LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Shannon Sykora survived a playoff to capture the 46th Florida Senior Open Championship on Wednesday at Lakewood National Golf Club. The Fort Myers resident used an 6-under 210 and a birdie on the third playoff hole against Steve Vecellio to capture the Florida Senior Open victory.
"This win is really big. I don't play much golf. With coaching college golf, most of my time is spent doing that. To come out here and play against these guys and win is really fun," Sykora said.
This is the Florida Senior Open victory for Sykora, who took home a $12,000 winner’s check.
Vecellio held a one-shot lead over the field to start the final round. He birdied the ninth to finish the front nine at even par and head to the back side with a one-shot lead over the field. Sykora began the final round in a tie for seventh, four shots back of Vecellio. The Florida Gulf Coast University head women’s golf coach got it going on the front side, playing the Nos. 3-7 at 2 under and made the turn at 4 under.
Mike Finster, who started the day three shots back of the leader, made a run in the final round. He carded a bogey-free first nine with a birdie on the third. The St. Petersburg native kept it rolling on the back nine with a birdie on the 10th to move to 5 under, one shot back of Vecellio.
Finster had a good look at eagle on the 13th, with an 18-foot putt off the fringe. He just missed and tapped in for birdie to move to 7 under and take the outright lead. Meanwhile, Sykora added another birdie on the 10th and 13th to go to 5 under.
"When I made birdie on the 13th, I thought if I could get a couple more then I might have a chance," Sykora said.
Sykora added a birdie on the 17th to take a share of the lead at 6 under with Finster, who dropped a shot on the 15th with a bogey. Sykora finished with a par on the 18th to take the clubhouse lead at 6-under 210, with three groups left to finish. Finster found some trouble on the 18th, hitting his second shot in the penalty area and finished the hole with a bogey and ending the day at 5-under 211.
Vecellio had some struggles to start the back nine, playing the Nos. 10-14 at 2 over to fall to 5 under. He birdied 18th hole to finish at 6-under 210 and force a playoff with Sykora.
The players headed to the 18th hole to begin the playoff. Sykora and Vecellio both birdies the first playoff hole and finished with par on the second playoff hole (17th hole). Heading back to the 18th, both players hit their second shot to 15 feet. Vecellio just missed his birdie putt, while Sykora rolled his put in for birdie to capture the win.
Mike Finster finished the week in third on his way to earning Low-Amateur honors.
| Round 1 recap |
$65,000 Professional Purse
$12,000 Winner
$1,000 Minimum to Top-20 Finishers
Top Senior Amateurs & PGA Golf Professionals, age 50 & over, compete for a $50,000 purse in Florida's most competitive Senior Championship!
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Tournament Summary |
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Format: 54 holes of individual gross stroke play |
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Eligibility: Male Professional or Amateur, at least 50 years of age |
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Handicap: Florida GHIN 10.0 or less (Amateurs) |
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Entry Fees: Qualifying - Professional - $145 | Amateur - $110 |
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Qualifying: Six local qualifying sites |
Championship Format
- 54 holes of individual gross stroke play
- Championship Field Size - 156 players
- The field is cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes
- The lowest score for 54 holes is the Champion
Eligibility
- At least 50 years of age as of the first day of the Championship
- Male amateur and professional golfers
- Professionals:
- Must have a SSN, EIN, ITIN for tax reporting purposes. This will need to be confirmed before the entry deadline, or they will be in-eligible to participate.
- Must have valid Florida Mailing address. As of the entry deadline & Championship proper, must have ownership OR be actively leasing a Florida residence.
- Amateurs:
- A valid Florida GHIN not exceeding 10.0 at time of entry
- PGA class A-3 members are ineligible
- Playing Activity - Players that have played in more than 8 select professional tour events are ineligible
Estimated Purse
- $65,000 Professional Purse - Click here to see estimated payouts
- Winner's Check - $12,000
- Top 20 professionals - $1,000 minimum
Entry Fees
| Qualifying Fee | Championship Fee | Exempt Fee |
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| Professional |
$145 | $320 | $400 |
| Amateur | $110 | $250 | $300 |
- 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 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 will be subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the qualifying field.
