ALVA, Fla. – The 2020-21 Winter Series continued with the second event at River Hall Country Club. River Hall and weather conditions challenged players in the 36-hole event.
Chester VandenBerg and Joe Shaktman took home back-to-back wins in the Mid-Amateur and Senior Division. Gregg Shires captured the victory in the Super-Senior Division.
Mid-Amateur
VandenBerg posted a 1-over 145 to capture the two-shot victory in the Mid-Amateur Division. Continuing his stellar play from the first Winter Series event two weeks prior, VandenBerg shot an opening-round 74. However, the low round of the day would be set by Gavin Gillette with a 2-under 70 including five birdies. Miles McConnell would sit in second place with a first-round 73.
The final round saw the three players battle throughout the opening nine. VandenBerg made his charge with a front-nine 35 while the rest of the leaderboard fell back. VandenBerg and Gillette would come to the final hole tied for the lead. On the par-4 18th, VandenBerg found himself in a position to win the tournament with a look at birdie, while Gillette was struggling to make par. VandenBerg would go on to hole his birdie putt to capture his second-straight Winter Series title.
McConnell found himself in a tie-for-second place after a birdie to Gavin Gillette’s bogey on the final hole of the championship. McConnell and Gillette both finished at 3-over 147.
Senior
Shaktman would again go wire-to-wire in the Senior Division, finishing the tournament at 3-under 141. Picking up where he left off, Shaktman would post a bogey-free first round 69 to take a 2-shot lead over Michael Arasin on Monday.
In round two, Shaktman would see his lead fade as Arasin went out in 1-under 35 to grab a share of the lead at the turn. Shaktman held steady and carded a bogey-free 35 on the back nine to pull away from Arasin and capture the championship at 1-under 141.
Rokki Rogan would match Shaktman’s back nine 35 on day two to shoot an even-par round of 72 to pull into a tie for second for Arasin. Both Rogan and Arasin would finish the tournament at 1-over par 145.
Super-Senior
Coming off a stellar performance two-weeks prior in the SW Amateur Series, Gregg Shires would be the only player in the field to shoot two rounds under par to capture the Super-Senior Division at 4-under 140.
Shires started the tournament off with an opening-round 2-under par 70 that didn’t see him drop a shot. Thomas Austin would find himself looking up at Shires after his even-par 72 that saw him make four birdies to kick off the event.
A two-shot lead was one that Shires wouldn’t give up on Tuesday. After back-to-back bogeys to close out his front nine, Shires would card four birdies on the back nine including three in a row to card another 2-under 70 that would make him the second wire-to-wire champion in the Super-Senior Division in this year’s Winter Series.
Doug LaCrosse would pull himself into a second-place finish after a second round 71 to go along with his win at Indian Springs. Kim Schwenke and Thomas Austin would card a 4-over par 148 to finish the event tied for third.
Results
Tournament Summary |
Format: 36-holes of gross stroke play |
Eligibility: FSGA Adult Member at least 25 years of age |
Handicap: Florida GHIN 10.0 or less |
Age Divisions: Mid-Amateur, Senior & Super-Senior |
Entry Fee: $160 |
Format
- 36 holes of individual gross stroke play (no handicaps)
Eligibility
- Entries are open to male amateur golfers who are age 25 or older as of March 10, 2021
- Entrant must be a Regular or Foundation Member of the FSGA
- Entrant must have an active Florida GHIN Handicap and have a current handicap index of 10.0 or lower.
Age Divisions
There are three age divisions; Mid-Amateur (25-54), Senior (55-64) and Super-Senior (65 & above). Each player must compete in the age division commensurate with their age as of March 10, 2021. Competitors may not elect to play in a different age division or from a different tee than designated.
- Mid-Amateur (25-54) plays approximately 6,700 yards
- Senior (55-64) plays approximately 6,400 yards
- Super-Senior (65 & above) approximately 6,100 yards
**After the first round, each age division may be flighted based on the number of competitors and/or the range of scores.
Entry Fees & Prizes
- $160
- Late entries will be accepted subject to a $10 late entry fee should the entrant gain acceptance into the field.
- Age-group Champions at each event will receive a commemorative award. Gift certificates (totaling approximately $30 per-player in the field) will be awarded to the top finishers in each age group.
Schedule of Events
Monday, November 30th
- Round 1 - 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM 1st & 10th tee start
Tuesday, December 1st
- Round 2 - 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM 1st & 10th tee start
Practice Rounds & Cost
Practice rounds are available one week prior to the event on a space available basis and are restricted to after 12:00 PM on weekends. To arrange your practice round please call the club at 239-313-4653. The cost of a practice round is $40 plus tax.
Host Hotel
There is currently no host hotel for this event.
Maximum Field Size
Individual events - 96 players in foursomes