FSGA
An official publication of the Florida State Golf Association ~October 2016~
Jacob Huizinga Wins 99th Amateur Championship
Two-Man Shoot-Out Round one began early Saturday morning on the Ocean Links Course in modified alternate shot format. Each player hit a tee shot, the team then selected a ball to be played into the hole and alternated playing that ball into the hole. Two teams got off to a quick start and tied for first after the round one. Bruce Schilling, of Ponte Vedra Beach, and teammate David Anthony, of Jacksonville, tied the team of Yash Majmudar and Hou Kuan Choi, both from Clermont, with a two under-par 68. Following close behind at even par (70) were the teams of Bob Campione/Chad Frank and Len Schonfeld/Luke McCann. After refueling with some lunch, the teams teed up for round two Saturday afternoon on the Oak Marsh course. David Garratt, of Saint Augustine, and Jordan Ebanks, of Saint Johns, shot the low round in two-man scramble format with ten under-par, 62 to finish two shots back in second place (134 two-round total). The duo of Yash Majmudar and Hou Kuan Choi captured the outright lead with a second round 64 and two-round total of 132. Schilling/Anthony fired a second 68 to fall back to tied for third place with teammates Schonfeld and McCann (136 two-round total). The final round was played on the Long Point Course in Four Ball, or best ball of two, format. While Majmudar/Choi struggled to an even par final round of 72, Schonfeld/McCann started advancing up the leaderboard from four strokes back. After carding an impressive five under-par final round of 67, Len Schonfeld and Luke McCann captured first place by one stroke with a 203 tournament total. Garratt and Ebanks fired a two under-par third round to remain in second place tied with Majmudar/Choi (204 tournament total). The low round of the day, six under-par 66, came from teammates Gary Blackwell and Clayton Brewer who tied Airik Medinis/Mike Andre for fourth place (206 tournament total). The Two-Man Shoot-Out is the first Championship Schonfeld and McCann, both from Jacksonville, won as a team! See fsga.org for full results.
Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championships North RedTail Golf Club in Sorrento hosted the northern teams where familiar names and impressive scores filled the top of the leaderboard. After round one, three teams, Jon Veneziano/Ryan Abbate, Michael Kovaleski/Chris Colli, and Jason Counsil/Michael Downing, tied for first place with a score of nine under-par, 63. An exciting round two would take place on Sunday that narrowed down to a battle between the teams of Jon Veneziano/Ryan Abbate and Michael Kovaleski/Chris Colli. Veneziano, of Mount Dora, is no stranger to four-ball competition after winning the Senior/Mid-Amateur Four-Ball in March of this year as well as several other FSGA FourBall Championships. His partner, Ryan Abbate, of Fort Lauderdale, was the 2005 State Amateur Champion. Ryan’s birdie on the second hole put his team in first place which they never lost sight of over the final 18 holes. Veneziano and Abbate carded a total of three birdies on the front nine versus the two birdies made by the duo from Winter Park, Kovaleski and Colli. The two teams both posted three under-par 33’s on the back nine and with the one extra birdie on the first nine, Veneziano and Abbate were crowned Champions with a tournament total of 129 (-15). Kovaleski/ Colli tied the team of Brant DeLongy and Shaun O’Meara (65-65) for second place with a 130 tournament total (-14). South West Bay Golf Club hosted the southern teams for two days of great golf shots and red numbers. Last year’s Champions, Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, and R J Nakashian, of Palm Beach, held the lead after the first round due to an impressive nine birdies and one eagle on the card. The team shot an eight under-par 64 to lead by two strokes over the duo from Estero, Kevin Henry and Ryan McLain. Henry had an exceptional round one making six birdies and an eagle on the par five number 11 on his own ball. Sunday’s round made for an exciting finish. The team of Marc France, of Plantation, and Carl Santos-Ocampo, of Naples, made a run for the lead after a first round 70 by posting a second round 11 under-par, 61! Anderson and Nakashian entered the last hole tied with France/SantosOcampo and were fighting to defend their title. A birdie on the last hole propelled the defending Champions into first place for their second consecutive victory. Anderson and Nakashian finished with a 66 for a tournament total 130 (-14), one stroke ahead of Santos-Ocampo and France. Daniel Eggertsson and Ben Adelberg teamed up to tie Donald Wolfe and Matthew Marion for third place with a tournament total 136 (-8). See fsga.org for full results.
Brooks Koepka Headed to Ryder Cup Former Florida Junior Tour standout and Florida State University Alumni, Brooks Koepka, will represent team USA at the Ryder Cup held September 30 - October 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Koepka muscled his way onto the Ryder Cup team with a stretch of gutsy performances late in 2016. Koepka, who is currently ranked 22nd in the world, nearly withdrew from the PGA Championship at Baltusrol with an injury but played on with a heavily-taped ankle and finished T4. He followed that up with a T9 the next week at the Travelers Championship. Prior to the season’s final major, Koepka finished in the top 10 four times in six starts after the Players Championship. His worst finish in that stretch was a T13 at the U.S. Open. Koepka joins Hubert Green and Paul Azinger as the only FSU Alumni to play in a Ryder Cup! Koepka turned professional in the fall of 2012, and electing to play the European Challenge Tour rather than go to Q-School, Koepka won his first start on the Challenge Tour. He then quickly picked up three wins in 2013, earning him a promotion to the European Tour for the remainder of 2013 and all of 2014. Koepka would again qualify for the 2013 U.S. Open. During the 2013-2014 PGA Tour Season, Koepka led the Frys.com Open after the third round and would finish 3rd, his best finish on the PGA Tour. A T4 finish in the 2014 U.S. Open would earn Koepka PGA Tour Membership for 2014-2015 and an invite to the 2015 Masters. In November 2014, Brooks would hold off a charge by Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter to win the Turkish Airlines Open, his first European Tour Victory. Koepka continued his solid play on the PGA Tour, earning his first victory at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. While playing the Florida Junior Tour, Koepka competed against fellow PGA Tour members, Blayne Barber and Daniel Berger. As a junior, Koepka had a little Ryder Cup-style experience as he was a member of the South Florida Team at the 2006 Junior Florida Cup where he went 2-0-1 and won his pivotable singles match.
