Inside the FSGA - August 2020

FSGA AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION ~AUGUST 2020~

MEGAN SCHOFILL

91ST WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPION

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103 RD AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP BLACK DIAMOND RANCH LECANTO, FLA. DECEMBER 17 - 20 FLORIDA OPEN

TABLE OF CONTENTS FLORIDA STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION

2020 SCHEDULE

Main: (813) 632-3742 Championships & Rulings: (813) 868-5850 Club Services: (813) 868-5855

U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

12630 Telecom Drive - Tampa, FL 33637

JOIN THE FSGA

Foundation Memberships $1,000.............................................. Chairman’s Level $500..................................................President’s Level $250................................... Director’s Level (Couple) $160..................................................... Director’s Level Regular Memberships $50................................................Adult Regular Level $40......................................................FJT/Junior Level $25............................................................. Patron Level All membership dollars received above the regular membership will go towards the Future of Golf Foundation.

FOLLOW THE FSGA

Twitter: @FSGA Instagram: @FSGA1913 Facebook: Florida State Golf Association

FSGA Men’s Competitions..................................................... 4 FSGA Women’s Competitions............................................... 4 Strafaci Wins 120th U.S. Amateur......................................7-8

CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

Next 100 Junior Invitational...................................................11 Women’s International Four-Ball..........................................11 Senior Amateur Match Play..................................................12 Forty & Over.............................................................................12 Girls’ Junior Amateur..............................................................13 Boys’ Junior Amateur (16-18)................................................14 Women’s Amateur...................................................................15 Boys’ Junior Amateur (13-15)................................................16 Florida Open.............................................................................17 Parent-Child..............................................................................18 Women’s Four-Ball..................................................................19 Forty & Over Four-Ball...........................................................19 Florida Women’s Open & Senior Open........................... 20 Amateur Public Links..............................................................21 Four-Ball.....................................................................................21 Futures......................................................................................23 Two-Man Scramble................................................................23 Women’s Mid-Amateur.........................................................24

FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR

Upcoming FJT Events.......................................................... 25 2020 FJT Winners........................................................... 26-28

RULES

Jon Rahm at Memorial................................................... 29-30

FOLLOW THE FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR Twitter: @FloridaJrTour Facebook: Florida Junior Tour

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2020 UPCOMING MEN’S COMPETITIONS

CHAMPIONSHIP

Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Senior Four-Ball Men’s Net Mixed Shoot-Out Super-Senior Amateur Mid-Amateur Florida Cup Senior Amateur Two-Man Shoot-Out Foursomes Men’s Net Four-Ball 103rd Amateur

DATE

ENTRIES CLOSE

Sept. 5 - 6 Sept. 22 - 23 Sept. 26 - 27 Oct. 3 - 4 Oct. 5 - 7 Oct. 9 - 11 Oct. 15 - 16 Oct. 29 - 31 Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 Dec. 11 - 12 Dec. 12 - 13 Dec. 17 - 20

LOCATION

Aug. 26 The Club at the Strand, Naples Sept. 9 The Amelia Island Club at Long Point, Amelia Island Sept. 9 Mission Inn Resort & Club, Howey-in-the-Hills Sept. 16 Verandah Club, Fort Myers Sept. 23 Bradenton CC, Bradenton Sept. 9 Mayacco Lake CC, West Palm Beach Invitational Bay Colony GC, Naples Sept. 23 Eagle Creek G & CC, Naples Oct. 21 ChampionsGate Resort, ChampionsGate Nov. 25 Lakewood Ranch G & CC, Lakewood Ranch Nov. 18 Celebration GC, Celebration Nov. 11 Black Diamond Ranch, Lecanto

2020 UPCOMING WOMEN’S COMPETITIONS

CHAMPIONSHIP

Women’s Net Stroke Play Mixed Shoot-Out Women’s Senior Amateur Women’s Senior Match Play

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DATE

Sept. 12 - 13 Oct. 3 - 4 Oct. 5 - 6 Dec. 7 - 9

ENTRIES CLOSE Aug. 26 Sept. 16 Sept. 16 Nov. 18

LOCATION

Spring Run GC, Bonita Springs Verandah Club, Fort Myers Orange Tree GC, Orlando Laurel Oak CC, Sarasota

SCHEDULE

ENTER AT FSGA.ORG

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U.S. AMATEUR

TYLER STRAFACI WINS 120TH U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

“This is your time to hit a winning shot. Go get it.”

These are the words that Tyler Strafaci’s said to himself on the 36th hole in the final of the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Strafaci was right, it was his time.

He grabbed 4-iron from 246 yards and hit it to 25 feet to set up a two-putt birdie. Minutes later, Strafaci raised the Havemeyer Trophy at the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, rallying from an early 5-down deficit to defeat Ollie Osborne, 1 up, in the 36-hole championship match.

“That was the first time in my life where I told myself you’re going to hit a winning shot, but I actually hit a winning golf shot when it mattered the most under the most pressure in amateur golf,” Strafaci said. “I’ve done it a bunch of times back home, and I knew I could execute it, and I trusted myself, and I did it.”

