This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After successfully defending its Utah state 5A title last Tuesday at Soldier Hollow golf course in Midway, the Lone Peak golf team flew to West Palm Beach, Fla., to compete in the Honda classic National High School Invitational at the PGA National's Champion course, site of the PGA Tour's Honda Classic.

The Knights earned a 14-shot victory over Kings Academy, Fla., to win their second national championship tournament of the season. Senior Carson Lundell fired a two-day total of 139 and won a playoff for medalist honors against Mason Andersen of Hamilton, Ariz.

"Going from Soldier Hollow at 6,000-foot elevation on a mountainside with bent grass to the Florida Everglades at basically zero elevation in thick humidity on Bermuda grass is about the most opposite conditions that a golfer can face," said Lone Peak golf coach Rob Stanger.

Lone Peak's players did not arrive until late in the day on Wednesday so did not get a practice round on the course before a 7:30 a.m. Start Thursday.

Lone Peak, which won an earlier national title at the Antigua meet in Arizona, took a six-stroke lead the first day with a team score of three over par 291. Freshman Josh Rooker fired a 71, Max Brenchley added a 74 and Jake Livingston a 75 in the first round.

Stanger said senior Ryan Barber bounced back after struggling the first day to fire a 75. Brenchley had a 73, lipping out for a double eagle on the famed No. 18 par five.

"Getting those scores in were huge since PGA National was playing very difficult for the second round," said Stanger. "With the wind picking kup, we were going to be tough to catch."

Lundell made four birdies on the front nine to put him in the race for individual medalist. He missed a short birdie on No. 13 and bogeyed 14. That put him in a position that professional tour players face, battling The Bear Trap, the finishing holes on the ough course.

Lundell birded the 15th, parred 16 and 17 and was one stroke off the lead at 18. A poor tee shot eliminated the option of going for the par 5 green in two, which he did the previous day and made eagle. He laid ukp to 105 yards, hit a wedge shot to 16 feet and rolled in a putt for birdie to tie Andersen.

Lundell won the medalist title on the No. 10 playoff hole, but hitting a sand shot to within 10 feet of the green and sinking the putt.

"This is the biggest victory I've ever had, and it was nice to beat Mason, since he beat me by one stroke in Phoenix at the Anigua National High School Invitational," said Lundell.

Brenchley finished seventh, Livingston 14th, Rooker 19th, Barber 27th and Elijah Turner 39th.

"This is arguably the number one high school golf team in the country, winning the two national invitationals and the Utah State championship," said Stanger. "I couldn't be more proud of these guys. They have worked so hard for this over the past several years to be ready for this achievement."

— Tom Wharton