Amateur Public Links Championship The Amateur Public Links Championship is open to bona fide public course players who are not members of a private club and also do not have a handicap index higher than 6.4. Competitors play 18 holes of stroke play on each of the three days. The amateurs faced difficult weather conditions the first two rounds of the Championship. Round one, on Friday, was delayed after playing for just over an hour. Despite the inclement weather, David Burnham shined some light on the day after making a hole-in-one from 218 yards on the par three 7th hole with a four iron. The players returned to finish their first round on Saturday where play was again suspended at 4:19 PM. Joe Alfieri, of Lutz, and Marc-Olivier Plasse, of ChampionsGate, were tied for the lead at even par after the first round. Mike Andre, of Fort Myers, and Martin Cancino, of Boca Raton, followed one stroke behind tied for second. Sunday made for a long day of golf where the players finished their second round and continued on to play their final round. Alfieri, the 2015 Amateur Player of the Year, rose to lead by one stroke heading into the final round after a steady second round of one over-par 73. Alfieri finished second in the event in 2015 and was out for redemption in 2016. After carding three birdies in a row on holes three through five and one more birdie on the seventh hole, Alfieri made the turn at two under-par in his final round. Five birdies on his last nine holes sealed a victory for Alfieri with a final round of six under-par 66, tournament total 211 (-5). Eight shots back in second place was Casper Howells, of Fort Myers, who posted consistent rounds of 74-72-73—219. Austin Schultz, of North Port, carded an impressive final round of 67 to advance to third place with a 220 tournament total.
See fsga.org for full results.
Women’s Amateur Championship After advancing through four matches, Emma Albrecht and Sophie Liu stood on the first tee Sunday afternoon ready to determine the Champion in the final match. Emma came out hot winning each of the first five holes. She won with a par on holes one through four and birdied the par three fifth hole to get to five-up. Sophie, 2015 Girls’ Junior Champion, tried to gain some ground with a birdie on the seventh hole, but Emma fired back with a birdie on the eighth hole. Emma would start the final nine holes at six-up. Although Sophie won two holes, 10 and 13, on the back-nine with pars, she could not overcome Emma’s lead. The match ended on the 14th hole with a five and four victory for Emma Albrecht! Emma explains her first FSGA Championship victory as surreal. She stated, “My hard work paid off and I felt confident going into the tournament and just kept that mentality throughout the week.” It was a great Father’s Day for her dad who was with her through every shot as her caddie. Besides summer classes, Albrecht plans to try to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur before her sophomore year at the University of Notre Dame starts. Reflecting on her first year in college Emma stated, “I had a solid freshman year, made it to regionals as a team, and accomplished goals.” A Women’s Amateur win is a great way to kick off summer classes and her sophomore year! See fsga.org for full results.
New GHIN Clubs The FSGA welcomes the following clubs that recently joined the GHIN Handicap System. These clubs join the more than 700 clubs state-wide on the GHIN Handicap System. For more on the GHIN Handicap System, please contact Aaron Skoviera at 813.868.5802.
Heritage Palms Highland Woods Golf & CC Imperial Golf Club Lone Pine Golf Club Meadowbrook Golf Club Palm Beach Polo&CC Stonebridge G&CC The Tesoro Club The Venice Golf & CC
The Tesoro Club
Senior Amateur Match Play Championship Senior Division Matt Avril, of Vero Beach, captured medalist honors in the Senior Division after rounds of 66-73—139. Peter Wegmann, of Fort Lauderdale, finished in second place after consistent rounds of 70-72—142. Thirty-two players would finish at 160 or better to advance to Match Play. Wegmann (pictured right) seemed to be on fire moving through the Round of 32 to defeat Walter Himelsbaugh in the Round of 16 and Bill Barnes in the Quarterfinals, both three and two victories. He faced Pete Williams, 2014 Senior Player of the Year, in the Semifinals where he moved confidently to the final match with a four and three win. Meanwhile, Jerry Rose, of Sarasota, was dominating his matches. In the Round of 16, Rose won two and one against John Vaccaro, and then beat Neil Vanleeuwen one-up in the Quarterfinals to advance to the Semifinals. After a four and three victory against Kevin Macy in the Semifinals, Rose would meet Wegmann for the final match. Wegmann took an early lead in the final match with a birdie on the second hole to be one-up over Rose. After a win on the seventh hole with a par and a birdie on the eighth hole, Wegmann made the turn at three-up. Rose tried to make a comeback on the final nine holes with birdies on holes 13 and 15, but could not rise above Wegmann. A birdie by Wegmann on the 16th hole clinched his four and two victory! 2016 is a stellar year for Wegmann who captured the Senior Amateur Championship in April. Super-Senior Division Larry Vander Bie (pictured left) and Robert Lundquist posted a two round total of 145 to finish tied for first after stroke play. Sixteen players finished at 158 or better to advance to the Round of 16 matches. Both Vander Bie, of Brooksville, and Lundquist, of Sandford, advanced through their matches to meet in the finals where an exciting match would take place. The duo went back and forth through the front nine with Lundquist birdying the ninth hole to lead by one heading into the back nine. Lundquist’s lead did not last long due to Vander Bie posting three birdies in a row on holes 12, 13, and 14. Lundquist birdied the 15th hole to enter the final three holes one-down. Vander Bie fell to a bogey on the 18th hole and the two extended the match an extra hole. Lundquist prevailed on the 19th hole with a par to be crowned victorious! See fsga.org for full results.
Weston Hills Country Club
99th Amateur Championship The top 168 amateur golfers in the state competed at the 99th Amateur Championship held at Fiddlesticks or Miromar Lakes. Jacob Huizinga, from Orlando, took the early lead after an impressive seven under-par, 65. Huizinga lit up the back-nine at Fiddlesticks with four straight birdies from holes 13 to16 and a final birdie on the 18th hole. Defending Champion, Jimmy Jones, of Tampa, did not linger far behind with a six under-par, 66. Jones shot the low round of the day at Miromar Lakes after starting strong with four birdies in a row on holes three through six. Jones sits one shot back tied for second place with Mike Andre, of Fort Myers, and Michael DeMorat, of Merritt Island. Gabriel Lench, 2014 Amateur Champion, tied for ninth after a first round three under-par, 69. In the second round, Jacob Huizinga carded another impressive round to remain in the lead at 12 under-par, 132 total. Jacob birdied holes 15 through 17 at Miromar Lakes to finish his second round at five under-par, 67. Two consistent rounds, 66-67--133, propelled Michael DeMorat into second place alone at 11 under-par. Jimmy Jones remained in contention, carding five birdies to finish his second round at four under-par, 68, in third place, three strokes from the lead. Austin Schultz, of North Port, made a scene by starting his second round with five straight birdies en route to a 67, 137 two day total, and fourth place finish. The field was cut at six over-par, 150, with 75 people advancing to the final two rounds of the Championship. Excitement occurred during round three of the Championship as 2014 Amateur Champion, Gabriel Lench, posted a four under-par, 68 to jump up to tied for second place. Lench sat tied with Jimmy Jones at a total of 9-under-par, 207. Both previous Champions chased Jacob Huizinga who hasn’t let his lead slip away from him. Huizinga posted a third round of 69 to move to a total of 15 under-par and a six stroke lead! Jacob finished his third round strong with four birdies on the back nine. Jacob Huizinga finished strong at Fiddlesticks CC for a wire-to-wire Amateur Championship victory. Huizinga started and ended his final round with a birdie. With three other birdies on holes six, 11, and 12, Jacob finished the Championship with a one under-par, 71. Huizinga posted four rounds under-par to finish with a tournament total 272, 16 under-par, and a five stroke win! Blake Dyer, of Saint Petersburg, carded four consistent rounds to move up the leadboard and finish in second place. Dyer’s final round consisted of six birdies en route to a 69 and tournament total 277 (-11). Michael DeMorat and Logan Lanier tied for third place at 10 under-par. Jimmy Jones, 2015 Amateur Champion, fell to tied for sixth after a final round 73 and Gabriel Lench, 2014 Amateur Champion, finished tied for ninth. See fsga.org for full results.
