Senior Amateur Match Play Championship

Woulfe Wins Senior Match Play Championship

Rick Woulfe defeated Gary Golbesky 8 and 7 to win the 2nd Senior Amateur Match Play Championship at Sara Bay Country Club in Sarasota on July 8-12. 

Rick Woulfe, of Fort Lauderdale, and Gary Golbesky, from Port St. Lucie, each won four matches en route to meeting in the finals of the Championship flight. In the finals, Woulfe, the 2007 Senior Amateur Champion, defeated Golbesky after making birdie on the 11th hole to close out the match. Woulfe started the match winning the first three holes and went on to win holes 7, 8 and 9. “I played pretty good,” said Woulfe. “I didn’t three putt all day.” Woulfe, the 2005 and 2006 Senior Player-of-the-Year, earned the number one seed after firing a 71 in the seeding round, the only under par round of the seeding round. After winning his first match 6 and 4, Woulfe defeated the defending champion Berger Warner, of Ocala, 1 up in the Round of 16. “I just squeezed past him,” said Woulfe. In the quarters, Woulfe beat the 2006 Senior Amateur Champion Ron Cleland, of Naples, 5 and 3 and went on to beat Sara Bay member William Goshorn, from Sarasota, 3 and 2 in the semifinals. “This was a good tournament,” said Woulfe. “Sara Bay is a great match play course.” Woulfe now looks to sweep the Senior events this season. With this win and the Senior Amateur Championship, Woulfe and partner Bob Ethridge will be competing for the Senior Four-Ball title in October.

In the Senior Division first flight, Eddie Bass, of University Park, edged out Gary Saft, of Fort Myers, 2 and 1 to win the flight. In another close match, Gerald Johnson, of Tallahassee, beat Tommy Piazza, of Sarasota, 1 up to win the Senior Division second flight. Johnson aced the 4th hole on the way to his victory.

In the battle between two TPC at Eagle Trace members, Jim DuBois, of Coral Springs, defeated against Bob Rogoff, of Coral Springs, 4 and 3. DuBois was the number one seed in the flight after posting a 76 in the seeding round. In a match on Wednesday, Don Lambert, of Foley, claimed the Super Senior first flight defeating Ron Goldburg, of Delray Beach, 4 and 3.

Semifinals Story

Quarterfinals Story

Preliminary Round Story

Seeding Round Story

Designed by Donald Ross in 1925, Brian Silva completed an extensive renovation in 2006 to preserve the integrity of the original Ross design featuring new tee complexes, bunkers, regrassing fairways and TifEagle Bermuda greens.

ELIGIBILITY

Must be a member of the FSGA and reached 55 years of age by July 8, 2007.

ENTRY FEE

$185 ($195 - members who do not have an active FSGA/GHIN Handicap).

SEEDING

All players will play an 18 hole stroke play seeding round on Sunday to determine flights and seed within each flight.

Four flights begin match play on Monday morning. Only the Senior Division championship flight will play Monday afternoon. All four flights will play Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning with the finals for all four flights on Thursday morning. Winner of the Senior Division championship flight will be the Senior Amateur Match Play champion.

DIVISIONS

55-64 (Senior), 65 and over (Super-Senior). All players will be placed in the age division commensurate with their age as of the first day of the Championship. No player may play in both age divisions. (Any Super-Senior wishing to compete in the Senior division must notify the FSGA upon entry.)

CARTS

Carts are included for all competitive rounds. Players are responsible for practice round cart fees.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

Berger Warner, of Ocala, won the inaugural title as Mike Craven won the final match for the Super Senior division.