Senior Amateur Championship

Marshall Crowned 54th Senior Amateur Champion 

Gordon Marshall, of Sarasota, put together a solid performance of golf during each round en route to capturing his first Senior Amateur Championship. Marshall opened with a strong first round two-under par score of 70 to find himself tied for second place, two shots off the lead, entering the second round. Day two marked Marshall’s worst round but he managed to post an even par score that boosted him into first place. Over the course of two days, Marshall recorded eight birdies and one eagle giving him momentum for the final round. Entering the final round, first round leader, Buddy Alexander, and Peter Wegmann stood tied for second place one shot behind Marshall.

Marshall, Alexander, and Wegmann stood on the first tee making up the final group on Thursday. Marshall bogeyed the par four, third hole but turned around and made two birdies to finish his first nine holes one-under par. Sneaking up the leaderboard was Owen Joyner, of Bonita Springs, who carded three birdies in his first nine moving ahead of Wegmann who fell behind after two bogies on the front nine. Alexander started the final nine holes on fire with back-to-back birdies on holes nine and ten.

Marshall never let his foot off the accelerator and started a train of birdies on holes 13, 15, 16, and 18. Despite Alexander’s consistent play and two birdies on the back nine he could not catch Marshall and finished six shots behind in second place. Joyner followed closely with a two-under par final nine score to finish tied for third with Rokki Rogan, of Fort Myers. Rogan put on an impressive show on the back nine with three birdies in a row for a final round 72, tournament total 217. Peter Wegmann finished tied for sixth with scores of 70-73-76 -- 219.

Gordon Marshall’s flawless final nine hole score of 32 simply described his tournament play. He was the only player to shoot even par or better for three rounds (70-72-67), which lead him to a tournament total 209 and a victory. 2014 Senior Amateur Champion, Pete Williams, and 2013 Senior Amateur Champion, Doug LaCrosse, finished tied for 10th and 14th respectively. Gordon Marshall was crowned 2015 Senior Amateur Champion, Thursday, April 16th.

Since the number of entries received has always surpassed the capacity of the Championship, a qualifying stage was instituted in 2005. While 50 players earned exempt status through a variety of different means, just about 300 participants attempted to qualify at one of six sites across the state, as competitors played 18 holes of stroke play hoping to advance to the Championship. Participants must be 55 or older to participate in the Championship.

Round One Recap

Round Two Recap 

Click here for Full Results

Entries Close Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Not only is the 54th Senior Amateur Championship a great chance to reconnect with old friends, but it is also one of the FSGA's most popular and prestigious events.  Join the state's top senior amateur golfers at The Country Club of Naples; a great course and a great location on Florida's Southwest Coast.  Enjoy a complimentary players' dinner on the eve of the first round as well as lunch after each round. For those not exempt into the championship field, six qualifiers are held around the state to determine the field. Click here for a look at the 2014 Championship Results.

Championship Format

• 54 holes of individual stroke play
• 144 player field 
• Cut to the low 60 and ties after the second round
• Initial groupings will be for two days; the field will be re-paired by score after the second round
• Round three tee times will start at 8:00 AM off of the first & tenth tees

Eligibility

• Male amateurs must be age 55 or older as of April 14, 2015, and be a member of the FSGA.

Entry Fees

• Qualifying Fee: Qualifying Fee includes entry fee and cart fee.
• Championship Fee: Fee paid by those individuals who advance to the Championship through qualifying. Includes a players' dinner, tee gifts and gift certificates, course and cart fees, range balls, and lunch for each competitive round.
  
• Exempt Fee: Exempt Fee includes Championship Fee and Entry Fee for those individuals eligible for exemption. As well as the players' dinner, tee gifts and gift certificates, course and cart fees, range balls, and lunch for each competitive round.

Late entries will be accepted subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the qualifying field. 

Pre-Registration

Those individuals who advance to the Championship through qualifying must pre-register and remit an additional $245 either online at the FSGA website at www.fsga.org or by check to the FSGA office for advance payment of Championship Fees. Fees include lunch after each of the competitive rounds and a Players' Dinner. Payment must be received by Monday, April 6 by 3:30 pm, or the individual will be withdrawn from the Championship. Championship Fee includes cart fees for all competitive rounds.

To Pre-Register:

• Log on to the FSGA website at www.fsga.org using your email address and password
• Click on "My Account" in the upper right hand corner of the homepage
• Under "My Tournaments", click on the "Pre-Register" button to the right of the tournament name
• Enter your credit card information and then click the "Charge My Card" button on the bottom right hand corner of the page
  

Refunds, Notice of Withdrawals

Requests for qualifying entry refunds received prior to entry closing date will be honored (less $20 per entry administrative fee). Requests received after the closing date will be honored (less 50% of entry fee). No requests will be honored within 48 hours of the first scheduled tee time.

Requests for refunds of Exempt or Championship fees prior to the pre-registration deadline will be honored (less $20 per entry administrative fee). No requests will be honored after the pre-registration deadline.