Mixed Team Championship The 2016 Summer Mixed Championship was held in Orlando on June 25-26 at Tranquilo Golf Club. Competitors arrived to the property on Saturday morning with many players staying at the Four Seasons Orlando hotel located on property. Ninety-eight players teed it up in the 8 AM shotgun start on Saturday morning. The defending champions from not only 2015, but also 2014, highlighted the Championship Division. Alexa and Kevin Hammer, the 2015 champions, would have their hands full with the 2014 champions, Terese Romeo and Jimmy Jones doing their best to reclaim the title. Team Hammer started off quickly on Saturday morning as Kevin Hammer, the Florida State Golf Association’s current Secretary-Treasurer, made 5 birdies in the team’s opening nine holes. Kevin’s impressive play sparked a fire under his daughter Alexa. Alexa birdied the final four holes of the day, including the signature par 3, 18th hole, en route to an opening round 61! After posting a round of 10 under-par, many would believe they would have a huge advantage over the rest of the field, however this was not the case. The team of Joseph Testerman and Megan Pollenz were only one stroke behind after an opening round 62! Also close behind after posting a 63 was the duo comprised of Christopher Carlin and Nicole Ferre. Past champions, Terese Romeo and Jimmy Jones were within striking distance after a first round, 66. The second round provided just as much excitement as the first round did in the Championship Division. Christopher Carlin and Nicole Ferre would not take it easy on Alexa and Kevin. Their closing round of 7 under-par, 64, narrowly missed getting them into a playoff with the defending champs. Things started to get very interesting heading into the par 5, 17th hole, until Alexa made an eagle to jolt her and her father back into the lead. Alexa made a solid par on the final hole to give the team their second Summer Mixed Championship in a row! See fsga.org for full results.
Savings are in Season Fall is here and now’s the time when Florida State Golf Association members could save even more on GEICO car insurance with a special discount!
geico.com/disc/FSGA | 1-800-368-2734 Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO contracts with various membership entities and other organizations, but these entities do not underwrite the offered insurance products. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO may not be involved in a formal relationship with each organization; however, you still may qualify for a special discount based on your membership, employment or affiliation with those organizations. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2016. © 2016 GEICO
55th Girls’ Junior Championship The 55th Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship was conducted at The Oaks Club, in Sarasota. The Girls 16-18 and 13-15 Divisions played 18 holes each on the Eagle and Heron courses for the first two rounds. After 36 holes, the field was cut to approximately the low 70 players and ties. The cut breakdown consisted of the low 42 and ties in the 16-18 Division, and low 28 and ties in the 13-15 Division. Jenny Kim led the 16-18 Division with an impressive first round of two under-par, 70, on the Eagle course. Kim, of Heathrow, finished strong with three birdies on the back nine including one on the final hole. Alyssa Lamoureux, of Seminole, did not linger far behind with a one under-par, 71. Lamoureux finished second in the 2015 Girls’ Junior Championship (13-15 division) and was seeking redemption this year. Tied with Lamoureux, one shot behind, is Hannah Berman, of Ponte Vedra Beach. The leaderboard in the 16-18 Division saw a change after day two. Alyssa Lamoureux moved into first place after a second round of one over-par and 144 two round total. One stroke behind was Yurika Tanida, of Port Saint Lucie. Tanida carded five birdies on the Eagle Course to capture second place with rounds of 74-71—145. Morgan Baxendale, 2014 Girls’ Junior Champion (13-15 Division), remained consistent with rounds of 74-73 to sit in third place heading into the final round. First round leader, Jenny Kim, struggled on day two and after posting a 79 finished tied for sixth. The cut was made at 14 over-par, 158 two round total, and 42 girls would play the final round on Wednesday. An impressive low round of the day in the 16-18 division gave Alyssa Lamoureux a fourstroke victory! Lamoureux was runner-up in the 13-15 Division last year and came back to seek redemption in the 16-18 Division this year. Despite a double bogey on the second and 13th hole, Lamoureux never ran out of positive energy. In her final nine holes she carded four birdies to finish with a two under-par, 70 to seal her win. Lamoureux was the only player in her division to finish in red numbers with a two under-par tournament total of 214. Yurika Tanida finished in second place, four strokes from first, after a final round of one over-par, 73, tournament total 218 (+1). Kendall Griffin, of Sebring, made a chase for the lead by following up her first round 77 with two one under-par 71’s. Griffin finished five strokes from the lead in third place with a 219 tournament total. See fsga.org for full results.
55th Girls’ Junior Championship cont. 13-15 Division Siyan Chen went wire-to-wire to win the 13-15 Division by one-stroke after a final round two under-par, 70, tournament total 211 (-5). Chen was challenged by Alexa Pano, who posted the same two under-par final round score, but held tight to her lead. Starting out strong, Siyan birdied the first, third, and sixth hole to make the turn at two under-par. Pano played tough starting out her front nine with two back-to-back birdies followed by two more birdies on holes four and seven to make the turn at three under-par, one shot behind Chen. Consistent straight pars on Siyan’s final nine holes allowed her to remain in first place. Pano struggled to a final nine-hole score of one over-par, 37, and finished with a tournament total 212 (-4). Celeste Valinho, of Jacksonville, shot three under-par, the low round of the tournament, to finish tied for third place with Jillian Bourdage. Siyan was the only player to post three rounds in the red to win her first FSGA Championship! The Girls 12 & Under Division competed in an 18-hole event, over the span of two days. The first 9-holes were conducted on Monday, June 27th on the front-9 of the Heron course. The second 9-holes were conducted on Tuesday, June 28th on the back-9 of the Eagle course. Karoline Tuttle went wire-to-wire posting a second round 37, tournament total 71. Jacqueline Putrino finished one stroke behind in second place after a day two score of 37 and 72 tournament total. Addison Klonowski rounded out the top three with rounds of 38-44--82. See fsga.org for full results.
