After an 18-hole seeding round, the flights are now set for the Florida State Match Play Championship.
All non-exempt competitors played an 18-hole stroke play seeding round on Thursday, August 5 to determine their flights. The field of 96 players will make up five flights, a Championship flight of 32 players and four additional flights of 16 players. A winner will be decided in each of the five flights with the Match Play Champion from the flight of 32.
The Championship flight features defending champion Andy Purnell, of Jacksonville, seeded number one. Purnell was named the 2003 Florida State Player-of-the-Year. Purnell is matched up with Patrick Rooney, of West Palm Beach, who posted a 77 in the seeding round. Also in the top half of the Championship flight is Michael Nealy, of Boca Raton, who earned exempt status for advancing to the semifinals in last year’s Match Play Championship. Ryan Konkus, of Hobe Sound, is the number two seed as he is the 2003 Mid-Amateur Champion. The 2003 Mid-Senior Champion Paul Melson, of Plantation, is the number ten seed after shooting a 72 in the seeding round. He will play Ron LeClair, of Osteen, in the first round of match play. Last year’s Match Play runner-up Joe Lamielle, from Sarasota, is the number three seed and will play William Mallon, of Vero Beach, in the first round. Last year, Purnell defeated Lamielle in 19 holes at Lone Palm Golf Club in Lakeland.
All five flights begin the match play competition on Friday, August 6 with the Championship flight also playing in the afternoon. All flights will play two matches on Saturday, August 7 with the finals on the morning of Sunday, August 8.
For pairings,tee-times and complete results, please see www.fsga.org.
