Anderson Wins 29th Mid-Amateur
Stephen Anderson defeated Jon Veneziano in 19 holes to win the 29th Florida State Mid-Amateur Championship held at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville on October 7-10.
Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, earned the 10th seed after posting a 72-74—146 in the stroke play qualifying to advance to match play. In the first round, Anderson defeated Will Peterson, of Orlando, 5 and 3. Anderson then defeated John Wegmann, of Southwest Ranches, 1 up in the Round of 16 and the number two seed Doug Snoap, from Apopka, 1 up in the quarters. Anderson then ousted Don Bell, from Port Orange, in the semifinals 3 and 2 to secure his spot in the finals versus Jon Veneziano.
The final match went back and forth many times as Veneziano was 1 up through the first four holes until Anderson birdied the 5th hole to square the match. Veneziano regained the lead after winning the seventh hole, but Anderson won the ninth to square the match heading into the back nine. Anderson then birdied the tenth to go 1 up, with Veneziano winning the eleventh hole to re-square the match. The two would go on to halve holes twelve through eighteen to force extra holes. Anderson would go on to par the nineteenth hole to defeat Veneziano for the Championship. This is Anderson’s second title of the year after winning the Mid-Senior Four-Ball South Championship. Anderson recently qualified and advanced to match play of the United States Mid-Amateur Championship at Atlantic Golf Club, in Bridgehampton, N.Y. Anderson will also be representing Team Florida in the 13th Southeastern Challenge Matches next weekend.
Jon Veneziano, of Eustis, went into match play as the 8th seed. Veneziano, the 2005 Mid-Amateur Champion defeated Howard Sheffield, of Jacksonville, 1 up in the round of 32, and then bested the 2008 Champion Garrett Morrison, of Saint Cloud, 4 & 3, in the round of 16. Veneziano then defeated the Defending Champion, Steve Carter, of Saint Augustine, in 22 holes to advance to the semis. Veneziano was recently a member of Team Florida at the USGA State Team Championship, where Florida took home second place honors, and will also represent Florida in the 13th Southeastern Challenge Matches next weekend.
To be eligible for the State Mid-Amateur, participants must be 25 years of age or older as of October 7, 2010. Players attempted to qualify at one of nine sites in 18-holes of stroke play. The Championship consists of 36-holes of stroke play qualifying over the first two days with the lowest 32 advancing to the match play on Saturday and Sunday.
Timuquana Country Club, established in 1923 and designed by Donald Ross, is among the oldest in Jacksonville. The club's 290 acres are nested on the western edge of the St. Johns River. The club has hosted numerous USGA and FSGA qualifying events and Championships including the 2002 USGA Senior Amateur Championship and the FSGA Boys Junior and Mid-Amateur Championships. Timuquana is where British Open Champion David Duval learned the game of golf. 
DEFENDING CHAMPION 