Upcoming Florida Junior Tour Events October 1-2 - Rocky Bayou Country Club, Niceville (16-18 & 13-15) October 15-16 - Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, Naples (16-18) October 15-16 - The Country Club of Winter Haven, Winter Haven (13-15) November 12-13 - Amelia Island Plantation – Oak Marsh, Amelia Island (16-18) November 12-13 - Santa Lucia River Club, Port St. Lucie (13-15) December 3-4 - Timacuan Golf & Country Club, Lake Mary (13-15) December 10-11 - Tour Championship – Adena Golf & Country Club, Ocala (16-18 & 13-15)
Adena Golf & Country Club 2016 FJT Tour Championship Host Site
Boys’ Junior Championship The 62nd Boys’ Junior Championship kicked off Wednesday at World Golf Village - King & Bear Course and St. Johns Golf & Country Club in Saint Augustine. Players in both the 16-18 and 13-15 Age Division will play one round on each golf course Wednesday and Thursday, then the field will be cut to the low 50 and ties in the 16-18 Age Division, and low 20 and ties in the 13-15 Age Division for the final round at World Golf Village - King & Bear. 16-18 Age Division Linus Samuelsson, of Heathrow, overcame a three stroke deficit to win by two strokes with a 12 under-par 204 total! Samuelsson’s final round score-card was filled with red numbers, including four birdies on each the front and back nine for a six under-par, 66. Three impressive rounds in the red, 69-69-66, moved Linus into first place for his first FSGA Championship victory. Chris Nido remained in second place after a final round 70 and ten under-par total of 206. Nido eagled the par five, fifth hole to turn at 35 and finished with four birdies on his last nine holes. First and second round leader, Austin Hitt, carded a one over-par final round to fall to third place at 208 (-8). Austin Aliff and Manual Girona finished tied for fourth place with a seven under-par 209 total. 13-15 Age Division After falling from his first round lead with a less than stellar second round, Fred Biondi came from behind to capture his first FSGA Championship win! Fred had a flawless scorecard on the front nine with birdies on holes five, six, and eight for a three under-par 33. He started his back nine with birdies on holes 10, 12, and 13 but had some trouble on the 16th hole scoring a double bogey. With determination to make up for the 16th hole, Fred birdied his last two holes for a final round five under-par, 67. Biondi captured the victory finishing with a six under-par 210 total. Two strokes behind (212 total), Joseph Pagdin, of Orlando, finished in second place followed by Gray Albright in third place with a 213 total. The top five finishers were in red numbers including Nicholas Gabrelcik and Fletcher Wunderlich who tied for fourth place at two under-par, 214. See fsga.org for full results.
Become an FSGA Volunteer The Florida State Golf Association is proud to have one of the largest and finest volunteer based golf associations in the country. FSGA Committee Members act as tournament volunteers and/or course rating volunteers. There are many volunteers that participate in both and help us a great deal. Tournament Committee Members help administer over 500 days of competition each year, including 38 state-level championships and over 45 days of USGA qualifying. Tournament officials are designated, based upon their experience, as General Committee Members, Rules Officials or Tournament Chairman. At each event, there is a Tournament Chairman who is responsible for the overall administration of the event, including course set-up and coordination of other Committee Members. Rules Officials are experienced in officiating and are highly knowledgeable in the Rules of Golf. General Committee Members assist with starting, scoring, pace-of-play checkpoints, and general roving on the course. Course Rating Committee Members serve the golfers of Florida by systematically rating the state’s 1,300 golf courses. Our Committee Members follow strict USGA guidelines for rating each course. A course must first be accurately measured, and then obstacles that affect playing difficulty are evaluated in accordance with established standards. Typically, teams of 5-6 individuals spend over five hours making measurements and statistical calculations necessary to produce a course and slope rating. If you have any questions or would like to receive any additional information please contact Tracy Dachisen at 813-868-5816 or tracy@fsga.org.
2016-2017 Winter Series Schedule The Winter Series is for players 25 years and older and will run from mid-November to the end of February. The seven events include six individual events and one four-ball event held at different golf courses across the state. Each tournament is 36 holes of gross scoring split into three age divisions, MidAmateur (25-54), Senior (55-64), and Super-Senior (65 & over) based on their age as of March 1, 2017. Throughout the series, the FSGA will keep a points list for each age division. At the conclusion of the series, the player with the most points will be named the 2016-17 Winter Series Points Champion. Players also will earn exemptions into 2016 State Championships based on points accumulated. The 2016-2017 season kicks off November 14-15 in Wellington at Palm Beach Polo & CC Dunes Course. Following that, Southern Hills Plantation Club, in Brooksville, will host the second stop, November 28-29. Then the final event before the holidays heads to Orlando at ChampionsGate Country Club. Starting off the new year, The Country Club of Winter Haven will host, January 15-16. The beautiful Bill Bergren redesign was a players favorite in 2015-2016 and returns again this year. Stone Creek Golf Club in Ocala will host the fifth individual event, January 29-30. The lone Winter Series Four-Ball will be February 12-13 at Tampa Palms Golf & County Club, in Tampa, former host of the PGA Tour Champions GTE Suncoast Classic. The Winter Series Finale is set for Victoria Hills Golf Club, in DeLand, February 26-27. Entries are now open for the three 2016 events. Winter Series events after January 1, 2017, entries will open on October 1, 2016.
