately at Wake Forest and Florida State, is the low First Coast resident, tied for ninth with a 3-under 69 at Harbourside. And a trio of former UNF Ospreys, Kevin Aylwin, Andrew Riley, and Sean Dale, are tied for 14th at 2-under.
The tournament runs through July 20, and the players are going to switch courses for the second round on July 18. The tension is building, because only the low 60, plus ties, will get to play the Harbourside Course in the final round on July 19. Can Weinberg keep this momentum going? He’s certainly given everyone something to talk about.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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