The Davie native became the first Florida Junior Tour alumni and the fourth Georgia Tech golfer to to win the U.S. Amateur Championship. He is the second member of his family to win a USGA championship, joining his grandfather, Frank Sr., who won the 1935 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Entering match play as the No. 41 seed, Strafaci picked up five wins on his way to the championship match, with three of those matches finishing on the 18th hole. In the championship match, the fifth-year Georgia Tech senior found himself 5 down to Osborne in the morning 18. Strafaci bounced back, winning four of the final six holes, to finish the morning round 1 down.

“You know everyone in a match is going to have those nine holes where they just kick your [butt]”, Strafaci said. “It’s just going to happen, you just don’t know when it’s going to come. I’ve come back from that before, so I knew I was playing good enough.”

Strafaci continued his strong play in the afternoon round, making a 30-foot birdie on the 20th hole to tie the match. He took his first lead of the match on the 25th hole, converting an 18-footer for birdie. Osborne

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tied the match back up with a birdie on the 31st, but Strafaci eagled the next hole from eight feet to pull back in front, before extending his lead to two with a par on the next hole.

With Strafaci finding the fairway bunker off the tee on the 34th and the penalty area on 35th hole, Osborne battled back with two birdies to tie the match up yet again.

The two headed to the 18th hole for the second time that day. With both players in the fairway, Strafaci executed the shot of his life to secure the clutch finish.

With this win at the U.S. Amateur, Strafaci receives an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Open, a berth in the 2021 Open Championship and a likely invitation to the 2021 Masters Tournament. He will also get a spot on the United States team for the 2021 Walker Cup next May at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla., not far from his home. Something that had eluded his decorated grandfather.

“That’s why I always wanted to be the first Strafaci to make a Walker Cup,” Stracfi said. “It’s been a rough couple of years because I’ve been pretty close to it, and now that I’m on that team, I feel like I’ve made [my grandfather] proud, and I feel like it’s just unbelievable. I mean, it’s something I’ve dreamt about and something that my father has told me about, stories about my grandfather. So it’s awesome.”

His U.S. Amateur win comes just months after the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the spring golf season and forced a change in his plans to turn professional. Strafaci made the decision to remain an amateur and return to Georgia Tech for a fifth year in 2020-21.

With this change of plans, he was left with one more summer of amateur golf and he made the most of it.

The 22 year old captured amateur golf’s most important victory on the heels of winning at the North & South Amateur and the Palmetto Amateur in July.

“These are very trying times, tough for every -- there’s not one person in this world that it hasn’t affected negatively, and it’s really tough,” Strafaci said. “I wanted to be one of the people that got through this and approached it with a positive outlook.”

The Strafaci family has deep ties to the Florida State Golf Association. Tyler began playing in FSGA events at the age of six and went on to win the Florida Boys’ Junior Championship, Florida Junior Match Play Championship and five Florida Junior Tour events. His father, Frank, is a past FSGA president and four-time FSGA champion, while his grandfather was the 1957 Florida Amateur champion.

“To do it here with him (dad), when I didn’t think I’d have another amateur tournament was something I’ll never forget. It’s just awesome,” Strafaci said on 18th green after the win.

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Senior Amateur Promo

59 TH SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP EAGLE CREEK GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB NAPLES, FLA. OCTOBER 29 - 31

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2020

CHAMPIONSHIP R E C A P S

Championship Recaps Page

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

NEXT 100 JUNIOR INVITATIONAL

Mission Inn Resort & Club | Howey-in-the-Hills | January 4 - 5 Andrew Clark and Lisa Marie Rudometkin prevailed against tough competition at the Next 100 Junior Invitational hosted by Mission Inn Resort & Club.

Clark climbed up the leaderboard, erasing a two-stroke deficit, with a final-round 75. The Winter Park native moved into a tie for first place with two key birdies on the 15th and 16th. Clark finished the first playoff hole with a birdie to be crowned the champion.

Rudometkin, Emily McLatchey and Jordan Fischer finished the first round in tie for the lead. Rudometkin started strong out of the gate in the final round with a birdie on the first hole to turn at 37. The Wesley Chapel native birdied the 14th hole to finish with a 75 and secure the victory at 152.

73RD WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP The Wanderers Club | Wellington | February 12 - 13

For the second-straight year, Ina Kim-Schaad and Meghan Stasi raised the trophy at the Women’s International FourBall Championship. Kim-Schaad and Stasi survived a playoff to capture the win at The Wanderers Club. This is Stasi’s sixth International Four-Ball victory and Kim’s second.

The duo posted an even par on the front nine, carding their only bogey of the tournament on the third hole. Both KimSchaad and Stasi added a birdie on the back nine to finish the final round with a 2-under 70 in a three-way tie for first.

Three teams headed to 18th hole to decide the champions.

On third playoff hole, Stasi made her birdie putt to secure the back-to-back win for the pair.

