FSGA An official publication of the Florida State Golf Association ~September 2017~
Cristian DiMarco Wins 100th Amateur Championship
Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championships North Leading the way after the first round were a pair of MidAmateurs from Tallahassee, Richard Cassedy and Jay Revell. The two fired a flawless 10-under, 62, including 8 birdies and an eagle. Assuring what would be an interesting final round, 10 teams posted either 65 or 66 on Saturday to sit just three and four shots behind. Amazingly, the field posted 10 eagles on Saturday, including two hole-outs on par fours! With the weather remaining the same as in the first round and winds essentially non-existent, the golf course would be ripe for the taking. Three rounds of 65 within the first three groups provided even more proof that it would be an exciting finish. Three straight birdies on holes 5-7 for Clayton Brewer and Bob Campione before a bogey on the 12th hole stalled their momentum. Brewer and Campione were able to shake off the bogey and finish birdie-birdie-birdie to shoot the low round of the day, 64 (-8). With five groups still to come in, there was no certainty that 14 under-par would be enough but no one could muster the same momentum and Brewer and Campione would take home the trophies. South Christopher Carlin and Christopher O’Connor jumped out to an early lead on Saturday after posting an opening round 8 under-par, 64. Their bogey free round was enough to give them a two stroke lead over partners Rick Woulfe and Ben Finely as well as Les Logsdon and Rokki Rogan. There were also another six teams only three strokes off the lead after they all had opening round scores of 5 under-par, 67. It did not take long on Sunday for Carlin and O’Connor to make their first birdie as they poured one in on the opening hole of the final round. Fellow-competitors Ben Finley and Rick Woulfe were undeterred by the early birdie and were able to erase the two stroke deficit they faced after making four straight birdies on holes 4 thru 7. On the final nine holes of the event, Carlin and O’Connor were able to hold off the rest of the field closing with a back nine score of 3 under-par, 33. Their two round total, 14 under-par, 130, was enough to give them a two stroke victory over three teams (Daniel Eggertsson/Ben Adelberg, Donald Wolfe III /Matthew Marino, and Rick Woulfe/Ben Finley). This is Carlin’s third State Championship victory in the last two years! See fsga.org for full results.
Amateur Public Links Championship Scott Turner, of Stuart, out shined the field of 67 players to capture the 20th Amateur Public Links at Abacoa Golf Club, June 9-11. Turner posted a four-under par 68 in the first round to take the lead by one shot. Turner’s flawless first round included four birdies and no bogeys. He would remain bogey-free through 36 holes, shooting a second round 68 (-4). Turner would take a five shot lead over Jacob Richard heading into Sunday's final round. In the final round, Turner picked up where he left off, making an eagle at the par five second. He added another birdie at the par five sixth to turn in 33 (-3). After birdying the tenth, Turner would make his first mistake of the Championship, a double-bogey six at the short par four eleventh. He would make another bogey at the par three 13th but would rebound by making birdies on 14, 15, and 17 to come home in 35 (-1). The third consecutive round of four-under par 68 capped off an impressive week for the 33 year old and marks his first FSGA title. Turner's win grants him an exemption into the 100th Amateur, Amateur Match Play, and next year's Mid-Amateur. Devin Suri, of Saint Augustine, and Jacob Richard, of Cape Coral, finished in second place with a tournament total of four-under par. Ryan Celano, of Naples, would charge up the leaderboard after a scintillating final-round 64 (-8) to finish alone in fourth. The tournament highlight came from Abacoa Golf Club staff member, Brett Whitley, who made a hole-in-one on the 195 yard fourth hole with a five iron in hand. 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. See fsga.org for full results.
Women’s Amateur Championship Shannon Aubert, a senior at Stanford, defeats Jamie Freedman, a senior at Nova Southeastern, in 19 holes to capture the 88th Women’s Amateur Championship. Final Match Re-Cap Aubert and Freedman headed to the first tee one last time to begin the Finals of the 88th Women’s Amateur Championship. Freedman continued her steady play into the afternoon, winning the first hole and remained 1up through the first six holes. It wasn’t until the dog leg seventh that Aubert was able to stick a tight wedge shot and sink her birdie putt to bring the match back to all square. Freedman then continued on to win 10 with a birdie and bring her back to 1up. Both players continued their steady play, matching shot for shot, but Freedman constantly kept the lead, never letting Aubert get to 1up. It wasn’t until Aubert stuck her second shot on 17 to a foot that she finally was able to take the lead in the match. Heading into the final hole, Freedman would not give up the fight, birdying the par-5 18th and forcing extra holes. The long approach shot into the first green made for a tough challenge, but Aubert was able to come away with a steady up and down par to capture the title. 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.
