Don Bell Goes Back-to-Back

Don Bell erased a five-stroke deficit to tie for the lead after 54-holes.  Bell went on to win in a playoff at Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship at the Bonita Bay Club - East in Naples, on May 4-6.

After posting rounds of 71-74, the defending champion Don Bell, from Port Orange, would trail by five strokes heading into the final round of play. In the final round, Bell fired an impressive round of four-under par 68 to post a tournament total of three-under par 213. Bell would find himself tied with Tim Hume, of Tampa, who posted rounds of 66-72-75. The two players would head for a sudden death playoff to decide the Championship where Bell would go on to make par to capture the title. Bell is the first player to go back-to-back at the Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Kevin Altenhof, of Melbourne, Allen Parker, of Davenport, and Jon Veneziano, of Mount Dora, all finished tied for third place with a tournament total of two-under par 214. The 2011 Amateur Player-of-the-Year, Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, finished tied for sixth place with a tournament total of two-over par 218.  The shot of the tournament went to Nate Mosby, of Jacksonville, who made a hole-in-one on the par 3 11th hole from 197 yards in the second round of play.

The Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship is for players who are at least 25 years of age by the beginning of the event.  The Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship is conducted over fifty-four holes of individual stroke play.  All players play thirty-six holes, with a cut instituted after thirty-six holes.  The players who make the cut play the final round the following day.