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SENIOR AMATEUR MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

Cypress Run Golf Club | Tarpon Springs | June 14 - 17 Richard Kerper defeated Rick Woulfe, 6 and 4, at Cypress Run Golf Club to capture the Senior Amateur Match Play Championship. This is the second FSGA championship win of Kerper’s career and his first since the 1992 Four-Ball Championship.

In the Semifinals, Woulfe took the lead against Doug Snoap and never looked back. The Fort Lauderdale native carded a par on the 17th to clinch a spot in the Finals, 13 years after winning the championship in 2007. Kerper took a quick lead over Jimmy Jones with a birdie on the third hole. The Oldsmar native used the 3-and-2 win to advance to the Finals.

In the Finals, Woulfe jumped out to a quick lead with a birdie on the first hole. After a back-and-forth front nine, the match headed to the back nine with Kerper leading 1 up. Kerper won five-straight holes to capture the 6-and-4 victory and the championship.

FORTY & OVER CHAMPIONSHIP Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club | Tampa | July 10 - 12

Daniel Debra went wire-to-wire to capture the Forty & Over Championship. The Lutz native carded an 8-under 208 to raise the trophy Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.

Beginning the final round with a five-shot lead over the field, Debra finished the front nine at 2 over, carding two bogeys.

He posted three birdies on the back nine to finish the day with an even-par 72 and secure the two-shot victory.

Debra used rounds of 68-68-72 to win his third FSGA championship and his first since the 2018 Mid-Senior FourBall Championship.

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

61ST GIRLS’ JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Bradenton Country Club | Bradenton | June 30 - July 2

It was Ellen Dong and Kaitlyn Schroeder who came out on top at the 61st Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship at Bradenton Country Club. Dong captured the 16-18 Division with a 1-under 213, while Schroeder was victorious in the 1315 Division at 7-under 207.

Starting the day with the lead, Dong began the round with five-straight pars, before adding a birdie on the sixth hole. After making the turn with a twoshot lead, a double bogey on the 10th dropped Dong into a tie for first with Chloe Schiavone. A key birdie on the 11th hole brought the Longwood native back into first place at even-par.

Casey Weidenfeld had a slow start to the day, bogeying three of the first five holes. She turned it around with an eagle on the par-5 eight hole. The Pembroke Pines native added a birdie on the 17th to move into a tie for first with Dong at even-par, heading to the final hole.

Dong hit her tee shot on the 18th to 20 feet, while Weidenfeld was left with about 27 feet for birdie. Dong rolled her putt in for birdie to secure the win, while Weidenfeld finished with par.

Finishing the final round with an even-par 71, Dong captured the first FSGA championship win of her career.

“This is just a confirmation of my practice and hard work over the past couple of months,” Dong said. “It’s a really big win.”

Weidenfeld finished with a runner-up finish at even-par 214, posting a final-round 70, while Schiavone took third place at 1-over 215, carding a 71 in the final round.

Schroeder began the final round in second place, six shots behind the leader. She got off to a fast start with a birdie on the second hole to move to 1-under for the championship. The Jacksonville native chipped in for birdie on the fifth to pull within three shots of the lead. Making the turn at 1 under, Schroeder put together a phenomenal bogey-free back nine, carding four birdies and an eagle.

With a birdie on the 14th, she pulled into a tie for the lead with Jordan Fishcer at 3 under. Schroeder took the solo lead with a birdie on the 16th, before sinking a 25-foot putt for eagle to extend her lead to four shots. She capped off the record-breaking round with a birdie on the last hole. Her final-round 64 is the lowest round in Girls’ Junior history.

“This means a lot,” Schroeder said. “Winning an FSGA event is always something special, especially being from Florida.”

This is Schroeder’s second FSGA championship victory. She becomes the 11th play to win back-to-back Girls’ Junior titles and the first to do it since Erica Stoner in 2012. Fischer, who was the 36-hole leader, took home a second-place finish at 1-under 213. The North Fort Myers native struggled in the final round, posting a 5-over 76. Bridget Ma secured third place at 1-over 215 with a final-round 71.

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66TH BOYS’ JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP (16-18 DIVISION) Streamsong Resort | Streamsong | July 7 - 9

The Black Course at Streamsong Resort and the Florida heat proved to be a tough test, but it was Kiko Francisco Coelho who came out on top at the 66th Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship. Coelho fired a 13-under 206 to capture the three-shot victory and his first FSGA championship.

“It means a lot,” Coelho said. “It’s one of the greatest junior tournaments in Florida. I felt great about my game coming into it and I played really well this week.”

Starting the final round one shot behind the leaders, Coelho got off to a quick start with three birdies in the first five holes to move into the top spot on the leaderboard.

He posted a bogey-free front nine, carding five birdies.

“I knew being one-shot back was nothing on this course,” Coelho said. “I just tried to start well and I played really good on the front nine.”

