1997 Florida Cup

Florida Cup has local competitors

October 24, 1997 - Sarasota Herald Tribune

It has all the makings of a great golf rivalry.  And it was as easy as drawing a line across the state.

The first Florida Cup matches are Oct. 30-31 at Laurel Oak Country Club. It pits the North vs. South, the state's best amateurs facing each other under a Ryder Cup format.  It also has a strong local flavor.

Five area players are on the South team, led by 1995 and '97 state amateur champion Mark Leetzow of Sarasota.

He'll be joined by Nokomis' John Corzilius, who captured two Florida State Golf Association titles this year. Corzilius won the state mid-amateur and match play events, and recently added the Venice City Championship to his resume.

Sarasota's John Price is the reigning state senior champion. Bradenton's Mike Ohlman qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur and Sarasota's Randy Lentz advanced to U.S. Open sectional qualifying this year.

The top 14 players from the FSGA points list, along with two seniors, earned spots on each team.  The line was drawn approximately from Tampa Bay across the state, putting Tampa-St. Petersburg players on the North team.

Teams will compete in four-ball, foursome, and individual matches. The rosters include: