VERO BEACH, Fla. - It’s that time of year again, the time in which 168 of the best male golfers in the state of Florida all gather to compete for the FSGA’s most coveted trophy. This year, the 107th Amateur Championship is set to take place June 6-9 at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach. The championship consists of 72 holes of individual gross stroke play. 168 players will play 36 holes before the field is cut to the low 70 and ties for the remaining 36 holes. Bent Pine Golf Club is the second site in which each competitor will play 18 holes on before the cut is made, and the players who make the cut will play three rounds at Quail Valley.
Quail Valley Golf Club is as beautiful as it is challenging. Designed by Tommy Fazio and Nick Price, it features a Shinnecock Hills inspired clubhouse with 18-holes
spread over 280-acres. The course includes over 60-acres of waterways along with rolling fairways and numerous elevation changes. Between the waterways and the bunkers littered across almost every fairway, placement off the tee is key. The large undulating greens can test even the most elite golfers that make up the field for the championship.
Speaking of the championship field, we ran the numbers and it is impressive. Over 1,000 entries were received with only 48 players exempt. Over 750 players entered through qualifying over 15 sites across the state, with only 100 players earning a spot into the field. There are four past champions in the field including the defending champion, Marc Dull. In addition, Jacob Huizinga, Matthew Galloway, and Justin Biggs are all past champions back to compete for another chance at the trophy. Jake Sherwin captured the 43rd Mid-Amateur victory in May, and earned an exemption into the Amateur Championship field. Moreover, Joseph Latowski, a former FSGA Player of the Year, along with R.J. Nakashian, Ty Capps, and Jay Halverson have all captured FSGA championships and will be competing for their first Amateur title in June.
It is safe to say that the field for the 107th Amateur Championship is packed full of not only talented players, but also many players with a decorated golf resume. However, as the oldest and most elite tournament the FSGA hosts, let’s take a look back on past Florida Amateurs and reflect on how the tournament has evolved over the last 107 years.
If you followed along with the FSGA Madness back in March, then you have a good understanding of all the amazing courses that have hosted the Florida Amateur. The FSGA is grateful of every single host site, as the players marched through the fairways of each tournament brandished with a unique story of its own.
TPC Sawgrass won the FSGA madness among numerous prestigious contenders. The championship has visited The Bear’s Club, Jupiter Hills Club, Lake Nona Country Club, Bay Hill Club and Lodge, and The Concession Golf Club to name a few. Did we mention there have been over 100? But let’s take a moment to reflect on the players and the champions that have walked through the fairways of time and had their names etched in the history of the FSGA.
Starting with the past ten years, five of the last ten champions are now playing golf professionally. Fred Biondi (2021), Ben Reichert (2019), Gabriel Lench (2018, 2014), Christian DiMarco (2017), and Jimmy Jones (2015) all have status across the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour Americas.
Other notable past champions include Blayne Barber who captured the victory in 2009 at TPC Sawgrass. Barber fired a 67-69-71-70 to capture the win by nine strokes over the field. Barber turned professional three years later and competed in over 100 events on the PGA Tour. He carded runner up finishes, along with numerous top-five and top-10 finishes.
Moreover, Lee Rinker captured the victory in 1982 at Bay Hill Club and Lodge before turning professional in 1983. Rinker posted 72-hole total of 282 to capture the win over the field. Yet another notable champion is Jerry Pate who secured the victory at Grenelefe Country Club in 1974. Pate posted a 72-hole total of 279 to earn the victory. Pate also turned professional a year later in 1975 and then continued on to win eight times on the PGA Tour including a win at the U.S. Open in 1976.
Gary Koch’s name is etched onto the Florida Amateur trophy as he captured a victory in 1972 at Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Koch posted a 72-total of 291 to capture the victory. He then turned professional three years later and captured six PGA Tour wins. Most recently, at the age of 71, he earned co-medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Open qualifier firing a two-under-par 68 at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club and earning his Golden Ticket into the U.S. Senior Open Championship.
Interestingly enough, the lowest total score in Florida Amateur history is held by defending champion, Marc Dull. Dull fired rounds of 68-66-67-70 for a total of 271, to outlast the field by seven shots. Before Dull, Jacob Huizinga held the lowest total score of 272. Huizinga posted rounds of 65-67-69-71 at Fiddlesticks Country Club in 2016. While the low score record has changed a couple times over the past seven years, Rick Pearson held the record for 36 years before that. He fired a 72-hole total of 274 at Feathersound Country
club in 1980.
From seniors to mid-amateurs to college players, the Florida Amateur has an expansive history behind it. As we head into the week of the 107th Amateur Championship, we remember the past and the great history behind this tournament as well as prepare for the future and what the talented golfers of today may bring to our FSGA history books.
