Preps

Mixed-format tournament unites local, national talent

The golfing had yet to begin Friday before 16-year-old Brittany Nelson shot her playing partner an inquisitive look. "What colors do you have left to wear?" Nelson asked Cornelius Carroll as they prepared to hit the links at Arizona National Golf Club. Carroll, 17, eventually agreed to white over black for day two of the I.R.I. Arizona National Mixed Team Championship, an event featuring 72 of the nation's top junior golfers. The inaugural tournament is being hosted in absentia by Annika Sorenstam and Jim Furyk. The competition consists of boys and girls, ages 12-18, representing 16 states, Canada and Paraguay. Nine juniors hail from Arizona, including three from Tucson in a two-day, three-round, multiple-format competition. "These kids compete against each other all summer," said Jeff Silverstein of I.R.I. Golf Group, which owns and operates Arizona National. "They need an event where they can have fun and be treated like kings and queens." Thirty-six holes are slated for today, with the first round scored in modified Scotch and the second 18 alternate shot. Sunday's final round is best ball. Action begins at 7 a.m. each day. "It's fun and more relaxing than normal, competitive golf," said Andrea Ratigan, the state's two-time defending 4A medalist from Rincon/University High School. Ratigan, 16, is paired with Ben Bench of Oklahoma City. The other two local competitors - Sabino High's Stephanie Conn and Tucson High's Ryan Felix - are paired together. For Silverstein's son, Justin Silverstein, the Mixed Team Championship is an opportunity to scout Tucson before settling in next fall as a member of the Wildcat golf team. The younger Silverstein, an all-stater at Torrey Pines High School near San Diego, is paired with Lauren Espinosa of Hickory Creek, Texas. Justin Silverstein, who qualified for the U.S. Amateur last year, said he hopes to persuade Espinosa to sign with the UA after completing her upcoming senior year at Lake Dallas High School. Another high school junior, Taylor Leon of Dallas, is also being recruited by UA women's golf coach Greg Allen. "That's part of my mission this weekend," Justin Silverstein added, standing on National's extensive practice facility. "This is one of the main reasons I signed with the U of A. We have the whole back of the range to ourselves." Apparel aside, Carroll said he expects plenty of color this weekend given the mixed format with Nelson, both of whom live in Florida. "We've known each other, but it's the first time we've competed as a team," Carroll said. "We're pretty much opposite styles. "Brittany is more consistent and I'm a little more erratic. That might be beneficial or a detriment," he added. "We'll have to see."