Ojea Goes Low, Maroon a Repeat Champion at Miccosukee!

We had another fun tournament on Saturday at Miccosukee Golf & Country Club!  Fortunately, the rain stopped well before our first tee time, so the weather was great!  We did have to play lift, clean and place because of all the rain on Thursday, Friday and earlier Saturday morning.  The course played tough, as always,  and for the most part the scores reflected it.

The shot of the delay belonged to Stephen Riccardi in the Palmer Flight, who hit a 3-wood to less than 2 feet on the very long (552 yards) and into-the-wind Par-5 16^th.  He made the putt for birdie – and a skin.  Great shot, Stephen!

Alex Ojea posted the low score of the day, shooting a 77 to win the Championship Flight.  Ojea completed  the difficult back nine just 1-over par at 37.  Congratulations, Alex!

In the Palmer Flight, Stephen Hagerman continues to play great golf this season, carding a 78 to take the trophy.  In three events this season, Hagerman has posted a 79 (T2), an 80 (T2) and Saturday’s 78.  Now that’s consistency!  Congratulations Stephen!  Kevin Kim finished 2^nd, just one stroke back at 79, with Daniel D’Loughy, the defending champ in 3^rd with an 83.

Olivier Brion, another very consistent golfer, won the Hogan Flight with a solid 82.  Brion’s last four tournament rounds, going back to last July are 81, 84, 83 and Saturday’s 82.  Great round, Olivier.  Congratulations!  Jason Ellington finished 2^nd at 84 and Michael North finished 3^rd with an 85.  Nice rounds, guys.

In the Sarazen Flight, Mark Sapsford claimed the trophy after shooting an 84.  Sapsford started out great, birdying the first hole, then stumbled a bit on the 410-yard Par-4 second hole.  From there on out, he made nothing higher than a bogey and played the back nine in just 40 strokes.  Great win, Mark!  Gene Greystone finished 2^nd with an 87 and Fernando Pallares finished 3^rd with an 88.

In the Jones Flight, Frank Lamadrid pulled his back early in the round and was in significant pain.  To compensate, he says he slowed down his swing – and it worked out well.  His 88 was good enough for a 4-stroke victory.  Tommy O’Harte finished 2^nd at 92, while Robbie Wright shot a 98 for 3^rd.

Tony Maroon made it two in a row at Miccosukee, successfully defending his 2012 title with an even 90 on Saturday.  Congratulations, Tony!  It was a very close race as Marvin Kurzban just one stroke back at 91 for 2^nd Place and Domenico D’Alfonso finished 3^rd with a 92. 

Congratulations to all the Flight Winners!

You can view the tournament photos here (Miami/Fort Lauderdale events):

https://picasaweb.google.com/110279361186015030991

You’ll find West Palm Bach Tournament photos here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/113764186660714922617

In the Skins Game, Jorge Lorenzo was the big winner, pocketing a total of $120 for his birdies on #13 and 15.  Congratulations, Jorge!  There weren’t any birdies in the Jones Flight, so we have $40 rollover money for the next Miami/Fort Lauderdale tournament, which is at International Links on March 2^nd.

There were a number of birdies in each of the other flights, spreading the wealth while reducing the payout for each skin.  The per Skin payouts were $20 in the Championship Flight, $23 in Palmer Flight and $36 for each skin in the Hogan and Sarazen Flights.

Thanks to everyone who played for making it a great tournament – and thanks to Head Pro Al Topping and all the staff at Miccosukee!

Next up is International Links Miami on March 2^nd – and Polo Trace on the West Palm Beach Tour March 9^th.

Click here for the International Links Tournament Page:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel13/event/thegolfchannel13541/index.htm

And click here for Polo Trace:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel13/event/thegolfchannel13530/index.htm

See you on the course!

Jeff

Westbrook Holes Out For Eagle on 18!

We had a great tournament on Saturday at Palm-Aire on Saturday!  We played the Cypress Course and although the course played very tough, I think everyone had a good time.  The weather was great – clear skies and not too hot – and the greens were in excellent shape.  They are a bit firm since they were recently re-done, and they rolled fast and true.

The course proved very difficult though, challenging everyone to play their best.

Donald Westbrook had the shot of the day, holing out for eagle on #18 from about 165 yards!  In doing so, he won the Sarazen Flight, shooting an 85 and edging Mark Sapsford and Gene Greystone by a single stroke!  Westbrook said he struck it well and knew it was a good shot, but didn’t see it after It landed.  When his group arrived on the green, they found his pitch mark, but no golf ball.  After looking around for a minute, he checked the hole – and there it was!  Great shot and great finish, Donald!

In the Championship Flight, Phillip Yribarren claimed his first Am Tour victory, finishing with a grinding 79 on a very difficult 6,800 yard course.  After a rough start, Yribarren turned things around with a birdie on #9 and added two more after the turn.  Alex Ojea finished one stroke back at 80.  On the long, par-3 7^th hole, all three Championship Flight players hit driver into the wind to reach the green.  Afterwards, Ojea said it was the most difficult course he had played in his three years on the Tour!

