2019 Event & Links
The 2019 Gasparilla Invitational will be contested on February 21-23, 2019 at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club.
Spectators are welcome to take in the final round, beginning at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 23rd with hospitality stations around the course.
- Tournament Homepage - Live Scoring will be active on event days
- Full Event History & Past Champions
- Schedule of Events
- Amateur Golf Alliance Partnership
- Blast From The Past - Global Golf Post
History of Gasparilla Invitational & Palma Ceia Country Club
The Gasparilla Invitational dates back to 1932. In early years as a professional event, The Gasparilla Open offered the largest purse of any PGA Tournament in the United States. The event would crown World Golf Hall of Fame members, Paul Runyan and Walter Hagen as champions, and the 1935 victory by Walter Hagen was his last ever professional victory.
After a lapse, the Gasparilla Invitational resumed in 1956 as a strictly amateur competition. Since then, the event has been on the schedule of numerous U.S. Amatuer, U.S. Senior Amatuer and U.S. Mid-Amateur Champions, and top Mid-Amateurs gearing up for Walker Cup runs. Notable Champions include former U.S. Amateur Champions and FSGA Hall of Fame Members, Bob Murphy (1967) and Buddy Alexander (1976), PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup Captain, Hal Sutton (1981). Doug LaCrosse, a Palma Ceia member and past FSGA Amateur Champion, won the 1991 and 2012 Championships, having the most time lapsed between victories.
Both FSGA Hall of Fame Member, Jack Veghte (1965, 1966, 1968, 1975 & 1978) and current PGA Tour Rules Official, Peter Dachisen (2002, 2005, 2006, 2009 & 2010) have captured the Championship five times. Dachisen's 2005 performance set the single round (62, -8) and overall (204, -6) scoring record at the time. The single round still stands, while the overall scoring record fell in 2018, when Marc Dull captured the Championship firing 203 (-7).
Notable FSGA Champions in Field
Marc Dull - Defending Gasparilla Champion, 2018 Mid-Amatuer Player of the Year, 2018 Mid-Amateur Champion, 2017 Amateur Player of the Year, 2017 Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Champion- Joe Alfieri - Four-time Amateur Player of the Year, two-time Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Champion, 2016 Public Links Champion, 2003 Florida Open Champion, 2001 Amateur Match Play Champion, 1999 Mid-Amateur Champion
- Doug LaCrosse - Three-time Amateur Player of the Year, 1992 Amateur Champion, four-time Four-Ball Champion, 2013 Senior Player of the Year, Senior Amatuer & Senior Match Play Champion, 2018 Super-Senior Amateur Champion
- Chip Brooke - 2016 Mid-Amateur Champion, 2017 Florida Open Low Amateur
- Bill Barnes - 2018 Senior Amateur Champion & Super-Senior Player of the Year
- Mike Finster - 2018 Gasparilla runner-up, 2017 Mid-Senior Four-Ball Champion, Qualified for four consecutive US Senior Amateurs
- Robert Bechtol - 2017 Mid-Amateur Champion
- Miles McConnell - 2018 Mid-Senior Champion
- George DeSear - 2017 Senior Amateur Champion & Senior Player of the Year
- Rick Cloninger - 2018 Senior Foursomes Champion
- Don Whittemore - 2012 Four-Ball Champion, 2014 Mid-Senior Four-Ball Champion, 2018 Senior Four-Ball Champion
- Paul Royak - 2011 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Champion & 2014 Mid-Senior Four-Ball Champion
- Brian Keenan - 2011 Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Champion & 2014 Mid-Senior Four-Ball Champion
- Richard Kerper - 1992 Four-Ball Champion
Notable USGA National Champions in Field
The 2019 Gasparilla Invitational boasts a strong national field represented by 36 states, 24 state Mid-Amateur or Senior Amateur Champions and the 2017 (Matt Parziale) & 2018 (Kevin O'Connell) US Mid-Amateur Champions.
- Kevin O'Connell - 2018 US Mid-Amateur Champion
- Matt Parziale - 2017 US Mid-Amateur Champion & 2018 US Open Low Amateur
- Chip Lutz - 2015 US Senior Amateur Champion
- Doug Hanzel - 2013 US Senior Amateur Champion
