Jones and Bergstrom lead the field of 168 players by one stroke heading into the second round where there will be a cut to the low 70 and ties. The Championship continues through Sunday, June 28 when the 2015 Amateur Champion will be crowned.
Despite the inclement weather conditions that resulted in a two hour and 30 minute suspension, Jimmy Jones and Matthew Bergstrom posted round one scores of four under-par, 68, to tie for the lead. Bergstrom, of Apopka, played his first round at Golden Ocala. He did not falter to any score over a par and posted four birdies to be the first 68 on the top of the leaderboard. Jones, of Tampa, started the Championship at Ocala National where he birdied two of the first three holes. After four birdies on the front nine and two on the back nine, Jones met Bergstrom at the top of the leaderboard. The two players will switch courses tomorrow to battle for the outright lead. Bergstrom will head to Ocala National for a 9:21 tee time off of hole number 10 while Jones will travel to the opposite side of the street and tee off of hole number one at Golden Ocala at 9:39.
Six players are tied for third, one stroke from first place, with a three under-par 69. Jalen Ledger, Chandler Blanchet, Jacob Kline, Jake Kevorkian, Ryan Orr, and Matthew Marquez share third place going into Friday’s second round. The 2015 Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Champion, Joe Alfieri, fired two under-par to finish tied for ninth place. Drew Cooke, who finished in the top ten at the Amateur Public Links on June 12-14, is currently tied for ninth place after round one. There were a total of 21 scores under-par after battling through the rain delay.
Before reaching the Championship, more than 780 participants attempted to qualify at one of 14 sites across the state. In the Championship, participants will play 18 holes each at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club and Ocala National Golf Club on June 25-26. After 36-holes, the field will be cut to the low 70 and ties. The final 36-holes of the Championship will be played at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club on June 27-28.
Started in 1914, the Florida Amateur Championship is the oldest continuous sporting event in the state as well as the largest amateur event in Florida. Past Amateur champions include Bob Murphy, Jerry Pate, and PGA Tour players David Peoples, Chris Couch, and Barry Cheesman.