The Lake Mary resident had a rocky start to his back nine, with back-to-back bogeys. Coelho turned it around with key birdies on the seventh and ninth to hold on to his lead. He finished par-par to secure the win. A key stretch of holes for Coelho proved to be the 12th through 15th, as he was a combined 10 under on those four holes in three days.

Coelho put together three under-par rounds, 66-72-68, to earn the win. His first-round 66 was the low round of the championship, where he birdied seven holes on the back nine. This is Coelho’s second-straight victory, after earning the Florida Junior Tour win at Mission Inn the previous weekend.

Brendan Valdes and Nicholas Gabrelcik both made a run at the title in the final round, finishing the championship at 10-under 209 to take home second place with Leo Herrera. Valdes, who began the day four shots back of the leaders, posted a bogey-free front nine with five birdies, including four straight to close out his front nine. The Orlando native used an even-par second nine to earn a share of second place and a finalround 68.

Gabrelcik, the 2019 FSGA Junior Player of the Year, also put together a bogey-free front nine with four birdies.

After a bogey to start the back, the Trinity native rebounded quickly with back-to-back birdies. He finished the day with a second-nine 35 to shoot a final-round 68.

Herrera, who shared the 36-hole lead, carded a final-round 72 to take home a runner-up finish. The Doral native birdied the 10th hole to move up in a tie for second with Gabrelcik and Valdes.

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

91ST WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Mission Inn Resort & Club | Howey-in-the-Hills | July 10 - 12 It was Megan Schofill who raised the 91st Women’s Amateur Championship trophy at Mission Inn Resort & Club. Schofill overcame a 10-shot deficit to capture her first FSGA championship.

“It’s such an honor,” Schofill said. “I’ve played in this event for the last five years and have always played really well. So just wanted to do that again this week. I’m just beyond words right now, so happy.”

Schofill had a tough start to the day with a double bogey on the first hole. The Monticello native quickly rebounded, birdieing three of her next five holes to move to 3 over for the championship. She kept it rolling on the front side, adding a birdie on the ninth hole.

The Auburn University sophomore began the back nine with a par on the 10th and then carded three-straight birdies to pull into a tie for the lead with Madison Hewlett at 1 under. A birdie on the 16th gave Schofill the outright lead.

“I just went out there and played one shot at a time and didn’t worry about the outcome,” Schofill said. “To be honest, I had no expectations to win after my first two rounds.”

She finished the round with a par on the final hole to post a 5-under 67. Thinking she had finished a few shots back of the leaders still out on the course, it was Schofill’s dad who told her she had the clubhouse lead at 1-under.

Schofill’s final-round 67 was the low round of the day. She became the first Auburn University player to win the Women’s Amateur Championship.

Chloe Schiavone made a run at the title in the final round, taking home a second-place finish. The Jacksonville native finished the front nine at 1 under to pull within two shots of the lead. She started the back nine with backto-back birdies, before bogeying two-straight holes to fall back to even on the back nine. Schiavone birdied the 17th hole to post a final-round 70, her best round of the weekend Taylor Roberts and Karoline Tuttle finished the championship in a tie for third place at 1-over 145. Hewlett, who held a seven-shot lead at the beginning of the day, found some struggles in the final round, finishing in fifth place. The Oldsmar native posted three bogeys and a double bogey to make the turn at 5 over for the day. She tried to turn it around on back nine, but finished the day with an 80.

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66TH BOYS’ JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP (13-15 DIVISION) Streamsong Resort | Streamsong | July 11 - 13

After three rounds on the Black Course at Streamsong Resort, it was Jack Turner who was crowned the 13-15 champion at the 66th Boys’ Junior Amateur Championship. Turner fired a 12-under 207 to capture the 11-shot victory and his first FSGA championship.

“It means a lot, “Turner said. “I’ve been playing well over the last few tournaments, so to finally come out on top means a lot.”

After posting back-to-back rounds of 70 in the first two rounds, he began the final round with a four-shot lead over the field. Turner, who started the day on the 12th hole, got off to a quick start with a birdie on the 14th.

The Orlando native posted a bogey-free front nine, adding a birdie on the first hole.

Turner kept up the strong play on his second nine, birding back-to-back holes on the fourth and fifth. He carded his only bogey of the day on the seventh, but quickly rebounded with two-straight birdies.

“My putting was definitely the strongest part of my game, especially on these greens,” Turner said. “You can hit a lot of greens out here and still shoot over par. My speed control and my short putts were really solid this week. I think that is what helped me get the win.”

He finished the day with a birdie on the 10th to secure the 11-shot victory, the largest margin of victory in the 13-15 Division in FSGA history. His final-round 67 was also the low round of the championship, while he was the only player in the field to shoot three under-par rounds.

Danny Erickson took home a second-place finish with a 1-under 218. Starting the day in a tie for fourth place, Erickson carded an even-par 73 in the final round to move a couple of spots up the leaderboard.

Turner and Erickson were the only two players to post under-par rounds for the championship.

Chase Carroll and Carson Brewer finished in a tie for third at even-par 219. Carroll finished the championship with a final-round 74, while Brewer carded a final-round 75.

