BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Cooper Smith and Austin Cherichella survived two playoff holes to capture the 73rd Four-Ball Championship on Sunday at The Club at Quail Ridge. The team finished the weekend 19-under 125 and secured the victory with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
This is the first FSGA championship win for both Smith and Cherichella.
Beginning the final round in a tie for the lead, Smith and Cherichella got the day started with a 5-under front side. Cherichella birdied two the first three holes, while Smith added birdies on the fourth, fifth and ninth.
The duo posted a 32 on the back side, with two birdies from Smith and an eagle on the par-5 13th for Cherichella, to finish the day with a final-round 63. They sat in a tie for first at 19 under with TJ Shuart and Scott Turner.
After a first-round 64 for Shuart and Turner, the pair started the final round with a front-nine 30, with two birdies from Turner and two birdies and an eagle from Shuart. They finished the day with five birdies on the back side for a final-round 61, the low round of the day, to force a playoff with Smith and Cherichella.
Smith and Cherichella birdied the second playoff hole to capture the Four-Ball victory, while Shuart and Turner finished runner-up. Defending champions, Sampson Zheng and Grant Drogosch, finished third at 17-under 127.
The Four-Ball Championship is Florida's most competitive team event each year. This Championship attracts the best amateur players around the state as they pair-up with long-time competitors and friends to battle other formidable teams.
| Tournament Summary |
| Format: 36 holes of gross four-ball stroke play |
| Eligibility: FSGA member; one player at least 16 years old |
| Handicap: FL GHIN 10.0 or less |
| Entry Fees: Qualifying - $180 | Exempt - $340 |
| Qualifying: Six local qualifying sites |
| Exempt Players |
| Schedule of Events |
| Past Results |
Championship Format
- Championship field size - 52 teams (104 players)
- 36 holes of four-ball stroke play (commonly called two person best-ball)
- The lowest team score for 36 holes will be the Champion
Eligibility
- Male amateur golfer
- At least one player must be 16 years of age as of the first day of the Championship
- Both entrants are required to be members of the FSGA
- Active Florida GHIN of 10.0 or less at the time of entry
Entry Fees (per team)
| Qualifying Fee | Championship Fee | Exempt Fee | Late Fee |
| $180 | $260 | $340 | $10 |
- 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 tee gifts and gift certificates, all course and cart fees, and range balls.
- Exempt Fee: Exempt fee includes Championship fee and entry fee for those individuals eligible for exemption.
Late entries are subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the field.
Pre-Registration
Those teams who advance to the Championship through qualifying must pre-register and remit an additional $260 per team at the FSGA website, www.fsga.org. Payment must be received by 3:30 PM on Friday, August 5th, or the team will be withdrawn from the Championship
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
Qualifying Entry Fees - 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 two days of the scheduled start date of the qualifier.
Championship Fees & Exempt Entry Fees - 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 (See pre-registration date displayed on this page).
Course Set-Up
The golf course will be set-up at approximately 6,900-7,500 yards
Schedule of Events
Saturday, August 13th
- 8:00 - 10:00 AM - Round one tee times off of #1 and #10 tees
- Complimentary lunch after Round 1
Sunday, August 14th
- 8:00 - 10:00 AM - Round two tee times off of #1 and #10 tees
- Awards ceremony immediately following the completion of play
Local Qualifying
18 holes of four-ball stroke play at 6 local qualifying sites. Cart fees are included in your qualifying fee. The number of qualifying spots will be posted at the host site and will be proportionate to other qualifying sites based on the size of the field. Ties for the last qualifying spot will also qualify (there are no playoffs). Alternates will be determined by ordering the players that just missed qualifying, and ties for alternate spots will be broken by the USGA suggested method (last 9, last 6, last 3, etc.).
Defending Champions
Sampson Zheng and Grant Drogosch survived three playoff holes to capture the 72nd Four-Ball Championship at Bradenton Country Club. The team finished at 13-under 129 to secure the victory with a birdie on the final playoff hole.
Click here for previous year's results
Practice Rounds - Championship
Practice rounds are available Friday, August 12th after 10:00 AM on a space available basis. The cost of your practice round is $35 plus tax. Please call (561) 735-7710 to arrange your practice round.
Exemptions Earned from this Tournament
Winner
- Next three Four-Ball Championships
Top five and tied teams
- Next year's Four-Ball Championship
Other Policies
- Spectators and Spectator Cart Policy - Click here.
- Caddies - Caddies are allowed in all FSGA Championships except Junior events. However, a player must not use a parent, step-parent or guardian as a caddie. The caddie MUST walk and the player's clubs must remain on the golf cart. - Click here
- Championship Pace of Play Policy - Click here.
- Local Rules and Terms of the 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
There is currently no host hotel for this event.
Payment
The Club at Quail Ridge accepts cash, Visa, and MasterCard as forms of payment. Spectator carts may be purchased with CASH ONLY.
Directions
The Club at Quail Ridge
3715 Golf Road
Boynton Beach, FL 33436
561-735-7710
Click here for directions.