Women’s Stroke Play Championship Not many people can play 56 holes of golf with one sleeve of three golf balls like Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Champion, Kaeli Jones, of Sumterville. Jones, who was an avid Florida Junior Tour player, captured her first FSGA Championship win after posting three consistent underpar rounds of 71-69-70. After round one, Jones sat one stroke back from Teresa Conroy, of Tallahassee, who posted a two under-par, 70, to take the early lead. Jones moved up the leaderboard to tie Anastasia Carter for first place, after round two. Conroy fell from the top after struggling to a second round 76, while Carter, of Saint Augustine, carded an impressive four under-par, 68 to advance to first place. Jones shot her low round of the tournament in the second round, 69, to tie Carter heading into the final round. The final round was far from uneventful as Carter and Jones battled to capture first place alone. Jones carded birdies on holes three and five with one bogey on the eighth hole to turn at one under-par, 35. Carter played steady golf to start her round with all pars until a bogey on the ninth hole for a one over-par, 37. Carter birdied holes 14 and 15 on the back nine as Jones had only one birdie on the 16th hole. The two teed up on the final hole with Kaeli holding onto a one shot lead. Both girls hit less than perfect drives, Kaeli would play her second shot from a water hazard and Anastasia would be hitting from a waste bunker. With no fear, Jones took off her shoes and entered the hazard to hit her second shot. Anastasia struck her second shot into the hazard leaving a difficult third shot. Kaeli hit her third shot just over the back of the green and got up and down for par as Anastasia carded a double-bogey seven to finish. Jones finished the Championship with a six under-par 201 and a three stroke victory. Jenny Kim, Nicole Aurtrique, and Anastasia Carter tied for second place at 231 (-3). Alyssa Lamoureux finished in fifth place after an exceptional final round of 69 for a 214 (-2) total. First round leader, Conroy took sixth place at even par 216. Reflecting on her first Championship win, Jones stated that the most difficult part of the tournament was the greens. “You could hit a really good putt but it could slip the greens and not drop.” At the young age of 19, Jones has a strong future of golf ahead of her. What does this win mean for her? Jones says, “This means that my game is competitive enough to compete with the best in Florida. This is a big confidence boost for my game. I feel great.” See fsga.org for full results.
Get Off to a Good Start on the Teeing Ground By Jack Pultorak - Director of Rules & Competitions
I tee up my ball inside the teeing ground. Then, I take my stance, a couple of waggles and I inadvertently nudge the ball of the tee. Judging there is a little slope where I was, I pick up the ball and re-tee it on another spot so that part of the ball is ahead of the tee markers and part of it is behind them. Next, I take my stance outside of the tee markers, using the tee markers to help line me up, and hit a nice draw down the right hand side of the fairway. Am I OK? The teeing ground is a very important component of the game of golf. So important, that it is included in the definition of the Game of Golf (Rule 1-1) in that a ball must be played from the teeing ground in accordance with the Rules. As usual, a good starting place to learn about the teeing ground is the definition of the teeing ground. The “teeing ground” is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two clublengths in depth, the front and sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground. The Teeing Ground Rule is Rule 11 and that’s where we’ll find many of the answers to our situation. Let’s break it down. First, I nudge my ball off the tee in taking a few waggles. The third section of Rule 11 tells us that there is no penalty as long as the ball is not in play. In our case, it is not, as we have not yet made a stroke at the ball from the teeing ground. That also allows me to pick it up without penalty. Next, I re-tee my ball so that part of it is ahead of the tee markers and the rest is behind them. The last sentence of the definition of the Teeing Ground above says that a ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground. That being said, in our case, we’re ok as long as a part of the ball is inside the teeing ground. Then, I proceed to take my stance outside the teeing ground. The last sentence of the first section of Rule 11 states that a player may stand outside the teeing ground to play a ball within it. Still good so far. Finally, I use the tee markers as an alignment guide to hit the shot. That is perfectly legal and within the Rules of Golf. Just like using a broken tee on the ground or tuft of grass outside the teeing ground as an aiming point. As long as I did not place it there, I can use it. Remember, use the index or the table of contents to find the correct Rule that applies to the situation and follow the Rules of Golf to help yourself to enjoy the game of golf.
Four-Ball Championship Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club, located in Vero Beach, hosted the 67th Four-Ball Championship where teams played 36 holes of four-ball stroke play to determine the Champion. Round one saw impressive scores with 38 teams posting red numbers. The team of Devin Hernandez, of Saint Petersburg, and Ryder Frerichs, of Seminole, sat tied for first with the duo Christopher Carlin, of Plantation, and Nicolas Cavero, of Aventura. The two teams lead by two strokes with a first round ten under-par, 62! Hernandez/Frerichs started the day with a birdie on the first hole and ended the day with back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18 for a total of ten birdies. The front nine proved to be the favorite of the two nines for Carlin/Cavero. The team started with four straight birdies on holes one to four and ended the front nine with three birdies in a row on holes seven to nine for a first nine score of 29! After three more birdies on the back nine, Carlin/Cavero moved into a tie for first. Jacob Huizinga/ William Wrigley, defending Four-Ball Champions, and David Giandomenico/ Justin Burkhamer tied for third place with a first round eight under-par 64. An exciting second day started with a birdie for the team of Carlin and Cavero. The duo lit up the front nine once again with birdies on holes one, three, four, eight, and nine to turn at five under-par, 31. Hernandez and Frerichs got off to a slow start with only two birdies on the first nine holes, causing them to fall from the lead early. Carlin and Cavero never lost sight of the lead to finish the tournament with two birdies on holes 17 and 18 for a total of eight birdies in their final round. A bogey free tournament and final round of 64 secured the victory for Carlin and Cavero! The two finished at 18 under-par, 126, to win by three strokes. The team of Tiger Godwin, of Fort Meade, and Kelly Sellers, of Lakeland, were on a birdie train in the final round en route to a 64 and second place finish, 129 (-15). Tied for third at 130 (-14) were the teams of Scott Kennedy/Kyle Nathan and Jacob Huizinga/William Wrigley. See fsga.org for full results.
