Three Champions Crowned at Rainy Super-Senior Amateur Match Play Championship
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - 86 golfers ages 65-and-over made the trek to PGA National Resort & Spa to compete in the Super-Senior Amateur Match Play Championship on the Match Course. The Match Course, specifically designed for match play, provided a unique challenge to the players, demanding precise approach shots into complex greens. Players were also forced to deal with the elements as heavy rains resulted in multiple suspensions of play across the four-day Championship. Ultimately, Pete Williams, Mark Weston, and Pete McDade won the Championship, 70-74, and 75 & Over Divisons, respectively.
Championship Division
Pete Williams, of Juno Beach, put together a strong performance during the Stroke-Play Seeding Round, posting a score of 4-over par, 71, which was just three shots behind the medalist. This set him up as the 6th-seed and gave him a first-round matchup with 11th-seeded Bill Moore. After Williams held a three-hole lead coming off of the 10th hole, Moore would tie the match on the 14th hole. The match would remain tied until the final hole, the par-3 18th, where the Juno Beach native made par to clinch the first-round victory.
In the second round, Williams was able to complete his largest victory of the tournament, a 5 & 4 win over 14th-seeded Byron Whitman, during which he never trailed. Then, on Wednesday, the 11-time FSGA Champion matched up with 15th-seeded Robbie Dew, who had pulled off two impressive upsets to get to the Semifinals. Williams and Dew had a back-and-forth match during which neither golfer was able to amass a lead greater than one hole. Once again, Williams would head to the 18th tee tied with his opponent, and just as he did in the first round, the champion recorded a par to move on to the Finals.
On Thursday, Williams faced off against 12th-seeded Blake Marshall who, in the Semifinals, upset defending champion and 1st-seeded David Anthony by a score of 3 & 2. The Juno Beach native once again took control of the match early on, building a two-hole lead through the first two holes. Williams would never trail throughout the entire match, ultimately completing his victory on the 15th hole by a score of 4 & 3. In his first year competing as a Super-Senior Amateur, the three-time Senior Amateur Player of the Year picked up his first victory in a Super-Senior Amateur event.
70-74 Division
Mark Weston, of Windermere, completed the Stroke-Play Seeding Round with a score of 11-over par, 78, which was seven shots behind the Division' medalist. This was good enough to earn Weston the final spot in the 8-person Championship flight, setting up a first-round matchup with top-seeded Bruce Moskovciak. Despite the differnce in their performances on Monday during the Seeding Round, Weston would complete a dominant 5 & 4 victory to reach the Semifinals.
The Windermere native would face-off against 5th-seeded Mike Davis. After play was suspended during the Semifinals on Wednesday, Weston would advance to the Finals thanks to a concession from his opponent. On Thursday, Weston would be matched up with 3rd-seeded Robert Karcher, who got to the Finals after a hard-fought, Semifinals victory by a score of 2 up. Weston and Karcher's battle was back-and-forth throughout the entire match and would ultimately come down to the par-3 18th hole where Weston held a one-hole lead standing on the tee. Weston reached the green in regulation and, after missing a putt for par, Karcher would concede, providing Weston with his first-ever FSGA Championship.
75 & Over Division
Pete McDade came into this year's Championship as the two-time defending champion in the 75 & Over Division. The Apollo Beach native completed the Seeding Round in second place with a score of 3-over par, 70. Despite being three shots back of the medalist, McDade would enter the match play portion as the 1st-seed thanks to his status as defending champion.
After his first-round opponent withdrew from the tournament, McDade would face off against 5th-seeded Jerry Young in the Semifinals. McDade and Young had a tightly-contested match that came down to the final few holes. Ultimately, the eventual champion would punch his ticket to the Finals with a 2 & 1 victory. 3rd-seeded Pete Andrews would look to dethrone the defending champion in the Finals, but McDade's strong play proved to be too much. Standing in the fairway on the 15th hole, McDade would hole out his approach from approximately 140 yards to seal the match by a score of 4 & 3, securing his third-consecutive Super Senior Match Play Championship.