In the Palmer Flight, Pete Sorrentino had the low score, winning by two strokes with an 82 from the Green Tees (6,500 yards).  Mark Schaefer of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA finished 2^nd with an 84.  Sorrentino had two birdies on the day, carding 3s on the Par-4 5^th and 15^th holes. 

Randy Ricker ran away from the field in the Hogan Flight, firing an 81 and winning by 6 strokes over Guillermo Zuloaga.  Showing how difficult the course played on Saturday, Ricker and Zuloaga were the only Hogan players to break 90, playing from the Green Tees at 6,500 yards.  Ricker played steady golf, taking nothing worse than a bogey all day.

David Fraser claimed another trophy in the Jones Flight, carding a very strong 86 from the White Tees (6,000 yards).  William Oldrup of Jacksonville Florida finished 2^nd with an 89.  Nice rounds, guys! 

Domenico D’Alfonso won his 2^nd Am Tour event of the season with a solid round of 92.  Tony Maroon finished 2^nd, two strokes back at 94 and Harold Geisse finished 3^rd with a 96.  D’Alfonso is another example of not letting a bad start ruin your round.  He made the turn at 51, then played the back nine in 41.

D’Alfonso, Jeff Hill and Tim Ruwe were the biggest skins winners of the day.  They pocketed $126 each for their birdies on #15, 14 and 16, respectively.  There was $140 in rollover money from Heron Bay on the January 12^th in addition to Saturday’s skins pool.

I would like to thank all the participants for making it a great tournament!  Also, many thanks to the staff at Palm-Aire who made sure everything went smoothly from the time we arrived until the last golfer headed home!

Next up is Boca Country Club this Saturday (WPB Schedule) and then The Woodlands East Course on February 9^th!

See you there!

Jeff

Anderson Fires 72 to Win Championship Flight, Mogensen Notches first Win!

Hello Everyone,

We had a great tournament at Hillcrest on Saturday!  The weather was perfect, the course was in great shape and while the island-green on the 18^th hole claimed its share of victims, we had some really low scores – which seems to be the norm at Hillcrest.

Here’s a link to all the tournament photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110279361186015030991

Joe Anderson had the low round for the day and won the Championship flight with an even-par 72, playing from the God tees, set at just over 7,000 yards.  Anderson birdied all four of the par-5s and added a fifth birdie on the Par-3 14^th.  I don’t think anyone’s ever birdied all the Par-5s in a South Florida Am Tour event.  Great round, Joe!  Alex Ojea finished a strong second with a 74.

Benjamin Wolpert won the Palmer Flight with a great round of 74 from the Blue Tees.  Ben had three birdies on the day to carve out a 3-stroke victory over Warren Denise, who finished at 77.  Pete Sorrentino came in third at 79.

Randy Ricker continues to play strong in the Hogan Flight, shooting 78 for a 3-stroke win.  David Sherry finished second at 81, with Jay Malanga in third, one more stroke back at 82.

In the Sarazen Flight, Brad Sunness claimed his first Am Tour trophy with a great round of 79, edging Andrew Pastewski by a stroke.  David Fortune finished third, two strokes back at 81.  In what I think is another local Am Tour first, Fortune birdied three out of the four par 3s during his round.  I didn’t think to ask if he hit three great iron shots or if he putted really well on those holes.  Either way, that’s quite an accomplishment.

In the Jones Flight, Mark Wenger fired an 80 and cruised to an 8-stroke victory.  Robbie Wright finished second at 88 and Jack Abutbol finished third with an 89.

We had another first-time winner in the Snead Flight, as Mark Mogensen birdied the 18^th hole to shoot an 88 and edge Tim Ruwe by a single stroke.  Tony Maroon finished third, two strokes back at 90.  It was a great day for Mogensen, who won his first event in three seasons on the Tour, broke 90 for the first time ever and did so with a 30’ birdie putt on the island-green 18^th hole.  Congratulations, Mark! 

Here’s a link to the full leaderboard:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel13/event/thegolfchannel13168/contest/7/leaderboard.htm

The big skins winners were Rodolfo Lefeld, Mark Mogensen and Time Ruwe, who each pocketed $93.  Lefeld for his birdie on #6, Ruwe for his birdie on #7 and Mogensen for that birdie on 18.  Jason Ellington pocketed a total of $70 for his Eagle on #10 and birdie on #17, while Pete Sorrentino won $50 for his two skins on #4 and #6.

Congratulations to all of the Winners!

A big thank you  goes out to Hillcrest Head Pro, David Cage, and all the staff, who always treat us well.

Next up is Heron Bay this Saturday!

See you there!

Jeff

Robbins Shoots 2-Under Par 70 at The Diplomat!

We had another great tournament at The Diplomat on Saturday!  The course was in excellent shape and the weather was perfect – partly cloudy and not too warm. 

Those who arrived early were also treated to a pretty incredible car show, since the Toys for Tots Car Rally started at the hotel around 9:30 AM.  There were literally hundreds of exotic Lamborghinis, Maseratis and Lotuses lining the Resort entrance, the 18^th fairway and Diplomat Parkway.  It was quite a sight!