Florida Open Championship Caleb Johnson, of Ocala, got off to a phenomenal start as he made a birdie on his first hole followed by four more birdies to finish the front nine at five under-par, 31. Although he struggled on the par four 12th hole, making a double-bogey, and then a bogey on the 13th hole, Johnson did not lose his determination. He finished strong with a birdie on number 16 and a birdie on the last hole for a final round three underpar, 69. Caleb’s consistent three rounds in red numbers (68, 70, 69) led him to a nine under-par, 207 total and six stroke victory! Johnson can add another Florida Open win to his resume, as this marks the second time in three years he was crowned Champion. Alan Morin remained in second place after a final round of two over-par, 74, for a three under-par total of 213. Jeff Wells, of Redondo Beach, played strong in the final round carding three birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the par five 10th hole. Wells carded a final round of three under-par for a two under-par total, 214, and a tied for third place finish with Jake Kevorkian. Kevorkian played steady golf with rounds of 73-69-72 to be the only amateur in the top three. Seven players tied for fifth place including Casper Howells, of Estero. Howells brought some excitement to the final round with a double-eagle on the final hole! 156 competitors played 18 holes one each golf course on Friday & Saturday, then the field was cut to the low 60 and ties with the final round contested at Interlachen on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 professionals and amateurs registered to compete in the 70th Florida Open, with 131 players advancing through one of 16 local qualifiers, and 25 competitors who were exempt into the Championship. The Florida Open has a rich history that dates back to 1942 and includes notable champions, such as Bob Murphy, Gary Koch, Charles Owens, Bruce Fleisher, John Huston, Dudley Hart, and Bart Bryant among others. This is the eighth year the Florida State Golf Association will be conduction this great Championship. See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Match Play Championships Boys 16-18 Age Division The Final match boiled down to Ryan Rozic, of Melbourne, and Connor Campbell, of Winter Garden. Rozic, number 13 seed, defeated Davis Hingtgen in the Semifinals, one-up, while Campbell earned a two and one victory over Linus Samuelsson to reach the Finals. A back and forth match took place on the first nine holes of the Finals and the boys stood all square at the turn. The highlight of the front nine occurred when Ryan holed a chip shot for birdie on the fourth hole to match a birdie from Campbell! Campbell saved par with a great up and down on the 10th hole to keep the match all square. Rozic broke through on the 11th hole with a birdie to go one-up. Campbell fired back on the par five 12th hole by hitting the green in two with a chance for eagle. Campbell barely missed his eagle putt and two putted for birdie. Rozic, who hit the green in regulation, sinks a birdie putt to keep his one-up lead alive. The match returned to all square when Campbell found the back of the cup on the 15th hole to beat Rozic with a birdie. The match remained all square heading into the last hole. This will be the first time Campbell has had to play the 18th hole in match play, unlike Rozic who has had to play all 18 holes in each of his matches. Rozic proceeded to drive his ball into the hazard resulting in a drop. Campbell sat in the first cut of the rough and struck his second shot over the green. Rozic hit his fourth shot onto the green while Campbell aggressively chipped his third shot past the hole. Rozic putted first and just missed his long bogey putt. Campbell seized the open opportunity and with only needing two putts to win, sunk his 30 foot par putt to win one-up! Campbell won a Florida Junior Tour event in 2014 and now takes home a FSGA Championship victory! See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Match Play Cont. Boys 13-15 Age Division Jake Beber-Frankel, of Miami, dominated at Sugar Mill Country Club. Starting with the two rounds of stroke play, Jake was underpar in each of his six rounds and played as the number one seed in match play. The only match that Jake trailed behind was in his Semifinal match against Davis Lee, but that only lasted for two holes before he regained his lead. It was exciting to have the final match come down to the number one and two seeds, Jake BeberFrankel and Jason Duff. Jake was two-up after the front-nine and moved to three-up heading into the homestretch. Jason had a 10foot birdie putt on hole 14 to cut the lead to two-up but narrowly missed. On the 15th hole, both players missed their birdie putts and continued on to the par three 16th hole. Jake hit his tee shot eight feet short of the hole while Jason’s ball landed 15 feet from the flagstick. Jason and Jake both two putted for par and Jake walked off the 16th green with a three and two victory! Jake never made it to the 18th hole during match play, which he was happy about because he bogeyed that hole both rounds of stroke play. Beber-Frankel is a tough competitor in FJT events and this marks his first FSGA Championship win! Girls 13-18 Age Division The Final match was set with Siyan Chen, number five seed, competing against Alexa Pano, number three seed. Alexa, of Lake Worth, was one-up after nine holes and after a steady race the match turned to all square heading into the final four holes. Both girls made two birdies each up to this point in the match and are one under-par overall for the round. Pano barely missed a birdie putt on the 16th hole to make par followed by a par from Siyan. The girls both salvaged pars on the 17th hole, a tough par four uphill with water off the tee box. Alexa got up and down from a greenside bunker while Siyan two putted. After two pars on the 18th hole the match was extended to extra holes. The 19th hole determined the winner as Siyan Chen prevailed after making a par! Pano hit her approach shot in a green side bunker and failed to get up and down for par to extend the match further. Chen can add another Championship win to her 2016 resume. She won the Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship in June and has no followed it up with the Junior Match Play win! See fsga.org for full results.
Parent-Child Championship The Parent-Child Championship has become an annual event for many families. The tournament is open to everyone, including grandparents who want to play with a grandchild and professionals who want to compete with their child or grandchild. There is no maximum age limitation for the parent or child. The event consists of two divisions; junior and regular. In the junior division, the child must be between 6-12 years of age, and in the regular division the child must be 13 or older. The regular divisions were split on the Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista courses, as well as Grand Cypress Golf Club (North and South). These teams played 36 holes of modified alternate shot. 18-Hole Champions: Child Ages 34 & older Division: Gary and Andrew Saft (66-66--132) Child Ages 23-33 Division: Jordan Wenck and Ray Wenck (70-71--141) Child Ages 17-22 Division: Johnny Schlager and Michael Schlager (70-67--137) Child Ages 16 & Younger: Brian Smith and Cooper Smith (70-65--135) The junior division played the Oak Trail executive course in nine holes of modified alternate shot format using the Stableford scoring each day. 9-Hole Champions: Child 10-12 Age Division: Jon Veneziano and Alex Veneziano (30-28--58) Child 8-9 Age Division: Kevin Henry and Griffin Henry (32-29--61) Child 6-7 Age Division: Rob Koehn and Christian Koehn (24-32--56) See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Florida Cup The North and South teams battled to win the Junior Florida Cup at the Bear’s Club in Jupiter, August 1-2. The North team, who