Wildcat Run South Florida Pro Duffers Frenchmans’s Creek Country Club Kissimmee Bay Rosedale G&CC The Club at Eaglebrooke Laurel Oak Country Club Dominican Golf Association of Florida Lake Ashton Country Club
Frenchman’s Creek Country Club
Senior Amateur Match Play Championship Senior Division Owen Joyner, of Bonita Springs, began the Round of 32 as the ninth seed and was determined to dominate the field. Number one seed from Juno Beach, Pete Williams, advanced to the Quarterfinals where he met Joyner. After a grueling 19 holes on Wednesday, Joyner prevailed to play the afternoon Semifinal match against 28th seed, David Tassell. While Joyner was inching closer to the finals, defending Champion, Peter Wegmann, 18th seed from Fort Lauderdale, was making his move. Wegmann, 2016 Senior Player of the Year, battled Don Whittemore 21 holes in the Quarterfinals to go head to head with Neil Vanleeuwen in the Semifinals. Vanleeuwen, of Tarpon Springs, was a force to be reckoned with defeating the number three seed, Lloyd Fisher, in the first round of match play. The Semifinals saw Joyner continue on his winning streak, heading straight to the Final match with a two and one victory over Tassell. Peter Wegmann advanced to the Finals defeating Vanleeuwen two and one, moving closer to defending his title! The Final Match was played on Thursday with Joyner jumping to an early lead determined to better his Quarterfinalist finish in 2016. Joyner won the first two holes with a par and birdie respectfully, and continued to win three other holes on the front nine to turn at three-up over Wegmann. The match remained at three-up until the 13th hole when Wegmann brought the match to two-up heading into the home stretch. Joyner fired back with two pars on holes 14 and 15 to seal his four and three victory. Joyner can celebrate his first FSGA Championship win in two years after winning the Senior Four-Ball in 2015! Super-Senior Division Jerry Young started match play with a vengeance, playing to seize victory after finishing runner-up to Larry Vander Bie in 2015. Young, of New Port Richey, followed the number one seed, Robert Lundquist, to the Semifinals where the two would compete to play in the final match. Bill Barnes who started match play as the number three seed was playing to better his Quartfinal finish in 2016. Barnes advanced to the Seminfinals where he would play Robert Cunningham. Barnes moved straight to the final match with a one-up win while Young played 19 holes to reach the Finals. The Final match went back and forth between Young and Barnes up to the final two holes of the front nine. Young birdied eight and nine to turn at one-up. Barnes fought back on the final nine and birdied the 16th hole to keep the match at one-up for Young heading into the final holes. Young clenched his win with a par on the 18th hole to earn a two-up victory! Jerry Young captured his first FSGA Championship victory in Vero Beach. See fsga.org for full results.
Weston Hills Country Club
100th Amateur Championship Cristian DiMarco came out on top as the 100th Amateur Champion, shooting a four day total of eight-under par, 280. DiMarco held on to win the prestigious event by four shots over Brandon Mancheno. With the temperature reaching the mid 90s, 72 of Florida’s most talented amateur golfers teed off on the final round of the 100th State Amateur Championship with the goal of claiming the Clarence Camp trophy at the end of the round. However, at the end of the day, it was only Cristian DiMarco who earned the title of the 2017 Florida State Amateur Champion. DiMarco, a rising senior at the University of South Florida, started out with a birdie on the first hole and kept the putter hot throughout the front nine. After posting three birdies and one bogey in his first nine holes, DiMarco made the turn with a comfortable lead over Jackson Suber. With nerves of steel, DiMarco rolled in crucial par putts early on in the back nine to keep his lead. Missing greens in regulation on the 15th and 16th holes cost DiMarco two strokes, bringing his lead from five to three. However, with a lengthy drive on the final hole, DiMarco safely landed his second shot on the green for a two-putt birdie that would give him the title of the 100th Amateur Champion. “I told myself to try and keep making birdies,” DiMarco told himself coming down the final stretch. “I wanted to get to ten-under par.” Finishing the championship with an eight-under par total of 280, DiMarco becomes the 100th Amateur Champion and the second University of South Florida golfer in three years to claim the title. “It means a lot to win the 100th Amateur Championship here because of Jack Nicklaus and the history of the tournament,” DiMarco said. Brandon Mancheno of Jacksonville finished alone in second after posting a three-under par round of 69 this afternoon. Mancheno started off with a bogey, yet became the fourth player this week to make a hole-in-one after he aced the 210 yard second hole with his six iron. Using the hole-in-one as momentum, Mancheno went on to make two more birdies and 14 pars to card a 69. The University of Auburn commit finished the championship with a four-under par total of 284. The Florida Amateur Championship is the oldest continuous sporting event in the state, and now Cristian DiMarco can add his name to the many decorated golfers that have won before him. See fsga.org for full results.
Mixed Team Championship Championship Division Recap Kevin Hammer and Meghan Stasi are no strangers to winning FSGA Championships. Kevin came into this year’s Summer Mixed with his sights set on winning his third straight Summer Mixed Championship. After winning last year at Tranquilo Golf Club and two years ago at Mission Inn Resort with his daughter Alexa, Kevin and Meghan would undoubtedly be a tough team to beat on the Hills Course at LPGA International. After opening with an even par round of 72, Kevin and Meghan found themselves two strokes off the lead heading into the final round. Sunday’s final round saw two teams run away from the rest of the field. The team of Jimmy Jones Sr. and Terese Romeo came out of the gate looking to claim their second Summer Mixed Championship. Terese and Jimmy won the 2014 Championship at Black Diamond Ranch and were focused on bringing home another victory. With a combined six birdies in the final round, the two posted an impressive tournament total of 7 under-par, 137. However, their six birdies in the final round proved to be one birdie short of forcing a play-off with the team of Hammer and Stasi. Kevin and Meghan made eight birdies on Sunday en route to an 8 under-par, 64 (8 under-par, 136 total), which was enough for a one stroke victory over Jones and Romeo. See fsga.org for full results.
56th Girls’ Junior Championship 16-18 Division
In the 16-18 age division, it was a battle to the finish for Jenny Kim and Alyssa Lamoureux. Both started out with a bogey on the first, however it was Lamoureux who bogeyed the second hole to put herself one-shot back of Kim. However, Lamoureux fired back with two birdies while Kim could only scrape one, so after six holes, both were tied at the top of the leaderboard again. Two costly bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes left Lamoureux with a two-shot lead at the turn. Yet while Lamoureux was the player who fired on the front nine, it was Kim on the back nine who managed to get back to even par after birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. When both players reached the par-five 15th hole, both were tied for the lead at even-par, but after a bogey by Lamoureux on 15, Kim regained solo lead of the championship. With a one-shot lead on the final hole, Kim had the opportunity to seal the deal and become the champion. However, a devastating double bogey dropped Kim to two-under for the championship and into a tie with Lamoureux, who bogeyed her final hole to drop another shot. While the players had completed their 54 holes, the competition was still not over yet. With Kim and Lamoureux sitting again at the top of the leaderboard tied, it was time for a playoff to determine who would walk away a champion. With a tie on the first hole, Lamoureux and Kim went to the second playoff hole in hopes of crowning a new champion. With a par at the second, Jenny Kim outlasted Alyssa Lamoureux to win the championship.
56th Girls’ Junior Championship cont. 13-15 Division In the 13-15 age division, it looked like Katie Yoo had complete control over the field after the first nine holes. Starting off with a birdie, Yoo increased her lead with another birdie on the eighth hole to get to eight-under par for the tournament. Yet coming down the stretch, Yoo made uncharacteristic mistakes with bogeys on the 11th and 16th and a double bogey on the 15th to drop to four-under for the tournament and shoot a two-over par, 74. With the door open, Latanna Stone made a charge for the top spot on the leaderboard. Beginning her day with a birdie at the first, Stone added eight more pars to her scorecard and made the turn at one-under par. With a bogey at the 14th, Stone dropped to four-under for the championship. Her crucial moment of the round came at the 17th, a 475-yard par 5, when she rolled in a putt for birdie to get to five-under. With a par on the final hole, Stone finished the day at one-under par and finished the championship five-under par, one shot ahead of Yoo. 12 & Under Division Those competing in the 12 & under participated in two, nine-hole rounds that took place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Oaks Club. After the first round on Tuesday, Brianna Castaldi of Port Saint Lucie dominated the field with an even-par, 36. Next closest to her was Eliza Kodak and Addison Klonowski, both from Naples and both of which shot 40. As round two unfolded, Brianna stood strong and did not let the rest of the field come near her. Shooting a one-over par, 37, Brianna finished the competition with a one-over par, 73. Her score of 73 was good enough for a five shot victory over Eliza Kodak, who shot a two-over par, 38 for round two. See fsga.org for full results.
Florida Junior Tour (FJT) September 9-10 - Lemon Bay Golf Club, Englewood (16-18 Boys & Girls) September 16-17 - Sara Bay Country Club, Sarasota (13-15 Boys & Girls) September 23-24 - Falcons Fire Golf Club, Kissimmee (13-15 Boys & Girls) September 23-24 - Crandon Park Golf Course, Key Biscayne (16-18 Boys & Girls) Sept 30-Oct 1 - Quail Ridge Country Club, Boynton Beach (13-15 Boys & Girls) October 7-8 - Rocky Bayou Country Club, Niceville (16-18 & 13-15 Boys & Girls) October 14-15 - Ocala Golf Club, Ocala (13-15 Boys & Girls) October 14-15 - Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, Naples (16-18 Boys & Girls) November 11-12 - Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island (13-15 Boys & Girls) December 2-3 - Mission Inn Resort , Howey-in-the-Hills (16-18 Boys & Girls) December 9-10 - Tour Championship – Conservatory at Hammock Beach, Palm Coast
The Conservatory at Hammock Beach 2017 FJT Tour Championship Host Site
63rd Boys’ Junior Championship 16-18 Age Division In the 16-18 age division, it was Fred Biondi who started out hot and never looked back. Biondi started off his round with two consecutive birdies on the par-five first hole and parfour second hole. After a par on the third hole, Biondi made his first bogey since the final hole in the first round to drop back to nine-under par for the tournament. Getting back on track, Biondi birdied not only the next hole, but his final three holes on the front nine to make the turn at a five-under par, 31, and 13-under par for the championship. Fred went on to make his fourth consecutive birdie of the round on the 402 yard, par-four tenth hole. With another bogey on the 12th hole, Fred moved to 13-under par for the championship and five-under for his day. Adding one more birdie to his round on the fourteenth hole, Biondi made it to 14-under par, which would be a record for the Boys’ Junior 16-18 age division if he finished at that number. Putting on cruise control, Fred Biondi went on to par his final four holes to stay at 14-under par, break the all-time low score record for the 16-18 age division, and be just the third individual to win the 13-15 and 16-18 age division championship in consecutive years. “It is an honor to be a back-to-back state champion,” Biondi said. “I was hitting really nice the entire tournament and putted well at Bent Pine Golf Club.”
