As ten of the 16 quarterfinal matches went to 18 holes, the semifinal matches are now set in the Senior Amateur Match Play Championship at Cypress Run Golf Club in Tarpon Springs.
Of the four past Senior Amateur Champions in the Senior Division Championship flight, Bruce Scamehorn emerges as the lone Champion to advance to the semifinals. After shooting a 71 in the seeding round to earn the number two seed, Scamehorn, the 2004 Senior Amateur Champion, won his first match by forfeit then defeated Bill O’Keefe in the second round 2 and 1. In a battle of Senior Amateur Champions, Scamehorn, of Winter Haven, then beat Edward Craig, the 2005 Senior Amateur Champion, 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals. Scamehorn is up next to play Fred Peel, of Chipley, in the semifinals of the lower half of the bracket. Peel defeated Bob Ethridge 2 up to advance to the semis. In the upper half, Berger Warner, of Ocala, upset the current Senior Amateur Champion Ron Cleland in the second round and went on to win his semifinal match 4 and 3. Warner will face Frank Saxon, of Mulberry, in the other semifinal match.
In the Senior Division first flight, all four matches were decided in 18 holes or more. Evans Harbour, of Ormond Beach, took down the number one seed Jim Kehoe in the quarters. Harbour defeated Kehoe 1 up to earn a semifinal birth versus Harvey Barish. It took Barish 19 holes to win his match versus Jim Michel. In the other semifinal match, Doug Ballenger, of Port St. Lucie, will play Michael Benham, of Ocala.
Joe Thompson, of Fort Myers, beat Tommy Piazza, the number one seed in the second flight, 1 up to advance to the semifinals. Thompson will play Dave Budney, of Bayonet Point, who won his match 2 up. The other semifinal match featuring William Anthony, of Jacksonville, against James Wiley, of Tampa, will decide the finals in the second flight.
In the Super Senior Division, Mike Craven, of Naples, advances to the semifinals after upsetting the top seed Max Mathews, of Andalusia, 1 up. Craven will now play Rennie Law, of Tampa. Law, who won the 2005 Super Senior division of the Senior Amateur Championship, won his match 2 and 1. Don Lambert, of Foley, plays Phil Leckey, of Tampa, in the other semifinal match to determine the finals of the Super Senior division.
To be eligible, players must have reached 55 years of age by July 16, 2006. All players traveling to Cypress Run Golf Club were guaranteed an 18-hole seeding round and at least one round of match play. After the 18-hole seeding round, the field of 80 (64 Seniors and 16 Super-Seniors) was seeded into a Senior Division Championship flight of 32 players and two additional flights of 16 players. Also, the 16 Super-Seniors were seeded into a Super-Senior Championship flight. Ultimately, there will be a Senior Amateur Match Play Champion and a Super-Senior Amateur Match Play Champion from each Championship flight.
Cypress Run is set among beautifully wooded terrain and is considered one of the best designed and maintained courses in the Tampa Bay area. The fairways are wide, but lined with towering cypress and oak trees. The signature hole is #18, a 433-yard, par 4, featuring a dogleg right fairway and a green that is guarded in front by Hollins Creek.
For tee-times, pairings, and complete results, please visit www.fsga.org.
Organized in 1913, the Florida State Golf Association is a not-for-profit organization that governs amateur golf in the state of Florida. In addition to conducting 22 championships for amateur golfers in the state, the FSGA is responsible for more than 40 qualifying tournaments for USGA National Championships and the Florida Junior Tour. The FSGA also maintains the USGA Handicap System, performs course ratings throughout Florida and assists in junior programs and scholarships.
