VERO BEACH, Fla. – The 44th Florida Mid-Amateur Championship unfolded this week as 84 players made their way to The Moorings at Hawk’s Nest in Vero Beach. Hawk’s Nest proved to be a formidable test, with pristine conditions, demanding greens, and steady coastal winds challenging the field. After four days and 90 grueling holes, Kyle Martin emerged victorious, defeating Ty Capps 3 & 2 in the championship match to claim the Mid-Amateur title. Here’s how it all played out.
Stroke Play Seeding
The first day of the Championship, several players managed to dip into red figures, but Hawk’s Nest quickly showed its bite. With tight fairways, accuracy off the tee was essential. As play continued and players made their way to their back nine, the red numbers started to dwindle.
The round of the day came from 2014 Mid-Amateur Champion Thad Hudgens, who rebounded from back-to-back bogeys to start his round. He would use a cumulative eight birdies en route to a 5-under 67, three shots clear of the closest contender. Hudgens capped off his round with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, giving him an extra edge.
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 a 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.
Round of 16
The morning’s Round of 16 was loaded with exciting matchups and plenty of back-and-forths.
The day began with a heavyweight clash between 2014 Mid-Amateur Champion Thad Hudgens and reigning Men’s Player of the Year Will Davenport. Davenport struck first, but Hudgens answered with strong play of his own. The match was tied heading to the 17th, where Hudgens edged ahead. Needing to win the final hole to extend the match, Davenport watched Hudgens throw a dart into the 18th green to close out a tightly contested battle.
Carl Santos-Ocampo made a statement in his match against Ryan Gallan, rolling to a convincing 5 & 4 win in the morning’s first result.
Rhett Pooley and Will Evans delivered the round’s only extra-hole thriller. Tied through 18, Pooley drained a 20-foot birdie on the 20th hole to seal the win, as Evans couldn’t match.
In the “friends turned foes” matchup, Ty Capps would end up beating Tyler Gulliksen 1 up. Capps capitalized late as Gulliksen missed the green on 18, ending a tightly fought match.
Also advancing were Kyle Martin, David Morgan, and Graham Nichols, who survived tough tests to earn a spot in the afternoon's Elite Eight
Quarterfinals
The afternoon brought wind, and even more pressure, as eight players battled for a semifinal spot.
In the opening quarterfinal, Thad Hudgens and Carl Santos-Ocampo traded the lead multiple times before Hudgens birdied the 16th to pull even. The match remained tied through 18, but Santos-Ocampo prevailed in 19 holes, taking down the stroke-play medalist.
David Morgan and Graham Nichols were all square at the turn before Nichols caught fire. The Jacksonville native birdied hole 11, made eagle on hole 12, and went on to birdie the 13th to pull away, defeating Morgan 3 & 2 with a dominant back-nine performance.
Rhett Pooley looked poised for another win after capturing holes 5, 6, and 7 to go 3 up on Kyle Martin. Martin clawed back with wins on 8 and 11, and after Pooley capitalized on a short miss to go 2 up on 12, Martin rallied again. In a gutsy comeback, Martin won the final two holes to escape with a 1 up victory.
Ty Capps found himself down early to Mike Smith, who jumped ahead 3 up through four holes. But Capps stayed patient. After Smith bogeyed the fifth, the match turned. Capps went on a tear, winning holes 10, 13, 15, and 17 to cap off a 3 & 1 win and earn his spot in the semifinals.
Semifinals
The first match out featured Santos-Ocampo and Martin. Martin came out firing, racing to a 3-up lead through four holes. He extended it to 4 up before a bogey on the 8th allowed Santos-Ocampo to claw one back. That would be the last momentum shift, as Martin never looked back, delivering a dominant performance. He closed out the match on the 15th hole with a 5 & 4 victory, earning a spot in the Championship match.
In the second Semifinal match, Capps and Nichols battled it out until the very end. Nichols held the early edge, but Capps fought back to square the match as they made the turn. On the drivable par-4 13th, Nichols converted a birdie to regain the lead, only for Capps to answer with a win on the 14th.
Nichols again took a 1-up advantage with a win on the 16th, but Capps responded with an eagle on the par-5 17th to tie things up heading into the final hole. Despite never holding a lead all day, Capps saved his best for last, winning the 18th hole to claim a 1-up victory and a spot in the final.
Championship
The Championship match set up a clash between Ty Capps and Kyle Martin. Both players traded pars on the opening hole, setting the tone for a tight battle. Through five holes, it was neck-and-neck with neither player giving an inch.
That changed on the par-4 6th. Facing a difficult tee shot and tucked pin, Martin was forced to hit a provisional. A bogey followed, while Capps capitalized with a steady par to take the first lead of the match.
The wind added an extra battle to this match, but the players continued to go shot for shot. Martin would pick up a birdie on the ninth hole to Capps par, which would have them tied as they headed to the back nine.
Martin started to catch fire, rattling off five birdies in a seven-hole stretch. By the time they reached the 15th tee, he had built a commanding 3-up lead. Capps wasn't ready to surrender just yet. On the par-3 15th, Martin’s tee shot found the front bunker, while Capps sailed his approach long and onto the cart path. In stunning fashion, Capps holed out from the cart path to cut into the lead and keep his hopes alive.
Unfazed, Martin responded with a champion’s answer, draining a clutch 40-foot putt on the 16th to close out the match and secure his first FSGA victory.
