Meet the 2024 Florida Cup North Team

Joe Alfieri
Lutz
Sixth Appearance (8-4-3)

Occupation: Food Broker / Consultant
Hometown: Tampa
College/University Attended: University of South Florida
Home Club: TPC Tampa Bay

Daniel DeBra 

Lutz
Sixth Appearance (5-5-5)

Occupation: Business Owner - Commercial Cleaning
Hometown: Temple Terrace
College/University Attended: Furman University
Home Club: Avila G & CC

Ty Capps
Palm Coast
First Appearance

Occupation: Real Estate Professional
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, CO
College/University Attended: University of Nebraska
Home Club: Hammock Dunes Club

Marc Dull
Lakeland
Fifth Appearance (8-3-1)

Occupation: Caddie at Streamsong Resort
Hometown: Winter Haven
College/University Attended: Florida Southern University
Home Club: CC of Winter Haven

• 106th Amateur Champion in record-breaking fashion
• 2023 Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Champion
• 2023 Two-Man Scramble Champion with partner Rhett Pooley
• Advanced to the rounds of 32 at the 2023 U.S Mid-Amateur Championship and the U.S. Four-Ball Championship
• Eight total FSGA career wins

Jimmy Ellis
Atlantic Beach
First Appearance

Occupation: Oil Industry
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
College/University Attended: Ohio University
Home Club: Atlantic Beach Golf Club

• 107th Amateur Champion
• Medalist at the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship
• Top 20 finish at the 78th Florida Open

Matthew Galloway
Tampa
Second Appearance (2-1-0)

Occupation: Stay at Home Dad / Retired Caddie
Hometown: Durham, NC
College/University Attended: University of West Florida
Home Club: Buckhorn Springs G&CC

• Runner-up finish at the 2023 Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship
• Round of 16 at finish at the 43rd Mid-Amateur Championship
• Runner-up finish at the 2024 Senior/Mid-Am Four-Ball Championship
• 2007 Amateur Champion

Tyler Gulliksen
Flagler Beach
First Appearance

Occupation: Assistant Golf Coach at UNF
Hometown: Daytona Beach
College/University Attended: Naval Academy/San Diego State 
Home Club: Plantation Bay

• 2023, 2024 Two-Man Shootout Champion with partner Ty Capps
• 2024 Four-Ball Champion with partner Ty Capps
• 2022, 2023 Foursomes Champion with partner Ty Capps
• Runner-up at the 107th Amateur Championship
• Semifinalist at the 43rd Mid-Amateur Championship

Jay Halverson
Saint Petersburg
First Appearance

Occupation: Senior Manager - Raymond James Financial
Hometown: Viroqua, WI
College/University Attended: University of Wisconsin
Home Club: Feather Sound Country Club

• 42nd Mid-Amateur Champion
• 2024 Senior/Mid-Am Champion with partner Miles McConnell
• Qualified for the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
• Top 25 at both the 106th Amateur Championship and 77th Florida Open
• Quarterfinalist at the 32nd Amateur Match Play

Rhett Pooley

Babson Park
Third Appearance (3-3-0)

Occupation: Financial Advisor
Hometown: Babson Park
College/University Attended: Polk State
Home Club: Where ever grass grows

• Qualified for the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship
• 2023 Two-Man Scramble Champion with Partner Marc Dull
• Quarterfinalist at the 31st Amateur Match Play
• Round of 16 finish at the 42nd Mid-Amateur Championship
• 2014 Junior Match Play Champion

James Preston
Bartow
First Appearance

Occupation: Software Sales
Hometown: Redlands, CA
College/University Attended: Southeastern University
Home Club: The Club at Eaglebrooke

• 2023 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Champion with partner Marc Dull
• Second-place finish at the 74th Four-Ball Championship with partner Nick Strickler
• Third place finish at the 2024 Two-Man Shootout with partner Marc Dull

Michael Smith
Ponte Vedra Beach
Third Appearance (3-2-1)

Occupation: Founder of ForeCollegeGolf
Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
College/University Attended: James Madison University
Home Club: TPC Sawgrass

• Semifinalist at the 9th U.S. Four-Ball Championship with partner Will Davenport
• T12 at the 107th Amateur Championship
• Top 10 finish at the 75th Four-Ball Championship
• 2019 & 2020 Foursomes Champion with Partner Will Davenport

Jon Veneziano

Orlando
Sixth Appearance (9-5-1)

Occupation: Financial Advisor - Merril Lynch
Hometown: Hartford, CT
College/University Attended: University of Hartford
Home Club: Tranquillo at The Four Seasons Orlando

• Second-place finish at the 2023 Forty & Over Four-Ball (South) Championship with partner, Ryan Abbate
• Round of 32 finish at the 43rd Mid-Amateur Championship
• 2022 U.S. Senior Open Qualifier
• Top 5 finish at the Forty & Over Four-Ball Championship (North) with partner Steve Carter
• Top-10 finish at the 2022 Forty & Over Championship
• Ten career FSGA wins

Mike Finster
Saint Petersburg
Fourth Appearance (6-3-0)

Occupation: Vice President GAF Roofing
Hometown: Tampa, FL
College/University Attended: Northwestern University
Home Club: Mangrove Bay Golf Club

• Round of 32 finish at the 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship
• Round of 16 finish at the 43rd Mid-Amateur Championship
• Low Amateur at the 46th Florida Senior Open
• Qualified for the 2023 U.S. Senior Open
• Round of 32 finish at the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship

Chad Ibbotson
Sanford
Third Appearance (2-2-2)

Occupation: Retired
Hometown: Downers Grove, IL
College/University Attended: University of Central Florida
Home Club: Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes

• Top 10 finish at th 2024 Forty & Over Championship
• Quarterfinalist at the 2024 Senior Amateur Match Play Championship
• Top 10 finish at the 47th Florida Senior Open
• Qualified for the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship
• Quarterfinalist at the 2023 Senior Amateur Match Play Championship

Brian Keenan
Tampa
Fifth Appearance (4-4-1)

Occupation: Retired
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
College/University Attended: University of South Florida
Home Club: Avila G & CC

• 2023 Senior Amateur Match Play Champion
• Top 15 finish at the 2024 Forty & Over Championship
• Top 5 finish at the 2023 Forty & Over Four-Ball Championship with partner Miles McConnell
• Advanced to the round of 32 at the 2022 Mid-Amateur Championship
• Competed in the 2023 Senior British Amateur
• Competed in the 2023 Senior British Open

Miles McConnell
Tampa
Fourth Appearance (6-3-0)

Occupation: Restaurant Proprietor
Hometown: Canada
College/University Attended: University of Wisconsin
Home Club: Buckhorn Springs G & CC

• 2021, 2022 & 2023 Senior Amateur Player of the Year
• 62nd Senior Amateur Champion
• Runner-up in the 63rd Senior Amateur Championship
• 2024 Senior/Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Champion with partner Jay Halverson
• 2023 Senior Four-Ball Champion with partner Pete Williams
• Round of 64 finish at the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur