Ida Baker senior Dylan Fine watches his drive off the tee Friday while playing in the Bulldog Invitational at Coral Oaks Golf Course. Fine shot 4-over-par 76 to help the Bulldogs place third in the nine-team field. More photos are available online at: cu.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com. Photo by Michael Pistella

District golf tournaments are still a month away, but nine high school teams got a taste of what they will face during Friday’s Bulldog Invitational at Coral Oaks Golf Course.

Lakewood Ranch won the overall title with a combined 296 with freshman Danny Walker leading the way with a 2-under-par 70. Frank Perilli of Venice also shot 70, forcing a sudden-death playoff for the top spot.

Walker earned the first-place trophy with two birdies while Perilli shot par on the second hole.

There was a three-way playoff for third place between Baker’s Tyler Doyle, Jonathan Lowery of Fort Myers and Nick Celestino of Sarasota, all with 73s. Lowery was eliminated on the first hole when he parred and the other two made birdie. Celestino won the third spot with a par on the second playoff hole while Doyle bogeyed it.

With Doyle shooting 1-over 73, Dylan Fine adding 76 and Bryr Austen 77, the Bulldogs placed third with a team total of 306. Sarasota was one shot better (305) to claim second overall. Fort Myers wound up fifth overall with 314 and Mariner, led by Dean Hofer’s round of 75, placed eighth with a 376 total.

“I was a bit disappointed that we finished one shot out of second place,” said Bulldogs coach Scott Conforte. “I think we could have putted better out there, but Lakewood Ranch has quality players and shot the numbers, so they deserved to win.”

High school matches normally are nine holes, but this tournament was 18. Coaches admitted there might have been a fatigue factor, but it was a great experience.

“It was to our advantage to play 18 holes,” said Conforte. “It was hot out there and lugging a golf bag around for 18 holes is more taxing than nine holes. I was pleased because most of the kids shot better on their second nine holes.”

“I told my guys to try to put together two good nines because 18 holes give you a good feel for the district tournament,” said Mariner coach James Harris. “This tournament was set up (at 6,500 yards) like a district tournament and at district distance.

“That’s what impressed me the most about Tyler (Doyle) and John’s (Inkster) rounds today. The others got what they needed – experience. You can’t simulate that in practice.”

Conforte, who worked on putting together the event for several months, hopes to make it bigger and better next year.

“There’s nothing else around,” Conforte said. “I hand selected these teams to see how we would stack up against teams that went to state. Fort Myers and Bishop Verot went to state last year. Verot backed out, but five of the nine teams were in the regionals last year.”

Conforte said one college coach attended the tournament and several others have called wanting the results sent to them.

Team Scores

1. Lakewood Ranch 296; 2. Sarasota 305; 3. Ida Baker 306 (Tyler Doyle 73, Dylan Fine 76, Bryr Austen 77, Anthony Myers 80); 4. Venice 313; 5. Fort Myers 314 (Jonathan Lowery 73, Mike Andre 79, Garrett Melita 81, John Andrew 81); 6. Gulf Coast 345; 7. Naples 359; 8. Mariner 376 (Dean Hofer 75, John Inkster 85, Tyler Till 99, Jordan Kenney 117); 9. Port Charlotte 383.

Individual Leaders

1. x-Danny Walker (LR) 70

2. Frank Perilli (V) 70

3. x-Nick Celestino (S) 73

4. Tyler Doyle (IB) 73

5. Jonathan Lowery (FM) 73

x-won sudden death playoff (two holes)