Lake Nona Golf Club Wins the 58th Club Team
Lake Nona Golf Club (Orlando) won the 59th Florida State Club Team Championship Sunday by three strokes over the defending champions from Tampa Palms Country Club at The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie.
Despite being 14 strokes out of the lead heading into the final round, the defending champions made a valiant charge, but fell just short. Steve Ousley led the Tampa Palms charge with a tournament-best 6-under par 66. Jimmy Jones added a 3-under par 69, while Jack Hanson fired a 1-under par 71. Ed Bologna shot a 5-over 77 to give Tampa Palms a final-round 5-under par 283. They finished with a 581.
After shooting a cumulative round-one score of 4-under par 284, Lake Nona played consistent golf to shoot a six-over par 294 and win the title. Craig Adams and Peter Mogg, Jr. both shot 1-over 73’s to pace Lake Nona. Matt Avril followed his 2-under par 70 from the first round with a 2-over par 74 on Sunday. John Robinson rounded out Lake Nona’s scoring with a 74 of his own.
Avila Golf and Country Club (Tampa) fell short in their bid to win their 10th State Club Team title. Their “A” team finished four strokes back in third place. Wayne Rudzewicz, Gerald Coren, and Paul Royak all shot an even-par 72 in the final round to lead the team.
Lake Nona becomes the first Orlando team to win the title since Rio Pinar Country Club defended their title in 1972. With the exception being 1998 when Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach won the championship, a Tampa club had claimed the title since 1983.
The Florida State Club Team is the second of 16 championships on the Florida State Golf Association’s annual schedule.
