1991 Florida Open - Palm Beach Polo & CC

Joey Rassett

Rassett Wins Florida Open; Upper Is Third

^{St. Petersburg Times
July 29, 1991}

     Joey Rassett of Plantation pulled away from the pack with a 5-under-par 67 Sunday to win the 50th annual Florida Open at Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.

     Rassett, 33 was one of six players tied for the lead after three rounds, finished two strokes ahead of the field at 14-under 274.

     Clearwater's Brett Upper, pro at Feather Sound, finished tied for third at 277 after a final round 69.

     "I played well," Upper said. "My third round is what hurt, when I didn't make any putts. I had 10 birdie putts that lipped out, and I shot 73. But it was a fun week. It was important for me to win, but there's always next year."

     Upper will be in Erie, Pennsylvania to play in the Erie Open today and Tuesday. Thursday, he begins play in the PGA Tour's Buick Open in Flint, Michigan. He also will compete in the PGA Championship next week.

     Mike Weeks of North Palm Beach birdied the last two holes to claim second with 69-276, equaling the winning score here the past two years.

     David Rowley, a senior and member of the University of Miami golf team, vaulted past 35 players with 64 to finish tied for third at 277. Steve Hart of Tequesta (67) and Jim Chancey of Sorrento (70) also finished at 277.

     Rassett had six birdies and one bogey in the final round on the 6,740-yard Dunes course.

     Rassett, who played on the PGA Tour for five years in the 1980s, birdied the sixth, eighth and ninth holes and left behind everyone except Weeks, who also made the final turn in 33. But Rassett birdied the 11th, Weekes bogeyed the 12th, and Rassett led the rest of the way.

Rassett earned $11,340 from the $67,000 purse. Weeks won $6,800.

Rassett Wins Florida Open

^{Miami Herald
July 29, 1991}

     The drought was over. Joey Rassett stood at the bar at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club and gladly reached into his pocket. The winner of the Cadillac Florida Open was buying.

     And why not? Rassett, a 33-year-old once-retired PGA Tour pro from Plantation, won the state's open with a final round of five-under-par 67 Sunday, good for a four-day total of 14-under 274 on the 6,740-yard Dunes course, good for a two-stroke cushion over Michael Weeks of North Palm Beach, and good, too, for the winner's check of $11,340.

     "My honest goal coming in was just to finish in the top 10 so I could get back in next year, " said Rassett, who plyed the PGA Tour from 1983 to '88 but retired because of a back injury sustained in a 1986 car accident.

     Rassett, who plays out of Jacaranda Country Club, plans to try to qualify this fall for the PGA Tour.

     On Tour, his best year was '83 when he wont "about $48,000" and finished 126th on the money list.

     He missed the 1987 season after the back injury sustained when his parked Bronco was struck in the driveway by another car traveling "about 55 miles per hour," he said.

Rassett was one of six folgers at nine under entering Sunday's final round.

     On the sixth hole, he hit a 6-iron within two feet and made birdie. He followed with three more birdies on the next five holes.