Tampa, Fla. – The 74th edition of the Four-Ball Championship takes center stage at Seminole Legacy Golf Club starting on Saturday. 52 teams of two will look to etch their name into the record books by winning the Four-Ball Championship.
Format of Play
While the Florida State Golf Association hosts many golf tournaments throughout the year, only a handful of them get to be with a partner or team. The 74th Four-Ball Championship happens to be one of them.
Teams of two play out their own golf ball throughout each hole, but only the best score gets taken on each hole. Because of this, players get the opportunity to take a much more aggressive approach to the golf course than they normally would and wind up making more birdies.
Strategy also becomes a large part of this golf tournament. For example, if one player is long off the tee, they may elect to have their partner lay back on a hole to secure a shot in the fairway, while the longer player plays aggressively to try and make birdie or even eagle.
2022 Florida Cup Members Bring Experience
Many members from both teams of the 2022 Florida Cup bring four-ball experience to the championship. Among those players include:
- Marc Dull/Chip Brooke – Although these two players have extensive resumes individually, what they have done as four-ball partners is equally as impressive. In 2018, these two traveled to Jupiter Hills Golf Club to play in the U.S. Four-Ball Championship. They made it all the way to the championship match before falling to Cole Hammer and Garrett Barber. All though these two have never won the FSGA Four-Ball, do not be surprised to see these two at the top of the leaderboard.
- Richard Donegan/Joey Latowski – Just like Dull and Brooke, these two have had great individual careers and look to bring their team play to a team win this week. Partnered in the Florida Cup last year, they won their match in the foursomes section of the team event. They also qualified for the 2023 U.S. Four-Ball together.
- Will Davenport/TJ Shuart – Both members of the 2022 Florida Cup South Team have a lot of experience in team events, although it may not be together. Shuart finished second in the 73rd Four-Ball Championship, while Davenport competed in the 2022 U.S. Four-Ball Championship
Other notable Florida Cup players include Jon Veneziano playing with his son Alex and Joe Alfieri, playing with his son Cade.
Defending Champions Back for More
After Cooper Smith and Austin Cherichella won last year’s Four-Ball Championship, they decided to partner up again to take the trophy back. Smith has been having a great summer so far, but has not been able to seal the deal in an event yet, having runner up finishes in both the 106th Amateur Championship and the 31st Amateur Match Play Championship.
Cherichella has played some great collegiate golf at Florida Gulf Coast in Florida within the past year with his season best finish of 3rd at the John Hayt Invitational. Other notable finishes include a tied for 9th Place finish at the Sea Best invitational and a tied for 10th place finish at The Aggie Invitational.
Players to Watch
Along with the players listed above, there are many other names that are considered to be one of the favorites to win the 74th Four-Ball Championship.
- Jacob Carter/Steve Carter – Coming off of their recent win at the Parent-Child Championship, the Carter’s are looking to add another team win to their family name. Steve Carter is one of the more decorated players in the field, with two wins at the Mid-Amateur Championship, two wins at the Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship, a win at the Four-Ball Championship, and a win at the Forty & Over Four-Ball Championship. His win at the Four-Ball Championship came in 2005, and many years later, Jacob and himself look to do it again.
- Bill Anderson/Blake Biggs – After partnering up in the Two-Man Scramble Championship and losing in a playoff to Marc Dull and Rhett Pooley, Anderson and Biggs are not looking for another second place finish. Biggs recently made the cut at the Florida Open, while Anderson finished 4th at the 26th Amateur Public Links Championship.
Seminole Legacy Plays Host
Seminole Legacy Golf Club, underwent a complete golf course renovation a few years ago and has never looked back. Jack Nicklaus being the lead designer of the course made Seminole Legacy one of the top golf courses in the state of Florida. With undulating greens and hills not often seen in Florida, this golf course is going to be quite a challenge for players this year.