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Schedule of Events
Monday, May 1st
- 7:30 AM - 9:18 AM - Round one tee times off #1 and #10
- 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM - Complimentary Players' Lunch Buffet for before or after play
- 12:00 PM - 1:48 PM - Round one tee times off #1 and #10
Tuesday, May 2nd
- 7:30 AM - 9:18 AM - Round two tee times off #1 and #10
- 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM - Complimentary Players' Lunch Buffet for before or after play
- 12:00 PM - 1:48 PM - Round two tee times off #1 and #10
- After 36 holes are complete, the field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties
Wednesday, May 3rd
- 7:45 AM - 9:32 AM - Final round tee times off #1 and #10
- 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM - Complimentary Players' Lunch Buffet
- Awards ceremony immediately following the completion of play
Pre-Registration
Those players who advance to the Championship through local qualifying must pre-register and remit the appropriate Championship Fee (see above) at www.fsga.org under the "My Account" section, located in the top right hand corner of the web-page. Payment must be received by Monday, April 24th by 3:30 PM or the individual 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 Fee - 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 Fee & Exempt Entry Fee - 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 courses will be set-up at approximately 6,600 yards.
Local Qualifying
18 holes stroke play at 6 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.).
Transferring Qualifying Sites
Players may submit one entry for the Florida Senior Open and choose the site at which they will attempt to qualify. However, if any site requires adjustment (including, but not limited to, the receipt of more entries than can be accommodated), players will be transferred to another site based on their preference listed on the entry application and date of receipt of entry application (i.e. later applicants will be subject to transfer).
Cart and Caddie Policy
During qualifying and the Championship proper, each player must use a golf cart which is included in the qualifying and Championship entry fees. Caddies are allowed in all FSGA Championships except Junior events. The caddie MUST walk and the player MUST ride, with the player's clubs remaining on the golf cart.
Championship Practice Round and Practice Facility Information
Championship players are responsible for practice round cart fees at qualifying sites and at the Championship proper. Click on Tee Times & Info above and then view the Player Information sheet for each qualifying site venue to find practice round information.
At the Championship, a practice round at the rate of $50 + tax is available on a space available basis at the following times:
- One week prior to the event, limited to after 11:00 AM on the weekend prior
- A Golf Genius Booking Link will be provided after qualifying completes to schedule a practice round on a specified date reservered with the club.
Please call (941) 900-2424 to reserve a practice round outside of the reserved block under the Golf Genius booking link. The proper place to practice your golf swing is on the driving range. Hitting multiple balls on the golf course is unacceptable.
Practice Before & Between Rounds
A player may not practice on the competition course before or between rounds. Penalty for first breach: General Penalty. Penalty for second breach: Disqualification.
Defending Champion
Gene Fieger survived a playoff to capture the 45th Florida Senior Open Championship on Wednesday at Miromar Lakes Golf & Beach Club. The Naples native used an 5-under 211 and a par on the first playoff hole to capture the Senior Open victory. Click here for 2022 results.
Exemptions Earned from this Tournament
Winner
- Next five Florida Senior Open Championships
- Current year's Florida Open Championship
Players finishing in the top twenty and tied
- Next year's Florida Senior Open Championship
Amateurs finishing in the top thirty and tied
- Next year's Senior Amateur Championship
Low Amateur
- Current year's Mid-Amateur Championship
- Next year's Florida Senior Open Championship
Other Policies
- Spectators and Spectator Cart Policy - Click here
- Caddies - Caddies are allowed in Florida Senior Open. The caddie MUST walk and the player MUST ride, with the player's clubs remaining 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
Courtyard Sarasota University Park/Lakewood Ranch Area
Address: 8305 Tourist Center Drive Sarasota, FL 34201
Phone: 941-360-2626
Room Information
- Rates Available: April 30 - May 3
- 2 Queen Beds - $149/night
- 1 King Bed - $149/night
- Deadline: March 31, 2023
- Book here
Payment
Lakewood National Golf Club accepts all major Credit Cards as method of payment.
Dress Code
- Proper attire for competitors and caddies is required at all times at the golf facility. Failure to comply may result in withdrawal of entry.
- Golf Shorts are permitted.
- All hats must be worn properly.
- Collared shirts or shirts specifically designed for golf must be worn and tucked in at all times.
- This code supplements any course or club guidelines, which shall take precedence.
Publicity and Promotion; Broadcasting
By participating in The Florida Senior Open you grant the FSGA/SFPGA and those acting with the FSGA/SFPGA, permission, authority and the permanent rights to use your name or likeness for publicity and promotional purposes. Participants understand that all Media, including film, photographic prints, audio or digital files are the exclusive property of the FSGA/SFPGA. Participants in FSGA/SFPGA events waive their rights to inspect or approve all media produced by the FSGA/SFPGA and those acting on the FSGA's behalf. Participants waive their permanent rights to compensation for use of their name and likeness by the FSGA/SFPGA.
Directions
Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander Course)
17605 Lakewood National Parkway
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211
(941) 900-2424
