VERO BEACH, Fla. – Day two brought another test as the final round of stroke play wrapped up at the 44th Florida Mid-Amateur Championship, officially setting the 32-player match play bracket. An 8:00 AM shotgun start launched 82 competitors into action, with match play tee times stretching into the afternoon as the chase for the Sweet 16 loomed large.
Round Two Stroke Play Seeding
The second round of stroke play at The Moorings at Hawk’s Nest Golf Club saw Thad Hudgens emerge as the No. 1 seed, thanks to an impressive opening-round 5-under 67 and a follow-up round of 69, giving him a two-day total of 136. Hudgens finished five strokes ahead of the field, riding a wave of momentum into the head-to-head format that soon awaited.
The cutline, which initially populated at 8-over, gradually shifted to 6-over by the end of the round. The final number produced a clean 32-player field, eliminating the need for a playoff.
Round of 32
With match play underway, the excitement quickly ramped up at the championship. The first matches teed off at 1:50 PM, headlined by top-seeded Thad Hudgens taking on No. 32 seed James Bishop. Hudgens jumped out to an early two-hole lead, but Bishop responded with a win on the third to stay within reach. Despite a determined effort from Bishop, Hudgens leaned on the momentum from his stroke play performance to secure a 1 up victory.
The match between No. 2 seed Jimmy Kozikowski and Nicholas Diebel was a back-and-forth battle. Diebel surged ahead early, going 3 up through three holes. But Kozikowski showed resilience, clawing back to square the match by their eighth hole in an exciting turnaround. Diebel was able to fend off Kozikowski, defeating him 1 up.
Rhett Pooley had dominant performance, cruising to a 7 & 6 victory over Austin Collins, becoming the first player to punch his ticket to the Sweet 16.
In one of the day's most dramatic finishes, Lance LaCombe made a sensational par save on the 18th to force extra holes against Scott Turner. Riding the momentum, LaCombe closed out the match on the first extra hole to win in 19.
The final match on the course featured Joseph Latowski and Tyler Gulliksen. All square after 18, the match continued into extra holes. On the 20th hole of the day, and the 38th played between stroke and match play, Latowski holed a clutch 20-footer to save par. However, Gulliksen responded on the next hole by sinking a birdie putt from just off the green to seal the match in 20 holes.