63rd Boys’ Junior Championship Cont. 13-15 Age Division
In the 13-15 age division, it was Tyler Wilkes who went wire-to-wire to win his first Boys' Junior Amateur Championship. After his opening round of seven-under par, 65, Wilkes never gave the field the opportunity to catch up to him. Coming into the final round, Wilkes knew if he played like he did during the first round at Bent Pine, he would be the Boys' Junior champion. Like Biondi, Wilkes opened up his round with two consecutive birdies even after a wayward drive on the first hole. Pars on the third, fourth, and fifth holes increased Wilkes lead and he nearly lapped the field. Proving he could handle Bent Pine with ease, Tyler went on to birdie the sixth and seventh holes to move to four-under for the day and eleven-under for the championship. Going out in four-under par, 32, Wilkes just had to play consistently to capture the championship with strokes to spare. With a birdie on the par-four 12th hole and very uncharacteristic bogey on the 13th hole, Wilkes would remain at eleven-under with five holes to play. On the fourteenth hole, Tyler's putter started getting hot and after birdieing the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth holes, Wilkes moved to 14-under par for the tournament. On the final hole, Wilkes had a lead that was going to be nearly impossible to lose. After splitting the fairway with a lengthy drive off the tee on the 18th, Wilkes made the decision to go for the par-five in two. Hitting a long iron, Wilkes knocked his approach shot to approximately 50 feet. With the title of Boys' Junior Amateur Champion being 50 feet away, Wilkes rolled his eagle putt beautifully to two feet. With a tap-in birdie at the last, Wilkes finished his round with a career-low, eight-under par, 64. Completing the tournament at 15-under par, Wilkes would win the 63rd Boys' Junior by five strokes and tie the all-time low score for the 13-15 age division at the Boys' Junior Amateur Championship.
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.
2017-2018 Winter Series Schedule When the temperatures cool down in Florida, the FSGA will be getting the annual Winter Series started! The Winter Series consists of three different age divisions, including the recently redesigned Mid-Amateur Division and is for players over the age of 25. The first event will be taking place at the end of October and will run throughout the holiday season and into the new year. The last event will conclude in the final days of February. Throughout these four months, player’s will have the opportunity to travel around the state and compete and top-class courses. Each tournament is 36 holes of gross scoring split into three age divisions. Those 2554 years old will be playing in the Mid-Amateur division while those 55-64 and 65 & over will be competing in the Senior and Super-Senior divisions, respectively. Each Winter Series allows for those competing to earn points that will be monitored by the FSGA. At the end of the Winter Series, the individual with the most points will be named the 2017-2018 Winter Series Points Champion. In addition, players have the opportunity to earn exemptions based on their points into the 2018 FSGA State Championships. 2017-2018 Schedule October 28-29 - Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club November 12-13 - Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club November 27-28 - Southern Hills Plantation Club December 11-12 - Country Club of Ocala January 15-16 - Country Club of Winter Haven January 29-30 - Hunter’s Green Country Club February 11-12 - ChampionsGate Country Club February 26-27 - Lakewood National Golf Club
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Women’s Stroke Play Championship Sara Bay Country Club played tough during the 23rd Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship. The classic Donald Ross design challenged even the best of putters with its notorious greens. A three hour weather delay during the second round and a 40 minute weather delay during the final round tested the field mentally and only a few would rise to the top to ”rain” supreme. After round one, Roanne Tomlinson sat tied for fourth, three strokes back from Jamie Freedman, of Miami Beach, who posted a one under-par, 71, to take the early lead. Tomlinson, of Lake Mary, remained consistent during round two, once again posting a twoover par 74. She moved up the leaderboard to sit in solo second behind Kim Benedict, a resident of Bonita Springs, who posted the low round of the Championship, a three-under par 69. Benedict was the only player to break 70 and would hold the overnight lead going into the third and final round. Freedman fell from the top after struggling with a second round 78 and sat in third going into round three. The final round was a toss-up. Tomlinson made the turn at even par to jump one stroke behind Benedict who struggled with three bogeys, one double bogey, and a birdie to turn at four-over par, 40. Freedman turned at two-over, 38. Down the stretch, Tomlinson made one bogey to card 36-37—73 and make a three day total of 221 (+5). Benedict improved her final nine holes, making two birdies and one birdie to post 40-37—77 and lose to Tomlinson by one stroke. Freedman fought back with a one-under par 35 on her final nine to tie for second with Benedict with a three day total of 222 (+6). Defending Champion Kaeli Jones finished even par for her final round to place fourth at 224 (+8). Past Champion Tara Joy-Connelly finished in fifth place with a 226 (+10) total. Tomlinson struggled to find the words to describe her first win. She stated she was happy to finally win after being so close a few times. She went on to admit the course played fairly short so the key to her win was hitting a lot of greens and avoiding the difficult up and downs. See fsga.org for full results.
