Bunker Conquers 60th Senior Amateur with Steady Play
NAPLES, Fla. — Dave Bunker came out on top at the 60th Senior Amateur Championship on Thursday at Bonita Bay Club. He fired three under-par rounds to capture the three-shot victory in wire-to-wire fashion at 6-under 210.
This is the first FSGA championship victory for Bunker.
"This is our first winter down in Florida," Bunker said. "I know there are a lot great names on this trophy and a lot of really great players in Florida, so it's very nice to be able to come out on top today."
Bunker began the championship with a 1-under 71 on Tuesday to take a share of the first-round lead with Paul Royak. The Fort Myers resident followed that up with a bogey-free 69 in the second round, carding three birdies on the day, to take the solo lead.
Beginning the final round with a two-shot lead, Bunker got off to a solid start with a birdie on the third. His lone hiccup of the day came on the fourth with a bogey, but he made the turn at even par with a three-shot lead over Royak in second.
Bunker continued his strong play on the back side, playing the first three holes at even par and adding a birdie on the 13th to extend his lead to five shots. Royak didn’t go down without a fight though, he eagled the par-5 15th hole and followed it up with a birdie on the 16th to cut Bunker’s lead to two shots.
Heading to the final hole with a two-shot lead, Bunker rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie to secure the victory with a final-round 70.
"Very straight forward, didn't get into too much trouble," Bunker said. "I had a bad second shot on 15, but got away with making par there. The rest of the day was just trying to hit fairways and greens. And to not do anything really bad, which thankfully happened."
Royak, the 2020 FSGA Senior Player of the Year, finished runner-up at 3-under 213. He posted rounds of 71-71-71 for the championship. Rich Buckner used rounds of 74-71-70 to take home third-place at 1-under 215.
Bunker and Royak were the lone two players in the field to finish the championship with three under-pars round. While Bunker, Royak and Buckner were the only players in the field to finish under par for the week.
Bob Mathers finished fourth at 1-over 217, while Brian Keenan rounded out the top five with a 2-over 218 for the championship.
The 60th Senior Amateur Championship heads to beautiful Bonita Bay Club - Naples - Cypress Course. Traditionally, the Florida Senior Amateur attracts one of the strongest Senior Amateur fields in the country. Nearly 350 players will attempt to qualify for this Championship through 6 qualifying sites. At the Championship, in addition to the golf and comradery, enjoy a complimentary players' dinner, with guests invited, on the evening before the first round as well as lunch before or after the first two rounds.
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Tournament Summary |
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Format: 54 holes of individual gross stroke play |
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Eligibility: FSGA member at least 55 years of age |
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Handicap: Florida GHIN 10.0 or less |
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Entry Fees: Qualifying - $90 | Exempt - $275 |
Championship Format
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54 holes of individual gross stroke play
- Championship Field Size - 144 players
- Cut to the low 60 and ties after the second round
- Initial groupings will be for two days; the field will be cut and re-paired by score after the second round
- Round three tee times will start at 8:00 AM off of the 1st and 10th tees
Eligibility
- Male amateur golfer at least 55 years of age as of the first day of the Championship
- Entrant is required to be a member of the FSGA
- Active Florida GHIN of 10.0 or less at time of entry
Entry Fees
| Qualifying Fee | Championship Fee | Exempt Fee |
Late Fee |
| $90.00 | $250.00 | $275.00 | $10.00 |
- 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 the first and second 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 the first and second rounds.
- Exempt Players must enter on time to use Championship Exemption.
- Late entries for qualifiers will be accepted subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the qualifying field.
Schedule of Events
Monday, April 12th
- Optional practice rounds
Tuesday, April 13th
- Tournament registration 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
- 8:00 AM - 9:48 AM - Round one morning tee times off #1 and #10
- Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
- 12:30 PM - 2:18 PM - Round one afternoon tee times off #1 and #10
Wednesday, April 14th
- 8:00 AM - 9:48 AM - Round two morning tee times off #1 and #10
- Complimentary players' lunch buffet in the main clubhouse
- 12:30 PM - 2:18 PM - Round two afternoon tee times off #1 and #10
Thursday, April 15th
- 8:00 AM - Final round tee times off #1 and #10
- Awards ceremony immediately following the completion of play
- Lunch available for purchase
Pre-Registration
Those individuals who advance to the Championship through qualifying must pre-register and remit an additional $250 online at the FSGA website at www.fsga.org. Fees include lunch after each of the first two rounds. Payment must be received by Tuesday, April 6th 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
Practice Rounds
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 the practice round information
At the Championship, a practice round at the rate of $35 plus tax is available on a space available basis at the following times:
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One week prior to the event after 11:00 AM
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Monday, April 12th only from 8:00 AM - 3:33 PM
Please do not call the golf shop to arrange your practice round. You will be e-mailed a Golf Genius Link to sign-up online or click here. Qualified Players ONLY
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 6,500-6,600 yards.
Local Qualifying
18 holes of stroke play at 6 local sites. Cart fees are included in your qualifying fee.
Defending Champion
Adam Armagost, of Jupiter, held off reigning player of the year, and 2014 Champion, Pete Williams, and Paul Royak, of Tampa down the stretch at Eagle Creek G&CC to take home the 59th Senior Amateur Championship. The Gator alum posted rounds of 67-70-72--209 (-7), good enough for a three-stroke victory. Click here for the previous year's results.
Exemptions Earned from this Tournament
Winner
- Next 10 (Ten) Senior Amateur Championships
- Current year's Amateur Championship
- Current year's Mid-Amateur Championship
- Current year's Florida Senior Open Championship
Top five and tied finishers
- Next year's Florida Senior Open Championship
Top thirty and tied finishers
- Next year's Senior Amateur Championship
Other Policies
- Spectators and Spectator Cart Policy - Click here. Due to the limited number of carts available, spectator carts will not be available at this Championship.
- Caddies - Caddies are not permitted in thru 5/1 of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 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 and Accommodations
Hampton Inn Naples I-75
2630 Northbrooke Plaza Drive
Naples, FL 34119
239-596-1299
$94 per room, per night, plus tax. Click here to book online or call 239-596-1299 referencing FSGA Senior Amateur Championship Room Block.
Payment at Club
Bonita Bay Club accepts cash and all major credit cards
Directions
Bonita Bay Club - Naples
3700 Wildwood Blvd
Naples, FL 34120
239-353-5100
