ENGLEWOOD, Fla. – After recently completing a major course renovation, Lemon Bay Golf Club played host to the 2024 Summer Mixed Team Championship. Fifty-two teams teed it up in hopes of conquering Lemon Bay's undulating greens and becoming the 2024 Summer Mixed Team Champion.
Championship Division
Lemon Bay Golf Club proved to be a tough challenge in the first round as the challengin green complexes kept the leaders close to par. At the end of day's play the team of Darin Hovis and Ailsa Clark would put together a solid round of 4-under par, 67 to take the lead. Hovis and Clark's round was highlighted by a combined 7 birdies and even included a triple bogey on the difficult par-4, third hole. This was enough however for a one shot lead heading into Sunday. Close on their heels however, was the duo of RJ Nakashian and Kristin Bell at 3-under par. Nakashian, a two time Championship winner already in 2024, would be sure to put up a good fight with Bell on Sunday.
Round 2's conditions were much of the same from round 1 with pristine greens and little wind. No strangers to FSGA Championships, the team of Carl Santos-Ocampo and Kim Benedict would take advantage of those conditions to vault into second place, 1 shot back of the lead heading into the back nine. The pair would combine nicely on the back nine making birdies on holes 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15 to get to 8-under par on the day and 10-under par for the Championship. "The hole was big today" remarked Benedict on their team's putting and final round 63. The round 1 leaders Darin Hovis and Ailsa Clark would continue to play consistent golf but could not convert a number of short birdies in their final round. The pair would finish as runners-up at 6-under par after rounds of 67-69.
Forward Division
One team would separate themselves from the rest on day 1 in the Forward Division. The pair of Nelson DeBow and Roberta DeBow would open up their bid for the title with a stellar round of 2-under par, 69. With the only sub-par round in the Forward Division, the DeBow duo would carry a four-shot lead into the final round over the teams of Michael Rowles/Jessica Rowles and David Tassell/Kim Tassell.
Things would change at the top during round 2 as David Tassell and Kim Tassell would come out of the gate firing. The Tassell team would play their first nine holes in 4-under par, highlighted by an eagle 3 on the par 5, 16th hole. This would vault them to the top of the leaerboard, a position that they would hold onto at the conclusion of play. Their final round of 5-under par, 66 would be the low round of the tournament in the Forward division and would put the Jupiter natives at 3-under par for the tournament. Three shots further back at even par would be the teams of Michael and Jessica Rowles and Nelson and Roberta DeBow. The Rowles' would take the runner-up position on the scorecard match with the DeBow's rounding out the top 3.
Championship Net
1. Courtney Johnson / Jake Johnson – 130 (-12)
2. Kassandra Walton / Christopher Walton – 134 (-8)
Forward Net
1. Angela Walker / Brent Walker – 131 (-11)
2. Becky Barstow / Matthew Ligay – 134 (-8)