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

74TH FLORIDA OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Pine Tree Golf Club | Boynton Beach | July 17 - 19 JC Deacon did something that only nine other people in FSGA history had done: raise the Florida Open trophy for the second time.

Deacon was crowned the 74th Florida Open champion at Pine Tree Golf Club. He posted a final-round 2-under 69 to capture the championship at 12-under 202.

“It means a lot,” Deacon said. “I’ve had three or four months to really prepare for this. I wanted to be a good model for my guys.

I worked my butt off to be ready for this tournament. The first two days were really, really solid and I think I was good example for those boys.”

Beginning the final round with a twoshot lead over the field, Deacon started the day with four-straight pars, before carding his first bogey of the championship on the fifth.

The University of Florida men’s golf coach made a clutch par save on the seventh hole from the penalty area to stay tied for the lead at 9 under with Kenny Goodykoontz. Deacon birdied the ninth hole to take the solo lead and make the turn at even par for the day.

He had a strong start to the back nine, birdieing two of the three first holes to take a three-shot lead. Deacon finished the day with a birdie on the 18th to secure a final-round 69 and the victory.

“The birdie on 12 made me feel really comfortable and confident,” Deacon said. “It was by no means done at that point, but it gave me a little bit of breathing room with the field.”

The Toronto native was the only player in the field to shoot three rounds in the 60s (68-65-69). Deacon, who also won the 2017 Florida Open, becomes the 10th player to capture two Florida Open victories.

Ryan Orr, Dillon Board and Goodykoontz took home a share of second place at 8-under 206. Orr, a University of Florida graduate, spent the final round trying to chase down his former coach. The Belleair native used his best round of the championship, a bogey-free 67, to earn a runner-up finish.

Board also used a final-round 67 to finish the championship in a tie-for-second place. After a bogey on the sixth, the Jacksonville native played the rest of the day bogey free, carding three birdies on the back nine.

Goodykoontz finished the championship with an even-par 71, birding the final hole of the championship to move into a tie-for-second place.

Alfredo Adrian made the most of the final round, posting the low round of the day to jump 19 spots up the leaderboard. The Doral resident carded five birdies on the front nine, before finishing the day with a bogey-free back nine to shot a final-round 65 and take home a fifth-place finish.

Devon Hopkins secured Low-Amateur honors, finishing the weekend in a tie for ninth place at 3-under 211.

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PARENT-CHILD CHAMPIONSHIP Orlando | July 25 - 26

Over 400 competitors made their way to Orlando for the annual Parent-Child Championship. The 18-hole championship took place at Celebration Golf Club, ChampionsGate Golf Resort and Reunion Resort, while the 9-hole championship was played at the Walt Disney World Golf.

32 and Over Division: Leonard and Len Schonfeld raised the trophy in the 32 and Over Division for the second-straight year with an 8-under 136 . The duo posted a 6-under 66 in the first round, with five birdies and an eagle. They secured the five-shot victory with a 2-under 70 in the final round, one of only two teams to shot two rounds under par.

22-31 Division: Kenny and Colton Godwin came out on top in the 22-31 Division with a 8-under 136. The pair posted a 3-under 69 in the first round, to sit in a tie for second. They secured the championship with a bogeyfree 67 in the final round, with five birdies, to take home the one-shot win.

16-21 Division: Joe and Cade Alfieri were crowned champions at the Parent-Child, winning the 16-21 Division with an 16-under 128. The team finished the weekend bogey free to capture the five-shot victory. In the final round, they carded a birdie and an eagle on the front nine and finished the day with birdies on three of the final four holes.

15 and Younger Division: Ryan and Tim Miller used a 8-under 134 to capture the 15 and Younger Division.

The pair began the final round with a bogey-free front nine, carding five birdies. The Miller team birdied the final two holes of the championship to shot a final-round 67 to take the four-shot win.

10-12 Division: David and Trevor Challice captured the 10-12 Division with 59 total points. The duo carded two birdies and an eagle in the final round to secure the championship by one point.

8-9 Division: Axel Monssoh and Marie Arnoux used an impressive 62 points to win the 8-9 Division. Securing the victory with two rounds of 31, the pair posted four birdies in the final round to finish eight points ahead of the field. Monssoh and Arnoux finished the weekend bogey free to capture their second-straight Parent-Child victory, after winning the 6-7 Division last year.

6-7 Division: Matthew and Oliver Laverghetta were victorious in the 6-7 Division, finishing the championship with 49 points. The team was in second place after the first round, two points back of the leaders. They carded two birdies on Sunday to claim the victory by one point.

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

WOMEN’S FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Mission Inn Resort & Club | Howey-in-the-Hills | August 1 - 2 It took an extra hole, but Bailey Shoemaker and Madison Hewlett were crowned the Women’s Four-Ball champions at Mission Inn Resort & Club. Shoemaker and Hewlett survived a one-hole playoff to capture the win. This is the first FSGA championship victory for both Shoemaker and Hewlett.