had held onto the cup for the past two years, won four matches and tied one match to gain 4.5 points in the first round. The duo of Calvin Sierota/Jackson Suber and Jacob Penny/ Jonathan Yaun earned three and two victories for the North. Two other wins for the North came from Alyssa Lamoureux/Julia Towne and Morgan Baxendale/Lauren Miller. South team, with captain Kevin Fullenkamp, earned 3.5 points with wins from three teams including a four and three victory from Cole Castro/Spencer Alexander. Foursome matches, directly followed the Four-Ball matches on Monday. The North team kept their eyes on the cup and won another 4.5 points versus 3.5 points earned by the South team. Two big wins for the North came from the teams of Manuel Girona/Morgan Baxendale, six and five, and Ryan Hicks/Alyssa Lamoureux, six and four. Brandon Mancheno/ Jackson Suber and Calvin Sierota/Macy Somoskey won their matches for the North, three and two. Alberto Martinez was playing strong for the South team and with his team member, Max Coutsolioutsos, won five and four against Logan Membrino/Tyler Wilkes. Sydney Shrader also won two victories for the South after a four and three win, teamed with Jayson Iten, in the second round. Heading into the final round the North team had a two point lead with nine points. The South team would start the singles matches with seven total points. The final day of singles matches saw the North team prevail after winning nine points versus seven points earned by the South team. The nine wins sealed the victory for the North team who would regain the Junior Florida Cup for the third year in a row! The South put up a fight in the final matches, tying things up at 11 points early in the day. The North regained their lead and sped away towards victory when Brandon Mancheno closed his match against Anthony Muttillo on the 17th hole with a birdie to give the North team 16 points. The North team hoisted the Junior Florida Cup with 18 points and a four point win over the South team! The North team was represented by: Morgan Baxendale, Manuel Girona, Ryan Hicks, Alyssa Lamoureux, Brandon Mancheno, Logan Membrino, Lauren Miller, Jacob Penny, Justin Rickerson , Calvin Sierota, Macy Somoskey, Jackson Suber, Julia Towne, Tyler Wilkes, Jonathan Yaun, Katie Yoo. The South featured: Spencer Alexander, Drew Angelo, Cole Castro, Max Coutsolioutsos, Luke Gifford, Hallianne Hobson, Jayson Iten , Alberto Martinez, Alyssa Mercado, David Morgan, Anthony Muttillo, Brittany Shin, Sydney Shrader, Casey Weidenfeld, Fletcher Wunderlich, Ariel Yu The Junior Florida Cup matches 16 players from the North against 16 players from the South in a Ryder Cup format. Each team consists of 10 boys and 6 girls selected mostly from the Florida Junior Tour (FJT) points list. The first morning, each boy and girl is paired with a partner to compete in a four-ball match. In the afternoon round, the boys and girls are paired together to play mixedfoursomes matches. The final day each player competes in a singles match against a player from the opposing team. Points are awarded to each match similarly to the Ryder Cup to determine the winning team. See fsga.org for full results.
Amateur Match Play Championship After earning the number one seed with a stroke play round of three under-par, 69, Christopher Carlin advanced through each round of match play to hoist the trophy on Sunday! The Round of 64 was completed Friday morning and four of the five stroke play co-medalists advanced to the Round of 32 on Friday afternoon. Number one seed, Christopher Carlin, seemed to be on cruise control as he earned a six and four win in his first match and a five and three win against Timothy Colanta (33) in the Round of 32. Kits Patel, number three seed, is the second remaining stroke play co-medalist to advance to the Round of 16. Patel won his first match, three and two, and won one up in his second match. The only former Champion remaining in match play is Joe Alfieri, who won in 2001. Alfieri (39) won after 20 holes in his first match and advanced to the Round of 16 after a one up victory over Miles McConnnell (7). Saturday morning the Round of 16 matches began where Carlin defeated Kyle Shealy (17), of Saint Petersburg, two-up. In his afternoon Quarterfinal match, Carlin faced Jake Kevorkian (8), of Saint Petersburg, and advanced to the Semifinals with a one-up win. Jeremy Perna (61), of Sarasota, continued his winning streak by advancing to the Quarterfinals, but was then defeated by Christian Bosso (37), of Pensacola, one-up. Bosso would go head to head against Carlin in the Semifinals. The only remaining past Champion, Joe Alfieri lost to Andrew Arft (15), of Casselberry, in the Quarterfinals. Arft would face Eric Grimes (38), of Naples, in the Semifinals. The Semifinal match between Carlin and Bosso lasted 14 holes, ending in a five and four win for Carlin. Carlin took the lead early in the match with birdies on holes two through six giving him a five up lead that he never lost. The match between Andrew Arft and Eric Grimes was not determined until the back nine. Grimes made the turn at one-up and after going back and forth teed off number 17 at one-up. After a birdie on the 17th hole and a two and one win, Grimes would move on to face Carlin in the Final match. An uneventful front nine was played by each Carlin and Grimes in the final match. Carlin birdied the ninth hole to turn to the back nine at one-up. A birdie on the 10th hole moved Carlin to two-up but Grimes fired back with a birdie on number 11. Carlin did not let his lead slip for long and birdied the 12th hole keeping the match at two-up through the 15th hole. The match ended on the 16th hole where Carlin birdied for a final three and two victory. This marks Carlin’s second Championship win of the year, after being crowned Four-Ball Champion, before he begins the fall as the new head coach of Nova Southeastern University! See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Team Championship Teams of three, representing their junior programs, competed in 36-holes of stroke play with the total of the low two of the three gross scores counting for each round. This event is open to junior programs that provide organized tournaments, instruction or clinics which are open to all junior golfers in the community. There are four divisions; Boys 16-18, Boys 13-15, Girls 16-18 and Girls 13-15. In the Boys 16-18 age division, the Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour claimed first place with a 292 (+4) total. Patrick Poate, Kevin Choe, and Cameron Bonner represented the ECJGT posting rounds of 144-148 to earn the win. Finishing in second place, one stroke behind, was the Eagle JGC with team members; Nicholas Bessire, David Roberts, and Anthony Powell. The 16-18 boys played the Bobcat Course. Playing the Panther Course, the Girls 16-18 division saw The First Tee Collier/Naples capture the win. Three Florida Junior Tour Players, Sydney Shrader, Emily Black, and Kelly Newbrough, had combined rounds of 156-154 to finish with a 310 total. Three strokes behind, in second place, finished the Emerald County Junior Golf Tour with Madison Tenore, Kaide Farne, and Careon Fish (157-156). The Boys 13-15 age division played two rounds on the Panther Course where The First Tee Collier/Naples brought home a second win! James Tureskis, Joey Burke, and John Wolner had rounds of 144-154 for a 298 total and a nine stroke victory. The Greater Tampa Junior Golf Association, Thomas Salanito, Dean Badger, and Nicholas Gabrelcik, came in second place with a 309 total. The Junior Golf Association of Broward Country finished first in the Girls 13-15 age division with a 293 total. Teammates Jillian Bourdage, Casey Weidenfeld, and Makayla Chau carded combined rounds of 147-146 for the 18 stroke win! The Forelife Foundation, Laura Lou, Aspen Hough, Natalia Jimenez, finished in second place with rounds of 153-158—311. See fsga.org for full results.