Eric Robbins had the round of the day – and the season, so far – shooting a 2-under Par 70 to win the Championship flight by 3 strokes.  Robbins made 5 birdies during the day, including three in a row to start the back nine.  Great round, Eric!  Howard Sapper kept up for the front nine, with both players making the turn at 1-under, but couldn’t keep up with Robbins’ hot streak on the back.

Paul Roseth emerged as the Palmer Flight winner, starting out strong with a 37 on the front, capped by a 35’ birdie putt on #9, then coasted in for a 2-stroke victory over Daniel D’Loughy.  Brian Black finished another stroke back at 81 for 3^rd place.

In the Hogan Flight, Jason Ellington continued his hot streak, shooting an 81 and winning for the fourth time already this season.  Torrence Mack finished 2^nd at 83 and Randy Ricker finished 3^rd with an 85.

Luis Morello claimed his first trophy of the 2013 season, carding a 91 in the Sarazen Flight and edging Brian Lynch by a single stroke.  Gary Ruderman finished third with a 93.

In the Jones Flight, Lee Southwell had the hottest hand, firing an 85 for the win.  Tommy O’Harte played almost as well, shooting an 87 to finish second, while Frank Lamadrid finished third with a 92.

In the largest flight of the tournament – 14 players – Jorge Lorenzo rose to the top of the Snead Flight, shooting a 91 and edging Tony Maroon by one stroke for the win.  Rodolfo Lefeld finished third with a 98.

The big skins winner was Steve Oien (pronounced OH-win), from the St. Louis Tour, who pocketed a cool $260.  His 4 on the Par-5 11^th was the only birdie of the day in the Snead Flight.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Many thanks to the staff at The Diplomat, who always work hard to make sure everything runs smoothly!

Next up is The Breakers Rees Jones Course in West Palm Beach this Saturday (12/15).  The next Miami/Fort Lauderdale event is January 5^th at Hillcrest Golf & Country Club.

See you there!

Jeff

Hernandez Fires 74, Osborne Big Skins Winner

Hello Everyone,

Hope you had a great weekend – and a good start to Thanksgiving week!

We had a great tournament at International Links last Saturday, with perfect weather and great course conditions!

Orlando Hernandez had the round of the day, firing a 3-over Par 74 to win the Palmer Flight by 6 strokes.  Stewart Whyte and Stephen Hagerman tied for 2^nd at 80.  Hernandez carded 5 birdies during the round, including back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to finish.  After the round, Hernandez was especially pleased with his birdie on 18, which is a very tough finishing hole and played dead into the wind on Saturday.  Great round, Orlando! 

Gerard Osborne, playing in the Snead Flight, had the shot of the day.  He hit a 120-yard sand wedge (downwind) to within one foot on #17, which he tapped in for birdie.  The full story is that he hit that sand wedge from the 18^th fairway, over the trees and onto the 17^th green.  Since that was the only birdie in the Snead Flight – and there was $320 in rollover skins money from Emerald Hills – his birdie was worth $500!  Congratulations Gerard!  Capping it off, his final score of 93 was more than enough to claim first place in the Snead Flight, with Jorge Lorenzo finishing 2^nd at 96 and Martin Henry taking 3^rd with a 98.

Other winners included Jason Ellington in the Hogan Flight, who posted his 3^rd win of the 2013 Season – with over month remaining before we even get to 2013!  Ellington finished his round in 80 strokes, with Olivier Brion and Torrence Mack tied for 2^nd at 83.

In the Sarazen Flight, Jose Martin returned to Tour action to claim another trophy, shooting 86 to edge Brad Sunness by a stroke.  Brian Lynch finished third, another stroke back at 88.

In another close race, David Fraser won his first tournament of the season with an 88.  Brian Merkel finished 2^nd at 89 and Frank Lamadrid finished 3^rd with a 93.

Other skins winners included Jason Ellington in the Hogan Flight, who pocketed $160 for his two skins, and Torrence Mack, also in the Hogan Flight, who won $80 for his birdie on #12.  Brian Merkel had a hot hand in the Jones Flight, holing 3 birdies and winning $90.  Jack Abutbol, Gene Greystone, James Harris and Andrew Kowalczyk each won $45 skins in the Sarazen Flight.

Congratulations to all the Winners!  Next up is the Winter Championship at Innisbrook, followed by The Diplomat Challenge in Hallandale on December 8^th.

See you on the course!

Jeff

De Armas Shoots 77, Epstein the Big Skins Game Winner !

Despite the VERY windy conditions, we had another great tournament on Saturday at Jacaranda Golf Club!

We had a few surprisingly low scores, considering that in some cases players were hitting into a 3-club wind or having their shots blow 10 – 15 yards left or right due to the crosswinds.  In general, the front nine seemed to be more with the wind and the back nine played more against the wind and the scores reflected it.  Official weather reports indicate that the wind was blowing from 20 - 25 mph, with gusts to 38 mph!

Winners and Runners-Up:

In the Snead Flight, Rudy Lefeld said the wind didn’t really affect him and it showed in his score.  He finished at 89 for a 3-stroke victory.  Sonia Stewart finished second at 92 and Jorge Lorenzo finished another stroke back at 94 for third place.  Jim Lamberth also finished in the money at 94 for 4^th place.