What Exactly is the Starter Talking About? By: Jack Pultorak - Director of Rules and Competitions
In tournament play, when the players have been assigned a starting time, a starter is present to make sure things get off on the right foot. Generally, the main duty of the starter is to make sure that the players start on time; not early nor late. But what else does she do? A lot of things! The starter greets the players and introduces her to them and them to each other. She hands out scorecards in stroke play as well as the Local Rules and Hole Location sheets. She may have some other items in the starter box for the players including tees, pencils, ball markers and marking pens to put an identifying mark on a ball. She may review and/or explain the Local Rules sheet with the players and any pace of play guidelines in effect. She also notifies the players who will be playing in what order, or in team play, which team will play first. Furthermore, she will let the players know where to return their completed score cards in stroke play or how to notify the Committee of the result of a match. She may answer any other questions the players may have as well. Additionally, in the starter tent, she may have some snacks, fruit and beverages or water for the players to take with them on to the course. Once the starting time arrives, she will announce the players and have them tee off in the proper order; with a watchful eye that they are within the teeing ground. Should a tee shot go astray, she may recommend a player hit a provisional ball to keep pace on track. A critical step in the successful administration of a tournament is to have the starting tees go off on time and a good starter is a critical component of that accomplishment. 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 The FSGA went south this weekend for the 68th Four-Ball Championship. Held at Trump National Doral in Miami, 48 two-man teams teed it up Saturday morning hoping to conquer the difficult Blue Monster course and come out on the top of the leaderboard. Coming into the first round, the early favorite was the Alfieri team of Joe and Cade. Joe Alfieri was already a three-time Four-Ball Champion when he won with then-partner, Doug LaCrosse from 1999-2001. Another team who could possibly finish on top was Tiger Godwin and Kelly Sellers. Godwin and Sellers played together and finished runner-up in last year’s Four-Ball Championship. The first round of competition Saturday morning took place on the Golden Palm course and proved to be slightly the easier of the two courses. Two teams posted 66’s and were tied at the top of the leaderboard after day one. The two-man dream team of reigning Player of the Year, Joe Alfieri and his son Cade posted one of the leading 66’s while the second 66 was shot by Garrett Morrison and Lucas Carpenter of Jacksonville and St. Cloud, respectively. Closely behind the Alfieri and Morrison/ Carpenter teams after shooting a 67 in the first round was the Godwin/Sellers team. Tiger Godwin of Fort Meade and Kelly Sellers of Lakeland started off a little shaky with a bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, but bounced back with six birdies and just one additional bogey on 17 to finish their first round with a four-under par round of 67. With 32 teams finishing the first round either even or under par, Sunday’s finishing round on the Blue Monster was guaranteed to be a show with lots of moving around on the leaderboard. The two man team of Godwin and Sellers came out of the gate strong with a birdie on the first hole yet with a bogey on the fourth, they would drop back to even-par for the round. Their turning point in the round, however, came on the sixth hole where they would birdie hole six, eagle hole seven, and birdie hole eight to move dramatically up the leaderboard at the turn. Going out in a four-under par, 32, Sellers and Godwin made one birdie followed by one bogey to finish their concluding nine holes at even-par. Their second round total of four-under par, 68, paired with their first round score of 67 finished them at 135 and good enough to take the championship by two shots. Finishing alone in second place was the father-son team of Joe and Cade Alfieri. Leading after the first round, the Alfieri’s struggled the second round and shot just one-under par to finish the tournament at 137, two back. Rounding out the top three was the two man of Christian Bosso of Orlando and 99th Amateur Champion, Jacob Huizinga of Pensacola. The Bosso/Huizinga duo played consistently throughout the entire event and posted consecutive 69’s to finish alone in third. See fsga.org for full results.
Florida Open Championship On a day guaranteed for phenomenal and exciting golf, J.C. Deacon delivered nothing less. The final round leaderboard was jumbled with everyone attempting to chase down J.C. Deacon for the title of 71st Florida Open Champion, however, with yet another stellar performance, J.C. Deacon prevailed to claim the title. Playing the Quarry Course for the final round, 61 of Florida’s top amateur and professional golfers teed it up hoping to beat the rain and move up on the leaderboard. With past champions such as Caleb Johnson, Joe Alfieri, and Rod Perry in the field, the final round was going to be a show to watch. The final pairing off the first tee featured the three men who excelled the opening 36 holes to earn their well-deserved spot in the 9:10 A.M. pairing. Starting off consistent with three consecutive pars, Deacon made his first birdie on the parfive fourth hole. However, after a hiccup on the sixth hole which included a crucial up-and-down, Deacon would drop two and have a three-shot swing with playing partner, Matt Borchert. With Borchert shooting consecutive 68’s the past two days, J.C. knew he had to make birdies to regain the lead and win the championship. On the short par-four seventh hole, J.C. brought out the driver and took a direct shot at the flagstick. With an incredibly accurate drive, Deacon drove the green off the tee and left himself approximately 30 feet for an eagle. Looking better than most, Deacon rolled in the eagle putt to get himself back to one-under for the day, and in a tie for the lead yet again. Using his length to his advantage, Deacon just missed his eagle putt on the ninth hole to tap in for a birdie that would regain him the lead heading into the final nine and Quarry holes. While all eyes were on Deacon, Matt Borchert made a charge for the top and made the final few holes of the championship nail-biters. Borchert opened his back nine with two birdies, one on hole ten and another on hole 12, whereas Deacon salvaged only one birdie on the eleventh. Heading into the Quarry, holes 13 through 17, the stage was set and it was going to be a close finish. After matching with pars on the par-three, 13th, and birdies on the par-five 14th, Borchert would move into a tie for first with Deacon after tapping in a birdie putt on the par-four 15th. The two gentlemen remained tied after both parred the 16th hole with two-putt pars. Then they came to the par-three 17th hole.
