Sunny skies and perfect golf conditions were the story at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club as the FSGA Winter Series schedule is nearing its end. The Challenging course gave players all they could ask for in the four-ball competition as it yielded far less under par scores than we've come to expect in four-ball events.
The Mid-Amateur Division was extremely tightly bunched after round one with all teams either shooting 72 or 74. The Senior division led the way with a 66 from partners Anthony Baccari and Ted Speltz, but also eight additional teams that found red numbers. Similarly, the Super-Senior division saw six teams post under par scores in round one, leading to a tremendously packed leaderboard.
The lid on the cup for the Mid-Amateurs was removed for round two as longtime partners Thad Hudgens and Chad Ibbotson were able to card a 70 to post a two shot victory over Tampa Palms members, Eric Coleman and Jimmy Jones Sr. Thad and Chad have qualified for numerous Four-Ball Championships and they will be adding this title to the 2013 Mid-Senior Four-Ball (North) Championship title that they already have as a team. The team of Baccari and Speltz showed no signs that it was their first time playing in an FSGA event together as they jumped out to a two stroke lead early. Backing up a first round 66 is no easy proposition and while Baccari and Speltz couldn't quite match that effort, they were able to edge out Dick Clemens and partner Neil Vanleeuwen for the victory by one stroke. Worth mentioning is the team of Michael Mller and Nicholas Yanas as they stumbled to a 76, but rebounded brilliantly with a 63, the low round of the tournament. Finally, the Super-Senior division looked to provide supreme excitement, but partners Bob Lundquist and Kim Schwencke lapped the field on Monday, closing with a 67 to beat the team of Pete McDade and Jerry Young by three strokes.
The Winter Series is for players 25 years and older, and runs from late November through early March. Players will compete in one of three age divisions (25-54, 55-64 and 65 & Over) based on their age for the final event. A season long points list is kept through the winter earning players exemptions into 2017 FSGA State Championships. The final stop in the Winter Series is at Victoria Hills Golf Club, in DeLand on March 5-6, 2017.