Florida Senior Open Championship Lee Rinker, of Jupiter entered the final round with a two stroke lead over 2010 Florida Senior Open Champion Gene Fieger, of Naples. Fieger would be the first to tie for the lead after birding the 1st & 3rd hole. However, Rinker would quickly take the lead back with a birdie on 4. Michael Weeks (a), of Jupiter playing a group ahead of the leaders would birdie the 1st & 2nd to get to -3 to slide up the leaderboard. Eight consecutive pars on 3-10 would see him still sitting 2 behind Rinker. Weeks would make closing birdies on 11, 14 and 17, and narrowly miss on 18 to post -6 for the Championship and a bogey free 67. Rinker would only make one bogey and one birdie from holes 5-17. Sitting in the 18th fairway, with a wedge in hand, Rinker hit it hole high about 20 feet left of the hole, with a putt to tie Weeks at -6, he would narrowly miss, finishing at -5 for the Championship with a closing 71. David Good, of Lakeland, also playing in the final group would post a bogey-free 68 (-4), including a birdie on 18 to tie for second and share the low professional purse with Lee Rinker. Gene Fieger's final round 72 would see him fall short in his quest for a second title, finishing solo 4th. Defending Champion, Eduardo Herrera, of Windermere finished T7. This is Weeks second FSGA Championship, adding to his 2011 FSGA Mid-Senior Championship he captured at his home club, Bear Lakes Golf & Country Club. The 40th Florida Senior Open, conducted by the Florida State Golf Association & South Florida PGA Section saw over 300 players try to qualify over 8 qualifying sites across the state, setting a field of 78 Amateur & 78 Professionals who competed over 54 holes at Willoughby Golf Club & Sailfish Point Golf Club in Stuart. See fsga.org for full results.
Mid-Senior Championship R J Nakashian, of Palm Beach Gardens, wins the Mid-Senior Championship for the second time by one stroke with a two under-par 214 total! At the start of the final round, Jaime Girardi seemed to have the upper hand. Girardi birdied the first two holes to take an early three shot lead over Nakashian. Nakashian, who won in 2014, played steady golf and would regain his lead after Girardi bogeyed holes three, four, and seven on the front nine. Stephen Anderson, defending Champion and Nakashian’s Mid-Amateur Four-Ball partner, made some noise from behind as he eagled the par five, tenth hole to tie Nakashian for the lead at the start of the back nine. R J fought back with a birdie on the 14th hole and Anderson faltered with a three-putt bogey on the 17th hole for a bogey. Girardi fell from contention with a double-bogey on the 13th hole. Nakashian finished his final round with a one under-par, 71 to capture first place! Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, posted an impressive final round of 68 but could not catch Nakashian, finishing one stroke shy in second place. Girardi, of New Port Richey, rounded out the top three finishing with an even par total of 216. This marks Nakashian’s second Championship victory this year after he won the Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship partnered with Stephen Anderson! The Mid-Senior Championship, with players 40 years of age or older, was hosted by Mission Inn Resort & Club on the El Campeon and Las Colinas courses. The players played 18 holes on each course before the cut was made at 17 over-par, 161 two round total. 62 players advanced to the final round. See fsga.org for full results.
Women’s Net Championship Sunny skies and warm temperatures were present all weekend in Naples as Quail Creek Country Club hosted the third Women’s Net Stroke Play Championship, September 10-11. No stranger to the Florida State Golf Association, Kimberly Byle, of Dunedin, (pictured right) stood in first place by three strokes after round one, firing a net 68. Following close behind her was Beatriz Niemeyer with a one-under par 71 along with Peggy Butts and Tinker Sanger who both carded even pars. The Forward Division saw five numbers in the red with a tight leader board heading into the final round. Janet Strong, of Saint Petersburg, led the division with a tournament low of 67, followed by Susan Lee's 69 and three players tied for third at 70, including Terry Tipton, Kathleen Aldrige-Cooper and Sharon Sheline. Quail Creek’s Creek Course proved difficult during Sunday’s final round, owning up to its name as difficult water hazards tested all players in the field. In the end, Byle (pictured left) was able to stay steady and continue her lead to finish first in the Middle Division with a two round total of 6875-143. In similar fashion, Niemeyer, of Bradenton, also played steady to secure second place with a tournament total of 147, while Tinker Sanger, of North Palm Beach, captured solo third. Just like Byle, Janet Strong (pictured left) did not give up her lead, capturing first place in the Forward Division by three strokes, posting a final total of 67-74-141. Strong’s three under-par total marked the tournament’s low finish. Quail Creek member, Terry Tipton, was one of four who tied for second place in the Forward Division. Along with Tipton, Kathleen AldridgeCooper, Sharon Sheline and Susan Lee all finished tied for second with even par 144. Quail Creek Country Club will play host to the 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship next September. See fsga.org for full results.
Mid-Senior Four-Ball Championships Mid-Senior Four-Ball North Defending Champions, Tim Hume and Kelly Gosse, (pictured right) came from behind with an impressive second round of 64 to win at Pensacola Country Club. Hume, of Crystal River, and Gosse, of Inverness, carded rounds of 69-64 for a tournament total 133 (-11) and a two stroke victory! Round one leaders, Blake Hayward/Jeff Blomeley, fell to second place after a second round 69. The team from Tallahassee, Hayward and Blomeley, carded rounds of 66-69 for a 135 (-9) total and second place finish by two strokes. Rounding out the top three, teammates David Penzone and Bruce Holliday, posted rounds of 67-70 for a 137 (-7) total. Mid-Senior Four-Ball South Teammates Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, and R J Nakashian, of Palm Beach, (pictured left) prevailed to win their second Mid-Senior Four-Ball Championship after winning in 2014. The duo posted two consistent rounds of 65 for a 130 (-14) total. After round two was completed, Nakashian/Anderson tied Jon Veneziano/Gary Nicklaus for first place. Nicklaus/Veneziano also posted two rounds of 65 to finish with a 130 total. The two teams headed to the 17th hole for a sudden death playoff. Nakashian, coming off of a win at the Mid-Senior Championship, was in competition mode! The two teams played holes 17, 18, 17 both making pars on each hole. They continued to the 18th hole once again. Veneziano hit his drive into the hazard while Nicklaus hit his second shot short left of the green. Nicklaus failed to get up and down while Anderson two putted for a par and victory! Round one leaders, Brian Keenan and Paul Royak, posted rounds of 64-69 to drop to fourth place with a 133 (-11) total. Tom Pelegrin and teammate Glen Miciotta came in third place with rounds of 66-65—131 (-13) total. See fsga.org for full results.
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