In the Championship Flight, Kyle Koleos claimed the trophy with an 80, while Joshua Bradshaw of the Orlando Tour finished 2^nd at 82.  While those scores sound high for the Championship Flight, the Gold Tees were set at almost 6900 yards, and played much longer in the wind.

Jose De Armas had the low round of the day, shooting 77 from the Blue Tees to edge Gene Johnson by two strokes in the Palmer Flight.  Jerry Doyle finished just three strokes back at 80.  De Armas was even par through six holes before running into the wind, while Johnson explained that he had trouble with his first putts, leaving some too short and powering others well beyond the hole.   With or without a balky putter, breaking 80 on Saturday was a great accomplishment.  

Jay Malanga is on a hot streak in the Hogan Flight, winning his second tournament in a row, this time with an 82.  Playing in the same group, Jose Delgado finished second at 83.  Marc Milman took third place with an 85.  Malanga made the turn with a white-hot 36, just 1 stroke over par.

Darron Esan from the Orlando Tour claimed the Sarazen Flight trophy with an 89, with Tom Haley in second at 91 and Luis Morello third at 92.

In the Jones Flight, Lee Southwell claimed the trophy with an 89 after getting off to a blistering start.  Southwell made the turn at 38, with a birdie and just two bogies.  Jose Castillo and Frank Lamadrid tied for 2^nd at 94.

Congratulations to all the Flight winners!

Click here for the full scoreboard and tournament photos:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel13/event/thegolfchannel13169/index.htm

Skins Winners:

Hal Epstein was the big skins winner on Saturday, pocketing $440 for the only skin in the Snead Flight.  His birdie came on the 13^th hole, a Par 3.  As Hal describes it, his tee shot flew the green and was in the trees.  He chose an 8-iron, hoping to just get it out and hopefully end up on the green.  His shot deflected off of a tree branch, kept going and rolled into the hole!

The next biggest winner is the Sarazen Flight for the upcoming event at Emerald Hills.  No one in the Sarazen Flight had a birdie at Jacaranda, so $280 rolls over to the Emerald Hills tournament.

In the Jones Flight, David Fraser won $160 for his birdies on #9 & 16 and Lee Southwell claimed $80 for his skin on the 4^th.

Jason Ellington, Bob Houghton and Jay Malanga each won $93 for their birdies in the Hogan Flight.  They birdied the 6^th, 3^rd and 4^th holes, respectively.

Gene Johnson pocketed $80 for his two birdies in the Palmer Flight, with Brian Black, Orlando Chiossone, Jose De Armas, Jerry Doyle and David Paller each winning $40.  Joshua Bradshaw, Kyle Koleos and Thomas Posey also won $40 each in the Championship Flight skins.

Congratulations to all the Winners!

Many thanks to the grounds crew at Jacaranda for keeping the course in excellent shape after  a very rainy week!  The course and grillroom staff also did a great job of taking care of us during the day.

Next up is The Club at Emerald Hills in Hollywood this Saturday, followed by a West Palm Beach tournament at Ironhorse Country Club on November 10th.

See you on the course!

Jeff

Sorrentino Fires 75 at The Biltmore, Wins Palmer Flight in Season Opener

We had a great Season-Opening event at The Biltmore on Saturday!  The weather was awesome and the course was in perfect shape, with the greens rolling fast and true.

The Jones Flight, with the largest field in the event, was also the most exciting.  It took extra holes for Ignacio Laviosa to claim the trophy after both he and Frank Lamadrid finished regulation tied at 84.  Congratulations Ignacio!  Tony Maroon finished 3^rd, 4 strokes back at 88. 

Peter Sorrentino had the round of the day, firing a 3-over 75 to take the Palmer Flight trophy.  Stephen Hagerman, Brian Black and Orlando Hernandez finished in a 3-way tie for 2^nd place at 79.

In the Snead Flight, George Romer, playing in his first Am Tour event, claimed the trophy with a nice round of 91.  Martin Henry finished 2^nd , just one stroke back at 92 with Glen Garth finishing 3^rd with a 93.

Fernando Pallares’ bold style of play served him well on Saturday as he won the Sarazen Flight with a very solid 82.  Gary Ruderman finished 2^nd with an  86 and Luis Morello finished 3^rd with an 89.

In the Championship flight, Marcel Leroux and Alex Ojea battled until the final putt with Leroux coming out 1 stroke ahead at 77 to take the win.

This was a double-skins event and John Daglaris and George Romer were the biggest winners.  They each pocketed $200 for their birdies on 13 and 15 respectively. 

With the biggest field, the Jones Flight had the biggest skins pool and four players each pocketed $130 for their skins.  Jay Young started the day off right with a birdie on the 1^st hole, Tony Maroon birdied the 3^rd, Ricardo Thurdekoos birdied the 9^th and Robbie Wright birdied the 14^th.

