MIROMAR LAKES, Fla. – Gene Fieger survived a playoff to capture the 45th Florida Senior Open Championship on Wednesday at Miromar Lakes Golf & Beach Club. The Naples native used a 5-under 211 total and a par on the first playoff hole to capture the Senior Open victory.
This is Fieger’s third-career Florida Senior Open victory and his first since 2018. He becomes the third person in Florida Senior Open history to win three titles and the first since Mike San Filippo in 2008.
Fieger began the final round in a tie for sixth place, three shots behind the leaders, after rounds of 71-71 to begin the championship. After a bogey on the second and a birdie on the eighth, Fieger made the turn at 2 under for the championship.
The 2010 and 2018 champion birdied the 10th to move to 3 under and sit two shots back of Mark Mielke who held the lead. Mielke began the day with a share of the lead and took the outright lead with a birdie on the eighth. He added another birdie on the 11th to take a two-shot lead over the field.
Fieger kept it rolling on the back side, birdieing back-to-back holes on the 15th and 16th to cut Mielke’s lead to one shot. Fieger finished the final round with two-straight pars to finish with a final-round 69 and take the clubhouse lead with Todd Franks at 5-under 211.
Franks began the final round in a tie for sixth with Fieger. He got it going on the front side, birdieing three of four holes on Nos. 3-6. He ran into some trouble on the seventh with a double bogey to make the turn at 3 under. The Fort Myers amateur carded to birdies on the back to finish the day at 5-under 211.
Mielke held the top spot on the leaderboard, heading to the 18th tee with a one-shot lead over Fieger and Franks. His second shot put him in the greenside bunker, needing to get up and down to save par and capture the win. His 20-foot putt for par lipped out and forced a playoff with Fieger and Franks.
All three players headed to the 18th tee. Fieger hit his second shot to eight feet and two-putted for par to capture the victory, while Mielke and Franks finished the week in a tie for second place. Franks earned Low-Amateur honors, ending the championship two shots ahead of Miles McConnell.
Timothy Cantwell and Paul Tesori both carded the low-round of the championship (6-under 66). Cantwell birdied nine holes in second round to post his 66, while Tesori posted an bogey-free 66 in the final round with six birdies.