The pair got off to a strong start in Sunday’s final round, birdieing two of their first three holes. Their only hiccup of the day came with a bogey on the 10th, but the two quickly rebounded with two birdies over the next three holes.

With back-to-back birdies, Hewlett brought the team to 14 under for the championship and into a tie for first place.

Shoemaker and Hewlett fired a final-round 66 to finish the day at 14-under 130 and in a tie for first with Kaitlyn Schroeder and Lauren Clark.

Shoemaker birdied the first playoff hole to give her and Hewlett the victory.

FORTY & OVER FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Mission Inn Resort & Club | Howey-in-the-Hills | August 1 - 2 Steve Albright and Jimmy Letterly went wire-to-wire to capture the Forty & Over Four-Ball Championship. The pair fired a 14-under 130 for the championship to secure the fiveshot victory.

This is the first FSGA championship win for Letterly, while Albright brought home his second team crown, having captured the 2001 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball North with Kelly Gosse.

Letterly and Albright began the championship with an 8-under 64 in the first round on Saturday. They began the final round with a 1-under front nine, carding their only bogey of the championship on the third hole.

The pair put together a great back nine, including birdies on four of the final five holes, to post a final-round 66 and pick up the win.

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4TH FLORIDA WOMEN’S OPEN & SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Bradenton Country Club | Bradenton | August 7 - 9

After three days of battling the Florida heat, it was Katie Yoo and Tammie Green who came out on top at the Florida Women’s Open and Senior Open. Yoo was crowned the champion in the Open Division, posting a final-round 2-under 69 on Sunday to capture the championship at 9-under 205.

“It means so much to me,” Yoo said. “I had a really big break after last year, so coming back and winning again means so much to me.”

Green raised the trophy in the Senior Division, carding a final-round 73 to finish the championship at 2-over 216.

Beginning the final round in a tie for first with Bailey Shoemaker, Yoo started the day with four-straight pars to take the solo lead after a double bogey from Shoemaker early in the round.

Yoo would hold on to that lead for the rest of the round. She made her first birdie of the day on the fifth, before closing out the front nine with a birdie on the ninth.

After five-straight pars to start the back nine, the Orlando native extended her lead with birdies on the 15th and 17th holes. Despite a double bogey on the final hole, she secured the five-shot win.

“I played in a small tournament before coming to play here and my iron shots were all over the place,” Yoo said.

“I worked on that and got that together before this week. Everything was working pretty good together this week.”

Yoo was one of only two players in the field to shoot three rounds under-par (66-70-69). The Florida Junior Tour alum becomes the fourth professional to win the Florida Women’s Open.

Last year’s champion, Jessica Porvasnik made the most of the weekend at the Women’s Open. After first-round 77, Porvasnik fired 66-65 in the final two rounds to pick up a second-place finish at 6-under 208. The Ohio native started the day with an even-par front nine before carding a phenomenal back nine. Porvasnik posted four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th hole to finish the day with a 6-under 65.

Greta Voelker and Jacqueline Stoelting finished tied for third at 4-under 210. Voelker finished the championship with a 1-under 70, while Stoelting recorded an even-par 71. Bailey Shoemaker secured Low-Amateur honors, finishing the weekend in a tie for fifth place at 3-under 211.

In the Senior Division, Green recorded a final-round 73 to secure the five-shot victory. She started the day with a 2-over front nine, adding a birdie on the ninth. The Daytona Beach resident added another birdie on the 11th and finished the day with an even-par back nine to take home the win.

Beginning the day in first place, Michelle McGann finished runner up at 7-over 221, carding a 10-over 81 in the final round. Kathy Nyman used a final-round 77 to capture third place at 13-over 227.

Susan Cohn picked up Low-Amateur honors in the Senior Division with a 4-over 75 on Sunday, finishing the championship with a 16-over 230.

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club | Haines City | August 7 - 9 Fred Biondi was victorious at the Amateur Public Links at Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club. The Fort Lauderdale secured the two-shot victory with a 12-under 204 for the three-day championship.

Biondi began the final round with a one-shot lead over the field, after starting the championship with back-to-back rounds of 68. The incoming University of Florida sophomore carded his first birdie of the day on the fourth.

He went bogey-birdie-par to close out the front nine and make the turn at 9 under for the championship. Biondi used a bogey-free back nine with three birdies to card a finalround 68 and secure the victory.

This is the third FSGA championship victory for Biondi, who captured back-to-back Boys’ Junior titles in 2016 and 2017.

71ST FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP Streamsong Resort | Streamsong | August 15 - 16

Brendan Valdes and Frankie Harris raised the 71st FourBall Championship trophy at Streamsong Resort. Valdes and Harris fired a final-round 64 to finish the championship at 18-under 128.

This is the first FSGA championship win for both Valdes and Harris, who are both Auburn University commits.

Beginning the final round two shots behind the leaders, Valdes and Harris got off to a quick start, with Valdes birdieing two of the first four holes, to move into solo first place. Harris extended the lead for the team, with an ace on the par-3 fifth hole, the second of his career.

