LaCrosse-Alfieri Add Another Title to Resume
When two of the top amateurs the state get together, you expect good scores. Joe Alfieri and Doug LaCrosse did as expected in posting 64-65-129 to win the Florida State Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship by five strokes at The Forest Country Club.
Alfieri, from Lutz, and LaCrosse, from Tampa, led by one after combining to shoot an 8-under par 64 in the first round. Jupiter's Larry Monteith and Boca Raton's Mike Nealy shot a 65, while three teams were deadlocked at 67.
In the final round, the Alfieri-LaCrosse duo pulled away by again shooting the day's low score with a 7-under par 65. Homestead's Bruce Fitzpatrick and Miami's Samuel Martinez shot their second consecutive 67 to finish 5 strokes back at 134. Gainesville's Richard Henken and Orlando's John Robinson shot 67-69-436 to finish alone in third place.
Three teams ended up at 137 and a tie for fourth: Alan Jones and Howard Palen, both of Ft Myers (71-66); Wellington's Steve Earsley and Pompano Beach's Vincent Cherrix (71-66); and Sarasota's Mark Leetzow and Winter Haven's Bruce Scamehorn (67-70), After being only one behind following the first round, Monteith and Needy closed with a 4-over 76 finish in a tie for 13th place.
The Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship was for amateur golfers over the age of 25. The competition used four-ball stroke play format. In four-ball stroke play, two competitors played as partners with each playing their own ball. The lower score of the partners was the score for the hole. The championship at The Forest was the southern championship. The northern championship was held June 3-4 at Grand Haven Golf Club in Palm Coast and was won by Valrico's Bill Moore and Tampa's Steve Ousley.
The championship was the fourth of 17 state championships conducted annually by the Florida State Golf Association. The FSGA was formed in 1913 to preserve, promote and protect amateur golf in the state.