Florida Open Championship Cont. Borchert hit first, and short-sided his shot, leaving him with a near-impossible up-anddown. With no idea of the situation Borchert faced, Deacon hit his tee shot just short of the ridge in the middle of the green, leaving him with a forty-foot putt for birdie. Borchert chipped his next shot 20-feet past the hole, opening the window for Deacon to take the outright lead heading into the final hole. With too much speed, however, Deacon’s birdie putt finished ten feet past the hole, leaving him a quick slider back down the slope. Borchert was up to play next and his par putt just slid past the hole, leaving him with a knee-knocking five-foot sliding putt back up the hill for bogey. Deacon, uncharacteristically, missed his par putt, making him card his first three-putt of the day. While it looked as if Borchert was going to be one back heading into the final hole, Borchert lipped out not only his bogey putt, but his double-bogey putt to card a triple-bogey, six, on the 17th hole to give J.C. a two-shot lead on the eighteenth. With perfect drives on the final hole, Borchert was up to play first. Proving he wasn’t going to let J.C. win the Florida Open with ease, Borchert hit a remarkable second shot into the par-five, 18th hole, leaving him a seven-foot putt for eagle. Even though Deacon was not able to see where Borchert’s ball ended up from the fairway, Deacon knew it was close with the roar that came from the green. Now it was up to J.C. Deacon to trust his game and go for the tucked pin on the final hole to clinch the championship. Deacon’s second shot ended up landing on the backside of the green before rolling into the rough ten yards long. With an up-and-down for birdie, Deacon would win the championship by one shot. Showing no signs of nerves, Deacon chipped his ball and just missed the hole, leaving him with a three-foot putt for birdie and the coveted title of “champion”. Borchert was away and rolled in his eagle putt to finish with his third consecutive round of four-under, 68, and finish the 71st Florida Open with a 12-under par total. Stepping up to his ball, Deacon rolled in his birdie putt to shoot a four-under round of 68, and win the Florida Open by one-shot over Borchert. The 71st Florida Open displayed two low-amateurs this week, Mid-Amateur Champion Chip Brooke and Nova Southeastern Head Coach, Christopher Carlin. Both gentlemen finished the event with a four-under par total finish which was good enough for a tie for seventh place overall. See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Match Play Championships Boys 16-18 Age Division The final match of the 2017 Junior Amateur Match Play Championship featured top-seed Carson Moran and 19th seed, Davis Harrison. Both had difficult paths to get to the final, yet they each prevailed and were ready to battle on the course to become the champion. Harrison took an early lead in the match by winning the second hole and remaining 1 up through seven. With another win on the eighth hole, Harrison moved to 2 up with nine holes to play. Not giving up though, Carson Moran fired back with a win on the 10th to move back to one down. With another birdie on the 12th, Harrison would increase his lead again to 2 up and took control of the round with a par on the 15th hole to get to 3 up and 3 to play. Putting all the pressure on Moran, he showed his toughness by winning the 16th hole to go dormi 2 up. However, with matching pars on the 17th, it was Davis Harrison who prevailed to win the 2017 Junior Amateur Match Play Championship 2 & 1 over stroke play medalist, Carson Moran. Steady play was key to Harrison’s success and with his only hiccup coming on the 16th with a bogey on the par-three, he was able to clinch the victory on not only his father’s birthday but his grandfather’s birthday as well.See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Match Play Cont. Boys 13-15 Age Division
With the final match set, Roberts and Kramer both knew it was going to be a fight until the finish, and their match was nothing short of that. After never getting more than 1 up on each other for the first 14 holes, Kramer would make his second consecutive birdie of the day to get to 2 up over Brett Roberts after fifteen. Not giving up though, Roberts birdied the 16th hole and made a 45-foot putt on 17 to get back to all-square on the match heading into the final hole. With Brett hitting his 18th consecutive green in regulation, Kramer was forced to make an up-and-down to go to extra holes. Making a five-footer to save par, Kramer forced extra holes and both headed back out on the course. On the 19th hole, Brett Roberts hit a remarkable approach shot to two inches, giving him a tap-in birdie to win the match and the 2017 Junior Amateur Match Play Championship. After a third place finish at the 2017 Boys’ Junior Championship, Brett Roberts secured his second FSGA tournament victory of the season with a near course record and four straight wins in match play.
