1996 Florida Open - Palm Aire CC

Eric Brito

Brito Delivers Just In Time At Florida Open

^{Miami Herald
September 30, 1996}

Eric Brito stood atop the winner's podium hugging an oversize check for $20,000. He smiled and even laughed a bit.

Brito began the year working as a cashier in a convenience store. He washed dishes in a restaurant. And this past week he took off five days from his pizza delivery job in Orlando to follow his dream.

Brito was the best golfer Sunday as he fired a final-round 67 for a four-day total of 279 to rally from three strokes back and win the Florida Open Championship -- and the largest paycheck of his life.

Brito shot a four-day total of 279 over the par-71 Cypress Course at the Palm-Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach. He has seven other mini-tour wins, but not in the past three years, and none has come close to the money he won Sunday.

"I don't care what job I have so long as it affords me time to play golf and chase my dream of playing on the PGA Tour," Brito said. "I finally had to take a job to keep my in-laws happy. They don't understand my dreams and what I want to be. Golf takes time."

Fort Lauderdale's Marty Stanovich, among the leaders for all four days, shot a 70 Sunday to finish at 280 and earn $10,000. Port St. Lucie's Frank Dobbs slipped to 73 and was third at 282, claiming $5,000.

Brito has immediate plans for the $20,000. "The first thing I am going to do is buy a new car -- and I mean as soon as (Monday)."

Brito 's current ride, a Nissan Pulsar, has more than 160,000 miles.

"I became a very good self-made mechanic by owning this car," he said. "Friday, I finally put a new radio in it and I had plans this Tuesday to change the tires and maybe the brakes. But now, it's off to the dump. I am going to buy a new van with a VCR, a TV and a nice couch I can sleep on when I travel to these tournaments. I deserve it and so does my wife (Sherri) who has stood by me through all the tough times."

Brito started the final round Sunday trailing by three strokes. His closing 67 was the same he fired in Thursday's opening round, his 28th birthday. In between, he shot 74 and 71. Brito started his charge Sunday with a 25-foot chip for birdie on the third hole. He saved par on No. 4 with a shot out of the bunker. On Nos. 6 and 7 he got birdies with his sand wedge to close to within one of the leader. He shot par on Nos. 8 through 11 and two-putted for par on 12 and 13. A 15-foot sand wedge on 14 kept him one back. After he bogeyed 15, he came back with par on 16 and birdies on the final two holes.

The Florida Open is part of a mini-tour through the state where golfers compete with aspirations of winning limited prize money. Some chase the money, hoping to eventually attend the PGA qualifying school. Brito can't attend Q School this year. The closing day to apply was Sept. 21. In the meantime, "Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how I feel, it's back to pizza delivery."

In the amateur division, Miami Springs' Dan Bradley, 48, shot 78 to finish at 300, eight strokes ahead of Fort Lauderdale's O'Brian Gordon and Tampa's Akio Sadakata. Roger Kennedy, from Pompano Beach, shot 72 for a 293 to win the senior division by seven strokes over Pompano Beach's Joe Caracciolo, whose 69 gave him 300.