Florida will boast some of the strongest senior amateur golfers in the country at this week's USGA Senior Amateur being held at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, NJ. A total of eight seniors will make the trip to the Garden state after successfully completing sectional qualifying at one of three Florida sites.
George Roat of Windermere earned medalist honors at Quail Ridge shooting a 2-under par 70. Roat was followed by Doug Ritter of Davie and Fort Lauderdale's Rick Woulfe at 71. In addition to winning the FSGA Player of the Year award in 2002 and 2004, Woulfe has captured the FSGA Senior Player of the Year award in 6 of the 7 years since he became eligible in 2005. The Fort Lauderdale native has also competed in numerous USGA Championships and is a former FSGA Senior Amateur Champion.
2004 FSGA Senior Amateur Champion, Bruce Scamehorn of Winter Haven and Doug LaCrosse of Tampa shared medalist honors at Belleair Country Club after each carding 1-under par rounds of 70. LaCrosse is a reinstated amateur who also captured the FSGA Player of the Year award in 1994, 1996 and 2000 as well as winning numerous FSGA Championships. Brian Hawke of Temple Terrace grabbed the final qualifying spot after shooting an even par 71 on Belleair's East course. Hawke was part of one of the best high school golf teams of all time with teammates Gary Koch and Eddie Pearce.
The final qualifier was held at Amelia National where Wesley Paxon of Jacksonville was medalist with a 72. Paxon will be joined at the Championship by David Mears of Citra who also qualified after carding a 73.
Mountain Ridge Country Club which is celebrating its100th anniversary will be hosting the Championship; its first national championship of any kind. This will be the third USGA Championship this year to be held in New Jersey following the Men's State Team and Women's Amateur Public Links Championships. Competitors will play 36 holes of stroke play after which the field will be cut to the low 64 for match play. The USGA Senior Amateur, open to golfers 55 and older, is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
