OCALA, Fla. – Tom Norton survived a playoff to take home the Super-Senior Amateur Championship title on Thursday at The Country Club of Ocala. Norton finished the championship at 3-over 219 and secured the victory with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Tom Grady was victorious in the 70-74 Division on Wednesday, while Gene Ryzewicz took home the win in the 75-79 Division and Jim Pfrogner earned the victory in the 80 & Over Division.
Championship Division
Norton took home the playoff victory, finishing the championship at 3-over 219 with rounds of 71-73-75. The Iowa native went wire-to-wire to take home his first FSGA championship.
He fired a first-round 71 open the championship on Tuesday, taking a share of the first-round lead. Norton followed that up with a 1-over 73 to a take a two-shot lead over the field heading into the final round.
Norton got off to a steady start in the final round, playing the first seven holes at even par with one birdie and one bogey. He ran into some trouble as he made the turn, bogeying three-straight holes on Nos. 8-10. While Norton bogeyed the 10th, Mike Barkley birdied the par-5 hole to take his first lead of the day at 3 over. But Barkley bogeyed the 11th to drop back into a tie for the lead with Norton with seven holes to play.
Norton played his final eight holes of the day bogey free and a birdie from Barkley on the 17th sent the two players to the final hole tied at the top of the leaderboard. Both players finished with par on the 18th to force a playoff.
Norton rolled in a 30-foot putt for birdie on the first playoff hole to secure the victory over Barkley.
Barkley, a Belleair resident, finished the week with a runner-up finish, posting rounds of 74-74-71 for the championship. Mike Murphy took third place at 5-over 221, while the three-time defending champion, David Anthony finished fourth at 6-over 222.
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70-74 Division
Grady survived a playoff to capture the win in the 70-74 Division, finishing the championship with rounds of 77-76. This is the second FSGA win for Grady, who won the Super-Senior Division at the 2020 Foursomes Championship with Joseph Branconi.
The Bradenton resident finished the first round two shots back of the leader, with a first-round 77. Grady posted a final-round 76 to finish the day in a tie at the top with Robert Karcher at 9-over 153, who posted rounds of 76-77 on the week.
Grad secured the victory with par on the first playoff hole. Karcher finished runner-up, while Keith Kesiter took third place at 10-over 154.
75-79 Division
Ryzewicz went wire-to-wire to take home his first FSGA title with a victory in the 75-79 Division at 6-over 150. The Fort Myers resident took the first-round lead on Tuesday with an even-par 72, finishing the day with two birdies.
His first-round 72 was the only even-par or better round in the 75-79 Division for the championship. Ryzewicz took home the four-shot victory with a final-round 78.
Jim Brush and Michael Bell finished the championship in a tie-for-second place at 10-over 154. Brush used rounds of 75-79 to earn a share of second, while Bell rebounded from a first-round 81 with a final-round 73 on Wednesday.
80 & Over Division
Pfrogner captured his third Super-Senior victory in wire-to-wire fashion, finishing the championship at 4-over 148 with rounds of 72-76. This is Pfrogner’s third Super-Senior win and his first in the 80 & Over Division.
The Sarasota resident began the championship with an even-par 72 to take a two-shot lead over the division. His first-round 72 was the only even-par or better round in the 80 & Over Division for the championship. Ryzewicz took home the four-shot victory with a final-round 78. Pfrogner followed it up with a final-round 76 to capture the two-shot win.
Bob Rogoff finished runner-up at 6-over 150 with rounds of 74-76, while Jerry Rodeheaver and Brian Sachs tied for third at 11-over 155.