After a two-hour weather delay, the duo of Valdes and Harris kept things rolling. Valdes birdied three-straight holes to give the pair a three-shot lead with seven to play. They added three more birdies on the back nine to finish the round at 9-under 64, the low round of the day.

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39TH MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP MAYACOO LAKES COUNTRY CLUB WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. OCTOBER 9 - 11

Mid-Amateur Promo

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CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS

FUTURES CHAMPIONSHIP

Sugar Mill Country Club | New Smyrna Beach | August 22 - 23 Jessy Huebner, Ryan Nana Tanke and Bella Dovhey prevailed with impressive rounds of golf to hoist trophies at the Futures Championship.

Huebner played lights out golf to defend his title of Futures champion with a record-low 10 under. Huebner birdied the fourth, sixth and seventh to take the lead by one stroke heading into the last nine holes. A flawless back nine with four birdies, secured the five-stroke victory for Huebner.

Two steady rounds for Nana Tanke secured him the top spot on the leaderboard in his first FSGA start. In the final round, a birdie on the 10th hole followed by eight pars, allowed Nana Tanke to finish Sunday’s round at even par and captured the one-stroke win at 2-over 146.

Dovhey prevailed to win her first FSGA championship after a two-hole playoff. Kayla Bryant and Dovhey finished the final round in a tie for first at 4-under 140. Dovhey sunk her par putt on the second playoff hole to earn her the victory.

TWO-MAN SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Country Club of Winter Haven | Winter Haven | August 22 - 23 Chip Brooke and Marc Dull were crowned champions at the inaugural Two-Man Scramble Championship at the Country Club of Winter Haven, while Brian Keenan and Paul Royak were victorious in the Senior Division.

Brooke and Dull fired a 24-under 120 to take home the three-shot win at the inaugural championship, while Keenan and Royak finished the weekend at 19-under 125.

The duo of Brooke and Dull began the championship with a first-round 56, the low round of the weekend, to take a four-shot lead over the field. Brooke and Dull began the final round with a birdie on the first, while adding three more birdies on the front side. The duo used a final-round 64 to secure the win.

The team of Keenan and Royak began the final round with five birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 5 under.

They added three birdies on the back nine to secure the one-shot victory with a final-round 64.

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WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Vero Beach Country Club | Vero Beach | August 29 - 30 Shelby Brauckmuller went wire-to-wire to capture the win at the Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Vero Beach Country Club.

The Auburndale native posted a final-round 74 to earn the three-shot victory at 3-over 147.

“I’m so happy to start this season of golf with a win and am incredibly thankful to have so many people cheer me on through it all,” Brauckmuller said.

Beginning the final round in a tie for first place with Taylor Morgan at 1-over 73, Brauckmuller birdied two of her final three holes on Saturday to take a share of the 18hole lead with Morgan.

A incoming fifth-year University of South Florida senior, Brauckmuller was 2 over through six hole to start the final round. She birdied back-to-back holes to close out of the front nine at even par for the day.

The Florida Junior Tour alumni ran into some trouble on the back nine, with a bogey and a double bogey on the12th and 13th. She quickly rebounded with birdies on two of the four next holes to secure the victory with a 2-over 74 in the final round.

This year’s Women’s Mid-Amateur field in the championship’s eight-year history, with 24 players under the age of 40. At 22 years old, Brauckmuller is the youngest Women’s Mid-Amateur champion in FSGA history.

Three players finished the championship in a tie-for-second place at 6-over 150: Mariana Ocano, Heather Wall and Tara Fleming. Ocano used her low round of the championship to take a share of second place. A birdie on the 18th gave Ocano a runner-up finished and 1-over 73 in the final round.

Wall and Fleming both shot a 4-over 76 in the final round to earn a share of second place. Last year’s champion, Meghan Stasi and Kim Benedict finished tied for fifth at 7-over 150.

In the Middle Division, Courtney Dietrich claimed a four-stroke victory with a championship total 80-87--167. Lori Collings captured the win in the Middle Net Division, posting a 70-78--148 for the championship.

Beth Pajak was victorious in the Forward Division, finishing the championship with 90-97--187, while Kay Waltman won the Forward Net Division, after carding a 77-72--149 for the weekend.

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FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR

UPCOMING FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIP

DATE

Fountains Open (9-12) Sara Bay Open (16-18) Cypress Lake Open (13-15) IMG Academy Open (13-15) Pam McCloskey-Brosnihan Open (16-18) Rocky Bayou Open (13-18) Eagle Creek Open (16-18) Ocala Open (13-15) Fairwinds Open (9-12) Tour Championship - Innisbrook Resort River Wilderness Open (9-12) Conservatory (13-18) *Exempt* Victoria Hills (13-18) *Non-Exempt*

Sept. 12 - 13 Sept. 12 - 13 Sept. 19 - 20 Sept. 26 - 27 Sept. 26 - 27 Oct. 3 - 4 Oct. 10 - 11 Oct. 10 - 11 Oct. 17 - 18 Nov. 14 - 15 Dec. 5 - 6 Dec. 5 - 6 Dec. 12 - 13

Stone Creek (13-18) * Exempt 54-Hole Major* Sept. 5 - 7

ENTRIES CLOSE

Aug. 5 Aug. 26 Aug. 5 Aug. 12 Aug. 19 Aug. 19 Aug. 26 Sept. 2 Sept. 2 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Nov. 18 Oct. 28 Nov. 4

INNISBROOK RESORT PALM HARBOR, FLA. FJT TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SITE

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2020 FJT WINNERS

FJT Palatka Open

FJT Cypress Creek Open

Jessy Huebner, Morgan Rodriguez & Christian Koehn

Xirong Cheng & Jordyn Hodgson

FJT Capital City Major

FJT University of Florida Major

Amelia Williams & Gregory Solhaug

Jordan Fischer & Erik Plenge

FJT Esplanade Open

FJT Palm Harbor Open

Izzy M. Pellot & Andrew McLauchlan

Nicholas Prieto & Kaley Amuso

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FLORIDA JUNIOR TOUR FJT Ocala Open

FJT Stone Creek

Nicole Sardinha, Christian Koehn, Lev Grinberg Jr. & Kayla Bryant

Karoline Tuttle & Jason Duff

FJT LPGA International

FJT Santa Lucia Open

Zhengyu Liu, Min Jun Kim, Vilda Westh Blanc & Serina Li

Lev Grinberg, Kayla Bryant & Jude Desmond

FJT Southwood Open

FJT Mission Inn Open

Katelyn Huber & John Marshall

Kiko Francisco Coelho & Chase Carroll

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FJT Indian Spring Major

FJT Fountains Major

Nicholas Prieto, Kyrsten Shawah & Ryleigh Knaub

Yuze Zhang

FJT Everglades Open

FJT Sandridge

Jingxiu Huang & James Key

Gabriella Albert, Aaron Leach, Makenna Rodriguez & Derek Sanderson

FJT Santa Lucia Open

FJT Eagle Creek Open

Lev Grinberg & Katelyn Huber

Karoline Tuttle & Camden Smith

RULES

JON RAHM AT MEMORIAL CHAMPIONSHIP Darin Green - Director of Rules & Competitions

The Memorial Championship is always a great tournament to watch on television. The course is a great test for the players and always seems to create excitement on Sunday.

This year it seemed liked the back nine on Sunday was going to be a walk in the park for Jon Rahm as he held a large lead on the 10th tee. Rahm then proceeded to bogey the 10th and double bogey the 11th.

Rahm held a three-shot lead on the difficult par-3 16th hole when his tee shot found the deep rough just over the green. Then in Tiger Woods-like fashion he played a delicate flop shot that landed softly on the green and trickled into the hole. His lead went to four strokes with just two holes remaining. Then during replays of that miraculous shot, a zoomed in camera shot showed the ball moved when Rahm was addressing it. Now, let us take a look at the ruling and the appropriate penalty.

When the modified Rules of Golf were released in 2019, there were two new common instances where a player can accidentally move their ball without penalty. Those two circumstances are if you accidentally move your ball when it lies on the putting green or while you are searching for it. Rahm was neither searching for it and his ball was not on the putting green. Rule 9.4 Ball Lifted or Moved by Player states that if it is known or virtually certain that the player, the player’s partner, or the player’s caddie caused the ball to move then the player receives a one-stroke penalty. So, why did Rahm receive a two-stroke penalty?

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Rule 9.4 states a ball moved by the player is one-stroke penalty, but it also says the ball must be replaced. At the end of Rule 9.4 the penalty statement is: Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 9.4: General Penalty under Rule 14.7a (The General Penalty in stroke play is two-strokes) Rahm’s ball moved slightly when he was addressing it and he did not attempt to replace it, so he played from a wrong place incurring the General Penalty. It does not matter that he did not see the ball move, or that the movement of the ball was minimal. Luckily, Rahm’s lead was large enough that he thought he walked off the 18th green with a five-shot victory, but he quickly was informed by the Rules Officials that he only won by three shots.

A common question is why is it a two-stroke penalty and not a total of three (one for moving the ball and two for playing from a wrong place). This is where it starts to get complicated. The short answer is see Rule 1.3c(4) which deals when a single or related act breaches more than one Rules. In Rahm’s situation, Rule 1.3c(4) tells us to apply the higher of two penalties.

I was asked about Rahm’s aggressive nature of addressing the ball and improving his lie. A discussion could be had about whether or not Rahm improved his lie when he was addressing the ball in the rough. It can be seen in the video that Rahm was pushing down some grass when he was addressing the ball. The Rules allow you to place the club head in front or behind the ball and the weight of the club may push some grass down; however, you may not use more force push the grass down to improve your lie.

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PRESERVING & PROTECTING THE GAME OF GOLF SINCE 1913