In the Sarazen Flight, Gary Ruderman won $93 for his skin on #1, Fernando Pallares claimed $93 for his birdie on #14 and Scott Carrabis earned his $93 skin with a birdie on #17.  Jason Ellington and Brad Weiser divvied up the Hogan skins pool, with Jason taking $160 for his birdies on #2 and #14 and Brad taking $80 for his skin on the first hole.

Orlando Hernandez, who also birdied the 1^st hole, Brian Black, who birdied the 18^th and Orlando Chiossone, who birdied #15 each won $53.  Even though the scores were close in the Championship Flight, Marcel  Leroux took the entire skins pool, pocketing $80 for his birdies on the first and last holes.

Click here for all the scores:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel13/event/thegolfchannel13167/contest/13/leaderboard.htm

Congratulations to all the winners – and thank you all for making this as great event!  The Biltmore is always a great place to play golf and the staff treats us all like celebrities, so I’m  looking forward to our summer event here in June.

Next Saturday, we’re opening the West Palm Beach Tour at The Links Course at Bear Lakes Country Club and our next Miami/Fort Lauderdale event is at Jacaranda on October 27^th. 

See you there!

Jeff

Hagerman Shoots 1-under Par 71 at Hillcrest!

We had a great tournament at Hillcrest on Saturday!  The weather was nice and the course was in great shape!

Stephen Hagerman had the round of the day – and the season so far – shooting a 1-under par 71!!  Now this wasn’t the first under-par round of the season, but it was the first under par round for a Hogan Flight player in South Florida… ever.

Fantastic round, Steve!  He birdied four holes on the front nine, paired with just two bogies to make the turn at 2-under 34.  On the back nine, he made par on all but the 11^th hole for a 37.  When I asked if he was nervous hitting his approach to the island-green on the 18^th, he said that he wasn’t worried at all.  As he put it… ‘no matter what happened, I had played a great round’.  That’s a great way to think when you’re having a “career” round.  Congratulations again, Steve!

Now… before you go scrambling to check his tournament index, I’ll save you the trouble.  It was 9.9 at the time of the tournament.  Steve just had an incredible round where everything went right.  In fact, that’s the first time he’s broken 80 in his two and a half seasons on tour.

In other flights, Scott Heffner won the Championship Flight vs. Floyd Goodson after a 1-hole playoff.

Craig Tompkins had a great day in the Palmer Flight, taking the trophy with a 77.  Brad Bishop finished 1 stroke back at 78.

Peter Galiette was the runner-up in the Hogan Flight with an 82 and Jose Delgado took third with an 83.

In the Sarazen Flight, Torrence Mack played the best, posting an 81 in a very competitive race.  David Fortune finished 1 stroke back at 82 (with three birdies!) and Ken Rush posted an 83 for third.

Randolph Simonson, who splits time between the Chicago and Miami/Fort Lauderdale Tours, took the Jones Flight trophy, running away from the field with a nice 84!   John Copeland and Tony Maroon tied for 2^nd with 94s.

In the Snead Flight, Rodolfo Lefeld claimed his first victory on the Am Tour, shooting a solid 89.  Lefeld bested his good friend Tommy O’Harte, who shot a 91 for second place.  John Daglaris finished 3^rd with a 93.

John Daglaris was the big skins winner of the day, pocketing $400 for his birdie on #6.  Congratulations, John! 

Congratulations to all the winners!

Click here for all the scores:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel12/event/thegolfchannel1226/index.htm

Or click here for the full Miami/Fort Lauderdale Tour schedule:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel12/chapter/flmiamifortlaud/schedule/miamiftlauderdale/index.htm

See you on the course!

Three First-Time Winners at International Links Miami!

We had a great tournament at International Links Miami on Saturday!  Despite all the rain on Thursday and Friday, the course was in very good shape and the competition was fierce.

The importance of a single stroke seemed to be the lesson of the day.  In the Palmer Flight, a mere five strokes separated the top six finishers.  The Sarazen and Snead Flights were won by a single stroke and only three strokes separated first and second place in the Hogan and Jones Flights. 

Jay Malanga and Stephen Hagerman had the rounds of the day.  Both gentlemen shot 80, with Malanga taking first place in the Palmer Flight and Hagerman winning the Hogan Flight.  It was the first Am Tour win for both players.  Malanga had a very strong front nine, making the turn at 37, while Hagerman caught fire on the back nine, finishing with 38.  Nice rounds, guys – and a great first win!

Alex Ojea had the shot of the day, holing out with a wedge from about 100 yards on the 4^th hole.

In the Sarazen Flight, Gary Ruderman won his first Am Tour trophy, shooting 83 and edging Richard Malcolm by a single stroke.  John Copeland notched his second tour victory in the Jones Flight, shooting an 88 for a 3-stroke win.  Tony Maroon took second place with a 91.

In the Snead flight, Jorge Lorenzo shot a 91 to edge Marvin Kurzban by a single stroke.

John Daglaris was the big skins game winner, taking home $240 for his birdie on 14.  Richard Malcolm pocketed a cool $200 for his birdie on #5 in the Sarazen Flight and Stephen Hagerman (Hogan Flight) walked off with $110 for his birdies on #4 and 14.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Click here for all the scores:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel12/event/thegolfchannel1224/contest/28/leaderboard.htm

And click here to see the tournament photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110279361186015030991

Next up is Boca Country Club on November 26^th and The Diplomat on December 3^rd!