Schedule of Events

Monday, April 13th 

• 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM – Tournament Registration (in the main clubhouse)
• 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM – Players’ Dinner at The Country Club of Naples

Tuesday, April 14th

• Tournament Registration (Outside of the Golf Shop)
• 8:00 AM - 9:39 AM - Round One morning tee times off #1 and #10
• Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
• 12:30 PM - 2:09 PM - Round One afternoon tee times off #1 and #10

Wednesday, April 15th

• 8:00 AM - 9:39 AM - Round Two morning tee times off #1 and #10
• Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
• 12:30 PM - 2:09 PM - Round Two afternoon tee times off #1 and #10

Thursday, April 16th

• 8:00 AM - Final Round tee times off #1 and #10
• Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
• Awards ceremony immediately following the completion of play

Course Set-Up

The golf course will be set-up at approximately 6,500-6,600 yards.

Local Qualifying

18 holes of stroke play at 6 local sites.  Cart fees are included in your qualifying fee.

Defending Champion

After an opening 75, Pete Williams lapped the field in rounds two and three at Vero Beach Country Club, April 15th-17th, 2014. Williams would fire 67 and 69 respectively in the final two rounds for a three-day total of 211 (-4) good enough for a 6 stroke victory.

Practice Round Cart Fees

Players are responsible for practice round cart fees at qualifying sites and at the Championship proper.

Exemptions

Players in the following categories will be eligible for exemption provided they meet all entry and eligibility requirements.

• Last ten year's Senior Amateur Champions
• Top 30 and tied from last year's Senior Amateur Championship
• Last three year's Senior Amateur Match Play Championship (55-64 Age Division) Champions
• Last year's Super-Senior Amateur Champion (65-69 Age Division)
• Player finishing runner-up in last year's Senior Amateur Match Play Championship (55-64 Age Division)
• Top 10 and tied from last year's Senior Player of the Year final point standings
• Top 20 and tied from the Winter Series (55-64 Age Division) current points list as of the close of entries
• Winners of the current year's Winter Series season (55-64 Age Division) individual events
• Points Champion of previous year's Winter Series (65 and Over Age Division) points list
• Points Champion of previous year's Winter Series (55-64 Age Division) points list
• Players finishing in the top 30 and tied of last year's Mid-Senior Championship
• Players making match play at last year's Mid-Amateur Championship
• Players qualifying for any one of last year's USGA National Championships 
• Top 3 and tied from last year's Palm Beach County Golf Association Senior points list
• Last year's PBCGA Senior Amateur Champion
• Last year's PBCGA Tour Championship Senior
• Division Champion Top 3 and tied from last year's Emerald Coast  Senior Scratch Series (ECSSS)
  
• Last year's ECSSS Match Play Champion

Exemptions Earned from this Tournament

Winner

• Next ten Senior Amateur Championships
• Current year's Amateur Championship
• Current year's Mid-Amateur Championship
• Next two Florida Senior Open Championships

Top five and tied finishers

• Current year's Florida Senior Open Championship

Top thirty and tied finishers

• Next year's Senior Amateur Championship

Practice Round- Championship

Practice rounds are available one week prior to the Championship, after 12:00 PM on the weekend at a rate of $35 plus tax. Please call (239) 261-1267 to arrange your practice round. The proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range, hitting multiple shots on the course is unacceptable.

Other Policies

• Spectators and Spectator Cart Policy - Click here.
• Caddies - If a player employs a caddie, the caddie MUST walk and player's clubs must remain on the golf cart.
• Championship Pace of Play Policy - Click here.
• Local Rules and Conditions of Competition - Click here.
• Championship Policies - Click here to read the withdrawal, dress code, and other policies.
• Procedures for Alternates - Click here for information on how alternates may gain entry into this Championship.
• Conditions/ Schedule - The FSGA Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee reserves the right to alter any of the conditions, provisions and/or schedules. The decision of the Championships Committee/on-site Rules Committee in any matter will be final.

Host Hotel and Accommodations

Two host hotels have been setup for the FSGA Senior Championship at The Country Club of Naples. Click here for more information.

Hampton Inn Naples - Central
3210 Tamiami Trail North
Naples, FL 34103
(239) 261-8000

$125 per room, per night
*rate includes standard Hampton Inn hot breakfast for guests

When calling hotel for reservation, please reference the "FSGA Senior Amateur Room Block"

Must book by Friday, April 3rd to guarantee rate!

Fairfield Inn & Suites - Naples
3808 White Lakes Boulevard
Naples, FL 34117
(239) 530-3355

$99 for 2 Queen Bedroom per room, per night
$109 for King Suite per suite, per night
*rate includes complimentary hot breakfast for guests

When calling hotel for reservations, please reference the "Florida State Golf Association Room Block"

Must book by Friday, April 3rd to guarantee rate!

Payment

Country Club of Naples accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Directions to the Country Club of Naples

Country Club of Naples
185 Burning Tree Drive
Naples, FL 34105
(239) 261-1267

Click here for directions