Tournament Summary
Format: 18 holes of individual gross stroke play, followed by match play
Eligibility: FSGA Adult Members at least 65 years of age, Florida resident
Handicap: Florida GHIN 15.0 or less
Entry Fee: $225
Championship Format
- Eighteen holes of individual stroke play on Monday to determine match play seeds for all divisions as follows:
- Championship Division - low 15 players advance to the Championship bracket
- Defending Champion receives the #1 seed if electing to play in same division
- A tie for last qualifier's place will be decided immediately by a hole-by-hole playoff in the Championship bracket only
- Any players not making the Championship bracket, will be flighted into brackets of 8 based on seeding round score (USGA Tie-break will be used)
- 70-74 Age Division and 75 & Over Age Division - players will be flighted into brackets of 8 based on seeding round score (USGA tie-break will be used)
- Defending Champions will receive the #1 seed in the Championship Bracket of their age division, if defending in that division
- Championship Division - low 15 players advance to the Championship bracket
- In the event of a tied match, the stipulated round is deemed to extend to as many holes as are required for a match to be won
- All brackets are single elimination match play
- All players are guaranteed at least two rounds of golf (one stroke play and one match play)
Eligibility
- Male amateur golfer at least 65 years of age as of the first day of the Championship
- Florida residency required
- Entrant is required to be an adult member of the FSGA and have Florida GHIN not exceeding 15.0
- All players will be placed in the age division commensurate with their age as of the first day of Championship (unless choosing to enter the Championship Division)
Entry Fee
- $225
- Late entries will be accepted subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the field
Schedule of Events
- Monday, June 10th
- Stroke Play Seeding Round - 8:30 AM shotgun start
- A tie for last qualifying place(s) will be decided immediately by a hole-by-hole playoff in the Championship Division only
- Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
- Tuesday, June 11th
- 7:30 AM - 12:20 PM 1st tee start - Round of 16 matches for Championship Division and quarterfinal matches for all other divisions
- 12:20 PM - 1:00 PM - Quarterfinal matches for Championship Division
- Wednesday, June 12th
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7:30 AM - 9:30 AM - Semifinal matches - all divisions
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Thursday, June 13th
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7:30 AM - 8:30 AM - Final matches - all divisions
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Entry Priority
- Entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the field is full. Entries are then placed on an alternates list in order of receipt and contacted if, and when, a spot becomes available
Championship Practice Rounds
- Practice rounds are available for $40.00 + tax on a space available basis one week prior to the event, limited to after 12:00 PM on the weekend prior
- Please call (561) 627-1800 to reserve a practice round
Championship Information
- Course Setup
- Championship Division - 6,100 - 6,300 yards
- 70-74 Division - 5,900 - 6,100 yards
- 75 & Over Division - 5,500 - 5,700 yards
- Field Size - 96 players
- Tee Times & Information
Championship Policies
- Championship Policies
- Pace of Play Policy
- Code of Conduct
- Local Rules & Competitions
- Spectators & Spectator Cart Policy
- The FSGA Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee reserves the right to alter any of the conditions, provisions and/or schedules. The decision of the Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee in any matter will be final.
Player Information
- Procedures for Alternates
- Refunds & Notice of Withdrawals
- StrackaLine Yardage Books
- Caddies are NOT permitted in FSGA Championships
Past Championships
Host Site
- PGA National Resort & Spa - Match Course
400 Ave of the Champions
Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 33418
(561) 627-1800- Directions
- Payment - Cash & All Major Credit Cards are accepted at PGA National
Host Hotel
- PGA National Resort
- 400 Ave of the Champions
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 - (800) 863-2819
- 400 Ave of the Champions
- Booking Details
- Booking Deadline: Friday May 10th, 2024
- Book Your Room Here!
- Courtyard Palm Beach Jupiter
- 4800 Main St
Jupiter, FL 33458 - (561) 776-2700
- 4800 Main St
- Booking Details
- Booking Deadline: Wednesday May 8th, 2024
- Book Your Room Here!
Exemptions Earned From This Tournament
Winner (Championship Division)
- Next Year's Senior Amateur Championship