Have a great Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you on the course!

Weick Shoots 4-Under Par 68 at Heron Bay!

We had a great tournament at Heron Bay Golf Club on Saturday!  Although the fairways were soft and we had to play lift, clean and place, the greens were in good shape and the weather was perfect!

Jim Weick had the round of the day – and the season, so far.  He shot a 4-under Par 68 to run away with the Championship Flight trophy.  Jim carded five – five! – birdies and just a single bogey during the round.  Congratulations, Jim.  That’s an awesome round!  Nick Fernandez finished second with a 74.

This was another double skins tournament and several players cashed in big!  Including rollover money from Emerald Hills, the Jones Flight skins pool was $520.  John Copeland took home $347 of that for his birdies on 11 & 14 and Keith Varney pocketed $173 for his birdie on #3.  In the Snead Flight, there was $720 in the pool , so George Blanton and Jorge Lorenzo each pocketed $360 for their birdies.  Jason birdied #13 and Jorge birdied #15.  Gene Johnson, Jay Malanga, Thomas Briggs, Tom Porter, Dave Sherry and Terry Willie pocketed $100 apiece for their birdies in the Palmer and Hogan Flights.

Congratulations, guys!

In case you’re wondering, this Saturday’s tournament at Polo Trace is also a double-skins event.

In other action at Heron Bay, Jeff True from Naples, FL broke a two-year drought, winning  the Palmer Flight with a nice 78, while Gene Johnson finished two strokes back at 80.  In the Hogan Flight, Tom Porter posted another great round, shooting 76 to win his second event of the 2012 Season.  Randy Bryant finished second at 82.

Alejandro Scholtz added to his trophy collection by posting an  80 in the Sarazen Flight, edging Chris Nelson by a single stroke for the win.  In the Jones Flight, Keith Varney continues to improve his game after his 2011 promotion.  Keith fired an 83 on Saturday and he needed every putt, with John Methvin finishing just one stroke back at 84.

George Blanton cruised to victory in the Snead Flight, winning by five strokes with a 91.  John Daglaris finished second at 96.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Also, many thanks to the maintenance crew at Heron Bay, who did a great job of getting the course in tournament shape after an incredible amount of rain earlier in the week.

Next up is Polo Trace on the West Palm Beach Tour and then International Links Miami on November 19^th.

Click here for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale photo albums:

https://picasaweb.google.com/110279361186015030991

And click here for the full Miami/Fort Lauderdale Tour schedule:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel12/chapter/flmiamifortlaud/schedule/miamiftlauderdale/index.htm

See you on the course!

D'Loughy comes through in the Clutch; Lee goes low with a 73

We had a great tournament at Coral Ridge Country Club on Saturday!  Surprisingly, after reading shaky weather forecasts all week, it was sunny and clear all day.  The course was in great shape and there were plenty of good scores!

Although he didn’t have the lowest score, Daniel D’Loughy had the best “clutch” round of the day.  Needing  a high finish to qualify for the National Championship, he shot 78 – his best tournament round all year – and is on his way to La Quinta!  Congratulations, Daniel!  I hope you play just as well in California!

It was Joshua Lee who posted the low round of the day, making 5 birdies on the way to a 73 and cruising to a 5-stroke victory in the Palmer Flight.  Great round, Joshua!  Gian Luca Brignone and Daniel D’Loughy tied for 2^nd place at 78.  Brignone also qualified for the Nationals based on his finish.

Randy Bryant is the Hogan Flight Tour Champion after his round of 78.  Bryant birdied the 4^th, 8^th and 10^th holes as he distanced himself from the field.  Hugh Koerner finished second with a solid 83 and Bhanu Vallabhaneni qualified for the National Championship with an 86.

Marc Milman is the Sarazen Flight Champion after posting an 81 and edging Andrew Pastewski by a stroke.  Playing in the same foursome with Milman and Pastewski, Marc Tetzner and Marc Thibault tied for 3^rd at 84.

John Methvin continues to be almost unstoppable, shooting 83 in his first event as a Jones player and winning by a whopping 10 strokes!  Nice round, John – and great momentum going into the Nationals!

In the Snead flight, Jason Ballard claimed his first trophy – and a spot in the National Championship – by shooting 89 and winning by two strokes.  George Blanton and John Daglaris tied for second at 91.

Congratulations to all the winners and National Championship qualifiers!

Leroux Fires 1-Under Par 71 at Emerald Hills

We had a great tournament at Emerald Hills on Saturday!  Believe it or not, it didn’t rain at all during the tournament!  In fact, although it rained heavily early in the morning, it stopped raining at the course by 8:30 AM.  The humidity made it a steamy and hot day, but that’s just South Florida in the summer.

Marcel Leroux conquered the heat, the course and the competition, shooting a 1-under par 71 to win the Championship Flight and gain the respect and admiration of everyone in the tournament.  His round is more amazing because of how tough the course is at Emerald Hills.  The rough is deep, there are lots of water hazards, many of the greens are difficult to hit, and they can be very tough to putt.  On Saturday, Marcel rose to the occasion and played incredible golf.  In fact, he birdied six holes during the round, including two of the longest Par-4s; the 400-yard 8^th and 421-yard 16^th holes.  Congratulations, Marcel!  Great round!

