Bear Lakes to Host FL Senior Open

The top 156 Senior Amateur and Professional golfers in the state will compete this week, August 10-12, with hopes of winning The Florida Senior Open Championship at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach. This will be the first year the Florida State Golf Association and the South Florida PGA will be conducting this great tournament.

Before reaching the Championship, participants attempted to qualify at one of 8 sites across the state. In all, 30 players earned exempt status through a variety of different means. Some of the exempt professional players include the 2012 North Florida PGA Match Play Champion, Mike Smith, and a three-time past Senior Open champion, Mike Filippo. Notable amateurs in the filed include: Steve Earsley, Tim Hume, Doug Snoap, and the low amateur from last year’s Florida Senior Open, Keith Keister.

In the Championship, all participants will play eighteen holes each on the Lakes course and the Links course on Friday, August 10th and Saturday, August 11th. The field will be cut to the low sixty and ties after 36 holes. The final eighteen holes will be played on the Lakes course. The lowest score for 54 holes will be the Champion. If necessary, there will be a hole by hole play-off immediately following play in event of a tie for first place only.

Defending champion, and three-time past champion, Mike San Filippo of Hobe Sound, won the Florida Senior Open Championship shooting a 70-69-64--203 at the Naples Beach Club in Naples.  Other past champions include the 2012 SW Florida Chapter PGA Match Play champion, Gene Fieger, and the 2010 PGA Quarter Century champion, Jerry Tucker.

Spectators and media are welcome to watch the state’s best senior professional and amateur golfers compete at Bear Lakes Country Club.