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Top Raiders' Golfer Tops Expectations

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By DAREK SHARP

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

PLANT CITY - Kyle Martin was expected to be the Plant City High golf team's top player.

But thanks to a performance turned in by Martin this month, the expectation level now has been set ultrahigh.

In a phenomenal outing Sept. 4, Martin broke the school record by shooting a 32 on nine holes.

Plant City defeated Bloomingdale in a match played at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club, the Raiders' home course this season.

"It was no fluke either," Raider head coach Gary Brady said. "I've seen kids shoot great rounds where they made four or five long putts, and chipped in; everything went right for them. Kyle hit nine greens and did not make a putt of any real length. He could have seriously shot 30."

Martin is averaging right at around par, 36, an improvement over last year's 39. He was sitting innocuously one over the par mark through five holes on his record round before things turned his way quickly.

On his sixth hole, which was actually No. 8 at Buckhorn, Martin was just looking to shake off the bogey he had posted on the previous hole. So he unloaded on his drive, hitting it 310 yards. Then he hit a 4-iron to within 8 feet of the hole, setting up an eagle opportunity.

"I haven't had many eagle putts lately, so I just tried to think of it like it was a par putt. Par putts are usually easier for me," he said.

Martin sunk that putt and said he "started to get butterflies" but obviously knocked those out of his system. On hole No. 9 (his seven), his tee shot on the Par-4 went all the way to a green side bunker. From there, he blasted one out to within two feet and sank the birdie.

The next birdie was more "typical" on a Par-5, and the final one was dramatic, as Martin sank a 15-footer to set the record.

"I was shocked when Brady told me I set the record. When I got home, my parents Karen Spivey and Greg Martin were shocked, too," Martin said.

Larry Martin, his grandfather, was able to witness the performance in person.

Other than the obvious benefit - the Raiders beat a very strong Bloomingdale team - Martin has already received additional inquiries from colleges as a result.

"He is playing at a really high level," Brady said.

Last week the Raiders fell to Riverview but apart from that and a season-opening defeat at the hands of Durant, Plant City has been spotless.

Kyle's younger brother, Jared, had been one of five Raiders to average in the mid-40s, the others being senior Bradley Hall, sophomores Nick Jones and Richard Elwell, and freshman Connor Hurst.

Plant City's next match is Thursday at Rogers Park against Tampa Bay Tech. The Raiders return to Buckhorn to face Newsome on Tuesday..

Reporter Darek Sharp can be reached at dsharp@tampa trib.com.

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