Girls 13-18 Age Division In the final match, Heideman got off to a good start by winning the first hole, but Schiavone came back with wins on the third and fourth holes to give her the 1 up advantage early on in the match. With a win at the sixth, Heideman squared up the match and the two would remain all square as they made the turn. With a birdie on the tenth hole, Heideman got up in the match before Schiavone brought the match back to square on the 11th hole. However, beginning on the 12th hole, Heideman went on another birdie run and after winning the 12th through 15th holes, Heideman became the 2017 Junior Amateur Match Play Champion with a 4 & 3 victory over Chloe Schiavone. After finishing the stroke play round and beginning matches as the 11th seed, Madison Heideman won her first FSGA event and is the new Junior Amateur Match Play Champion. 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, Tranquilo Golf Club at the Four Seasons and Grand Cypress Golf Club (New Course). These teams played 36 holes of modified alternate shot. 18-Hole Champions: 32 & Older - Leonard Schonfeld II/Len Schonfeld III (72-61--133) 22-31 - Ralph Ghioto III/Chet Ghioto (68-68--136) 16-21 - Sam Ohno/Rob Ohno (66-69--135) 15 & Younger - Louis Giovacchini/Louis John Giovacchini (67-65--132) 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: 10-12 - David Ragan III/Alexandra Ragan (30-31--61) 8-9 - Kevin Dyer/Sophia Dyer (29-28--57) 6-7 - Rob Koehn/Christian Koehn (27-27--54) See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Florida Cup Even though Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club hosted its second Junior Florida Cup, the results were different in 2017. For the second time in Junior Florida Cup history, the South Team rose to the challenge and regained the Junior Florida Cup title. Led by captain Kevin Fullenkamp, the South Team finished matches with a 17.5 to 14.5 victory over Justin Armstrong’s North Team. The Junior Florida Cup is a Ryder Cup style, invitationonly event that features the top male and female junior golfers from Northern and Southern Florida. Separating the state, junior golfers compete throughout the entire year in hopes of either finishing on top of the points leaderboard or capturing their captain’s attention and receiving a captain’s pick at the beginning of the summer. Those doing either receive an invitation to play in this prestigious event that includes notable players such as Lexi Thompson and Brooks Koepka, both of which represented the United States at the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. With the South’s victory at the 12th Junior Florida Cup, their record improves to 2-9-1. See fsga.org for full results.
Amateur Match Play Championship Finals Jacob Huizinga was a force to be reckoned with as he was eyeing down a third FSGA major win in three years, after winning the 2015 Four-Ball Championship and 2016 Amateur Championship. Ricky Hendler was vying to earn his first FSGA Championship win after just starting to compete this year. A quick start by Huizinga gave the impression that the win was in his hands but Hendler had other plans. Huizinga was 3up standing on the tee box of hole number 13 before Hendler made a three hole comeback with a birdie, par, birdie to take the match to all square. Ties on 16, 17, and 18 resulted in the all square match needing extra holes to determine the Champion. Starting on hole number one for the third time on Sunday, Hendler and Huizinga made three straight pars. On the par four, fourth hole Huizinga stroked in a birdie putt while Hendler faltered to a bogey. Jacob Huizinga, of Orlando, seized his third FSGA major victory after 22 holes against Ricky Hendler! Semifinals The battle to the final round began Sunday morning and resulted with Ricky Hendler and Jacob Huizinga earning 1up victories. Hendler took the early lead in his match against stroke play medalist Dustin Dingus. Dingus made the turn three-down to Hendler but attempted to fight back on the final holes winning number 11, 14, and 16. This narrowed Hendler’s lead to 1up but with two ties on holes 17 and 18 Hendler moved on to the finals. A back and forth match between Jacob Huizinga and Marc Dull resulted in Huizinga advancing with a 1up win. Dull, a tough competitor, started the match 1up after the first hole and managed to stay 1up heading into the final nine holes. Huizinga played tough and brought the match to all square with two holes remaining. A birdie win on hole 17 sealed Huizinga’s 1up victory. Huizinga and Hendler would go head to head in the final match! See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Team Championship After two grueling hot days at Plantation Golf Club in Venice, four teams came out on top to win their respective divisions at the 2017 Junior Team Championship. Both 13-15 age divisions teed it up on the Panther Course while the 16-18 divisions played the Bobcat course both days. Each team consisted of three players and the top two 18-hole scores from each team would be combined to form a team total. After two rounds, teams from the Gainesville Junior Golf Tour, the Junior Golf Association of Broward County, and Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour prevailed to capture their team titles. In the 16-18 division, both the male and female teams from Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour came out victorious. The Boy’s 16-18 division posted some low numbers with the lowest two-day totals coming from two players from Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour. Patrick Poate, who was playing in his last junior golf event before college, led his team to victory after posting an even-par 72 and a two-under par, 70. Poates two-day total of 142 led not only his team but the field as well. Sitting behind Poate in second place was teammate Chase Hurt. Hurt came out of the gate strong after shooting a three-under par, 69 after the first round, however with a four-over par, 76 today, Hurt would finish one-over par, which was good enough for second place. Rounding out the Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour team was incoming junior, John David Cobb. Cobb, despite not having his first round score count, shot a four-over par 76. Cobb’s second round, however, was just one better of Hurt, so his three-over par round of 75 helped the team. After shooting a two-day total of two-under, 288, Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour captured the Boy’s 16-18 division by eight shots. In the Girl’s 16-18 division, the team from Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour also won, but only by three shots. Led by Junior Florida Cup North Team member, Lauren Miller, the team from Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour shot 151 & 154 to beat the Junior Golf Association of Broward County by just a few. Lauren Miller shot a consistent 74 and 75 to tie Broward County’s Brooke Benedetto for medalist honors. Assisting Lauren to victory was Cameron Fish and Madisyn Messmore. The first round, Cameron shot a five-over par 77 while Madisyn shot an 81. For the second round, Lauren’s 75 would count as well as Cameron’s seven-over par round of 79. With a two-day total of 305, the Emerald Coast Junior Golf Tour would take home their second victory of the day. See fsga.org for full results.
