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Peel Wins Senior Match Play Championship

July 10, 2008

Before starting match play, Fred Peel, of Chipley, earned the 3rd seed after posting a 70 in the seeding round. Peel proceeded to win four matches to reserve his spot in the final match. In the Round of 32, Peel beat Quay Burket, of Altamonte Springs, 8 and 6 to face Bill O'Keefe, from Fort Lauderdale, in the next round. Peel beat O’Keefe 3 and 2 in the Round of 16. In the quarters, Peel defeated Bob Ethridge, of Plantation, by the same score of 3 and 2. In the semis, Peel kept his winning streak alive defeating Gary Pettit, from Dade City, 4 and 3 to advance to the final match versus Scamehorn. Peel won his fifth and final match defeating Scamehorn 3 and 2. Peel jumped ahead early and was 2 up after nine holes and maintained the lead throughout the entire match. En route to facing Peel in the finals, Scamehorn, the 2004 Senior Amateur Champion and 2006 Senior Match Play Runner Up, defeated the 2006 Champion Berger Warner, of Ocala, 4 and 3 in the Round of 16. Scamehorn, of Winter Haven, won his next match by default and then upset top seed and Defending Champion Rick Woulfe, of Fort Lauderdale, 2 and 1 in the semifinals. In the Senior Division First Flight, Tom Hendrick, from Inverness, defeated Roger Flaherty, of San Antonio, 3 and 2. Hendrick won the first hole, lost the next two holes then regained the lead for the win.  

In the Super Senior Championship Bracket, 2nd seed Brian Sachs, of Newberry, beat Bill Sonntag, of Saint Augustine, 4 and 3 for the division title. Sachs defeated last year’s Super Senior Champion Jim DuBois, of Coral Springs, 1 up in the Round of 16 and then beat the 2005 Senior Amateur Champion Edward Craig, of Orlando, 1 up in the quarters. Sachs continued his run winning his semifinal match 2 and 1 against Max Mathews, of Andalusia. Ron Audi, from Ocala, upset top seed Bob Rogoff, of Coral Springs, 6 and 5 to claim the Super Senior First Flight title.

To be eligible, players must have reached 55 years of age by July 6, 2008. All players traveling to Golden Ocala were guaranteed an 18-hole seeding round and at least one round of match play. After the 18-hole seeding round, the field of 96 (64 Seniors and 32 Super-Seniors) was seeded into two Senior Division flights of 32 players and two Super-Senior Division flights of 16 each. Ultimately, there is a Senior Amateur Match Play Champion and a Super-Senior Amateur Match Play Champion. 

For pairings, tee-times, and results, please see www.fsga.org. 

Organized in 1913, the Florida State Golf Association is a not-for-profit organization that governs amateur golf in the state of Florida. In addition to conducting 25 championships for amateur golfers in the state, the FSGA is responsible for more than 40 qualifying tournaments for USGA National Championships and the Florida Junior Tour. The FSGA also maintains the USGA Handicap System, performs course ratings throughout Florida and assists in junior programs and scholarships.