In the Palmer Flight, Paul Roseth birdied three holes on the way to a 78 and a 2-stroke victory over Orlando Hernandez.  Paul may be ready for the Championship Flight soon, winning on what some players reported was an “off” day for Paul.  Brad Bishop finished 3^rd with an 81.

Robert Urspruch won his first event after earning a promotion to the Hogan Flight, carding a solid 83.  Hugh Koerner, also a newcomer to the Hogan Flight, shot an 86 for second place.

In the Sarazen Flight, Alejandro Scholtz shot “lights-out” on the back nine – even par! – after having troubles on the front.  His 47-36 added up to an 83 and a 3-stroke win over Torrence Mack, who finished with an 86.

Tony Ott flew in from Washington, D.C. on Friday, drove from West Palm Beach to Hollywood on Saturday and walked off with the Jones Flight trophy at the end of the day.  Tony shot 95 to win by four strokes over Lynn Dunn and Keith Varney, who tied for 2^nd at 99.

In the Snead Flight, John Methvin posted his second win in a row, shooting 94 for a 6-stroke victory over Alan Levin.  John was also the big skins winner of the day.  He made the only birdie in the Snead Flight and pocketed $220, including $100 that rolled over from The Biltmore on 6/18.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made this a great event!  I would also like to thank the staff at Emerald Hills who took great care of us while we were there and who keep the course in such fantastic condition.

Next up is The Eagle Course at The President Country Club in West Palm Beach.  See you there!

Jeff

A Great Day at The Biltmore

We had a great tournament at The Biltmore on Saturday!  The course was in great shape and I think everyone had a great time.  As odd as this may sound, the atmosphere at The Biltmore is both relaxing (carefree) and exciting (you know you’re in for a treat as soon as you arrive).

We had a full field and quite a few low scores.  After a rough start, Jim Weick played nearly flawless golf, posting a 73 to win the Championship Flight.  Jim birdied 13 and 15 to play the back nine in 1-under par.  Although he came up a few strokes short, Oscar Rafols may have had the most exciting round of the day, holing out for eagle from about 50 yards on the 4^th hole and also posting four birdies.  Unfortunately, he also found trouble on several holes, taking a triple and two doubles for 75 and second place in the Championship Flight.

The Palmer Flight again proved to be a battle between Gene Johnson and Paul Roseth.  Both players made the turn at just two over, then Johnson took a quick two stroke lead, making birdie on 10 while Roseth took bogey.  While Roseth managed to even the score on the 12^th, Johnson managed to take a one stroke lead into the 18^th.  Johnson then closed it out with a par on 18 for 79 and a two-stroke victory.  Hanging close, but never quite catching up, Michael Stout finished 3^rd with an 82.

In the Hogan Flight, Terry Willie had a very strong front nine, making the turn at just two over par 37.  Even so, he only held a thin two-stroke lead over Randy Bryant.  Ultimately, it proved to be sufficient, as both golfers had 46 on the back, giving Willie an 18-hole total of 83 to Bryant’s 85.  Stephen Hagerman finished third at 87.  Vincent Mancini was the big skins winner in the Hogan Flight, pocketing $140 for his birdie on 18.  While Mancini also birdied #7, so did Kenny Patterson.  Multiple players also birdied  the 1^st, cancelling each other out so that Mancini’s birdie on the 18^th was the only skin.

In another close match, Karin-Joyce Tjon and Torrence Mack battled it out for 18 holes in the Sarazen Flight.  While Tjon looked like a sure winner after 16 holes, she ran into trouble on the 17^th and Mack evened the score.  Tjon was able to recover nicely, though, making par on the 18^th while Mack bogeyed.  Tjon finished at 82 and Mack at 83.  Ken Rush finished third with an 85.

Ivan Marin added to his trophy collection in the Jones Flight, shooting 88 and edging Roger Halphen by three strokes.  Marin had his three stroke lead at the turn and while Halphen threatened, every time he gained a stroke, Marin took it back.  Tony Maroon finished third at 92.  In the side games, Lino Rojas made the only birdie in the Jones Flight and pocketed $180 for the skin.  It was a nice surprise for Mr. Rojas, though.  A friend and fellow pilot entered Rojas in the side games without his knowledge.

In the Snead Flight, Rick Waldie had a five stroke lead on Glen Garth and six strokes on John Methvin after nine holes.  Neither Methvin nor Garth were willing to concede, though.  Both players clawed their way back to within a stroke of Waldie at different points on the back nine.  Waldie had the better game at the end, though, finishing bogey, bogey par to win at 90, three strokes ahead of Methvin.  Garth finished another stroke back at 94.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made this such a competitive event – and thanks to the staff at The Biltmore who handled all the details perfectly!  We will definitely go back at The Biltmore again soon!

See you on the course!

Jeff

Weick shoots 2-under to win at Jacaranda!

