Bird Wins Mid-Senior Championship
The final round of the Florida State Mid-Senior Championship at Plantation Bay Country Club in Ormond Beach, needed extra holes to determine a winner. Bobby Bird and Alan Pope were tied after 54 holes and squared off on the eighteenth hole for a sudden death playoff with Bobby Bird emerging as the victor.
Bobby Bird, of Vero Beach, recorded a final round four-under par 68, which included a clutch birdie on the last hole to force the playoff. Bird carded a first round four-under par 68 and followed that with an even par round of 72 in the second round for a tournament total of 208, to tie for first place with Alan Pope, of Orlando. In the final round, Pope fired a four-under par 32 on the front nine and followed that with a birdie on number 10. Pope would go on to make a quadruple bogey eight on the 12th hole, and would need a par on the 18th hole to secure the victory. Pope would make a bogey on the last hole of regulation and would head to a playoff with Bobby Bird. The sudden-death playoff took place on the par-4 eighteenth hole. Bobby Bird managed par while Alan Pope bogeyed and Bird claimed the title. This victory is the third State Championship for Bird this year. Bird captured the Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship and the Four-Ball Championship earlier this year. Mike Riley, of Panama City, finished two strokes back at 210 and earned third place honors.
To be eligible for the Mid-Senior Championship, players must be 40 years of age or older. The Championship consists of 54 holes of stroke play cut to the low 70 plus ties after 36 holes. The first two rounds were played on the Club de Bonmont Course and the Prestwick Course with 72 players advancing with a two-round total of 157 and better to the final round on the Club de Bonmont Course.
Renovated by Steve Smyers in 2005, The Club de Bonmont Course is famous for 18 unique holes. 