Junior Team Championship Cont. In the Boy's 13-15 division, it was a close race as the Gainesville Junior Golf Tour edged the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association by one shot. The Gainesville Junior Golf Tour was led by Jake Davis who backed up his first round score of 73 with a two-over par, second round score of 74. His 147 total would be good enough for medalist honors as well as help lead his team to a first place finish. Davis's other two teammates, Colby Toner and Michael Wu played consistently over the two days. Toner helped his team both days with posting consecutive 80's while Wu sat closely behind with consecutive rounds of 81. Just one shot back of Gainesville Junior Golf Tour was the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association who began to make a comeback with Robbie Higgins score of 73. However, with counting an 82, they would finish with at two-day total of 308, one shot back. In the Girl's 13-15 division, the Junior Golf Association of Broward County ran away from the field. With two members of the team recent Junior Florida Cup champions, the bar was set high and they delivered. The Junior Golf Association of Broward County was led by Jillian Bourdage who bested her first round score of one-over par round of 73 with a two-under round of 70. With three birdies and just one bogey, Jillian would shoot one of the few rounds under par in the entire event and would lead her team to victory. Her teammate, Casey Weidenfeld, also played extremely well this weekend. After shooting a four-over par round of 76 day one, Casey came out this morning and fired a threeover par, 75 to finish the tournament second individually. The final member of the Junior Golf Association of Broward County's team was Makayla Chau. The team's two-day total of 294 was good enough to take home the victory by twelve shots over the Greater Sarasota Junior Golf Association. See fsga.org for full results.
Florida Senior Open Championship Eduardo Herrera, of Windermere, played three exceptional rounds of golf to be crowned Florida Senior Open Champion for the second time after winning the Championship in 2015 at Belleair Country Club. Herrera stood two shots back after round one with a four under-par 68. Taking the early lead was 2009 Florida Senior Open Champion, Jerry Tucker, of Stuart, who posted a six under-par 66. Gary Koch, former PGA Tour player, and Gene Fieger, 2010 Florida Senior Open Champion, tied for second place after the first round with a 67. Round two began on Saturday morning and the players were fighting to make the cut into Sunday’s final round. Mark Mielke, of Jupiter, charged to the lead carding the course record, nine under-par 63, for an eight under-par total! Mielke shot an impressive ten strokes less than day one to head into the final round one stroke ahead of Herrera, Fieger, and Miles McConnell who were all tied for second. The great course conditions and pristine greens led to a low cut of three over-par, 147. A total of 65 players, 42 professionals and 23 amateurs, advanced to the final round. Ten players stood within four shots of the lead making for an exciting Sunday finish. The final round low 66 (-6) propelled Eduardo Herrera to a two stroke victory at 13 under-par, 203. Herrera started his round with a bang making an eagle on the par five, first hole. Posting two back to back birdies on holes three and four, Herrera made the turn at four under-par. Following close behind was Fieger who carded three birdies to turn at three under-par. Mielke and McConnell faltered in the final round falling out of contention leaving the final nine holes a battle between Fieger and Herrera. A double bogey on Herrera’s 12th hole brought the two players tied heading into the home stretch. Fieger birdeid the 13th hole putting pressure on Herrera’s game. The pressure seemed to light a fire for Herrera as he birdied holes 14, 15, and the final hole 18 to seal his win! Fieger carded a final nine 35 for a 68 and tournament total 205 (-11). Herrera hoisted the trophy for the second time in two years! The low amateur award went to Chris Howell, of Winter Garden, who posted three under-par rounds of 71,70, 67 for a 208 (-8) total. Owen Joyner, of Bonita Springs, finished three strokes behind to claim second low amateur at 211 (-5). See fsga.org for full results.
2017 Memberships Available!! Membership Levels $1,000 Chairman’s Level - Foundation Member (Husband & Wife) $500 President’s Level - Foundation Member (Husband & Wife) $250 Director’s Level - Foundation Member (Husband & Wife) $160 Director’s Level - Foundation Member $50 Men’s Regular Level $40 Women’s 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. The Foundation is a need and academic based program that provides college scholarships to junior golfers and assists juniors with entry and travel expenses to national tournaments. Foundation Members will receive a Future of Golf Foundation golf shirt when joining as well as reduced entry fees into FSGA events.
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