We had a great tournament at Jacaranda on Saturday!  The weather was perfect and the course was in great shape!

Jim Weick had the round of the day – and the year so far – posting a 2 under par 70 to win the Championship Flight.  Jim had just one bogey all day – on the Par-3 8^th – and made three birdies along the way.  So… did Jim attribute his great round to hours and hours of practice?  Not exactly.  He explained that he hadn’t played in about 6 weeks and didn’t have any expectations coming into the tournament.  He did say that although he’s posted a lower score on occasion, he’s never struck the ball as well as he did on Saturday.  Congratulations, Jim.  Great round!

Christopher Harris also had a great round, especially on the front 9.  Christopher birdied four holes on the front to make the turn at 2 under par.  Unfortunately, the birdie streak ended on the back nine and Harris had to “settle” for even par and second place.  Another great round, Chris!  Elliot Young finished another two strokes back at 74.

Click here to view the photos (and check out Lee Southwell’s tattoo):

http://www.gcamtour.com/Miami-ftlauderdale  (scroll down to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Events under Am Tour Gallery)

And click here for the full tournament results:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel11/event/thegolfchannel11727/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

In the Palmer Flight, Craig Tompkins outlasted Orlando Hernandez to win in a playoff.  Both players shot 78 in regulation, with Craig earning the victory on the first playoff hole.  Matt Renz also carded 78, but was unable to join the playoff due to a prior commitment.  Saturday was Craig’s second victory this year after earning a promotion to the Palmer Flight.

Newcomer Nick Tansey won the Hogan Flight in his first Am Tour event, shooting 79 and edging Bhanu Vallabhaneni by two strokes.  Marcel Ferrer finished another two strokes back at 83 for third place. 

Hugh Koerner cruised to a three stroke victory in the Sarazen Flight, birdying the 5^th hole on the way.  Andrew Pastewski took second place with an 86 and Ryan Murphy finished third at 88.

In the Jones Flight, Hector Hernandez edged Roger Halphen in a playoff after both players finished regulation at 91.

John Methvin earned his first tournament victory on Saturday with a Jekyll and Hyde round, shooting 40 on the front nine, then following it up with a 50 on the back.  George Blanton finished second with 92.

Thank you all for making it a great tournament – and many thanks to the staff at Jacaranda, who juggled two other tournaments in addition to ours and did a great job!

Next up is The Fountains’ South Course this Saturday!

See you there!

Jeff

Plantation Preserve Recap

We had a great tournament at Plantation Preserve on Saturday!  We had a full field (54 players), the course was in phenomenal shape and although it was hot, the weather was great!

We also had a lot of low scores for the day, which is always fun.  Mark Yogan won the Championship Flight with a 76, with several players right on his heels.  Dennis Egbers and Kyle Koleos tied for 2^nd place with 77s and Rob Bryans was just another stroke back at 78.

Click here to see all the scores:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel11/chapter/flmiamifortlaud/schedule/miamiftlauderdale/index.htm

Gene Johnson had the round of the day in the Palmer Flight, shooting 74 to take the trophy.  Manuel Ramirez was a stroke back at 75 and Pete Sorrentino finished 3^rd with a 76.

In the Hogan Flight, Greg Little also broke 80, shooting 79 for the win, with David Fortune and Randy Garris two strokes back at 81.

John Russell also got in on the fun, shooting a 79 in the Sarazen Flight and taking the trophy with his best tournament round ever.  Robert Urspruch finished with an 80 and Scott Carrabis posted an 81.

In the Jones Flight, Danny Souheaver of the Tampa Tour won the trophy with a solid 87.  James Capraro was two strokes back at 89 and Tony Ott finished with a 90.

In the Snead Flight, Rick Waldie collected another trophy with a round of 89, winning by two strokes over Keith Varney.

Although we didn’t have any aces on Saturday, two Sarazen players had eagles.  Robert Urspruch holed out from the bunker on 18 for his eagle, while Scott Carrabis hit a 255 yard 3-wood to 10 feet on the first hole and made the putt to kick-start his round.

Congratulations to all the Winners!

Also, hats off to the superintendant at Plantation Preserve for keeping the course in such incredible shape – and many thanks to the course staff who took great care of us on Saturday.

Next up on the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Tour is the West Course at Jacaranda on May 21^st.  Good luck to those of you playing in the Florida Masters this weekend!

Jeff

Great event at Hillcrest!

Hello Everyone,

We had a great event at Hillcrest on Saturday!  Beautiful weather and the course was in GREAT shape.  As always at Hillcrest, several players shot their career-best tournament rounds, including Luis Guada in the Sarazen Flight, who broke 80 for the first time ever (tournament or not) with a monster round of 75!

Check out the full leaderboard and upcoming events on the Miami/Fort Lauderdale schedule page:

http://thegolfchannel.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/thegolfchannel11/chapter/flmiamifortlaud/schedule/miamiftlauderdale/index.htm

And follow this link to check out the Hillcrest photos on the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Tour page: 

http://www.gcamtour.com/Miami-ftlauderdale

The Breakers Rees Jones Course is up next (this Saturday) and I can't wait.

See you on the course!

Jeff

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