Hannes Ronneblad
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — When the Swedish Men's
Golf
team entered the Dixie
Amateur, the prospects of one of them winning
were
pretty good.
As it turned out, the 1-2 positions went to two
Swedish
players, Hannes Ronneblad and Marcus Svensson.
It
was Ronneblad that emerged with the trophy, as
only
a
three-stroke difference in the third round (played
at
TPC
Eagle Trace) separated the teammates.
In Tuesday's final round at Heron Bay Golf Club,
the
pair
matched 5-under 67s. Ronneblad birdied the
second
and third holes to send a message about his
intention
for the day, answering Svensson's first hole birdie
and
opening a four-shot lead. But Svensson came
back
with
an eagle at the par-5 fourth, and the pair traded
off
birdies the rest of the way. They matched each
other
several times, too, and would have had a best-
ball of
9-
under if playing a four-ball format.
Ronneblad's tournament total was 8-under par for
the
72 holes. That's excellent considering the rain
that
pelted South Florida with anywhere from 8-16
inches
over the last seven days. Wet, long-playing
courses
combined with high winds spelled difficulty at the
two
championship layouts that host the Dixie.
For Texas Tech golfer Ronneblad, the victory
continues
an upswing in his golf achievements. In the 2014-
2015
campaign, he achieved First-Team Academic All-
Big 12
honors, won his first individual title, and recorded
six
top-10s.
Now he can call himself the Dixie Amateur
champion
as
his name gets placed on a historic tournament
trophy.
Ryan Troyer's steady play throughout the
tournament
granted him a third-place finish.
The recent transfer from Kent State to Malone
University never broke 70, but posted
rounds under 74 all four days and finished at 3-
under
285, five behind Ronneblad.
Tying for fourth place were Quinn Vilneff, a
Canadian
golfer who formerly played for the
University of Evansville, and Florida State junior
Cristobal del Solar, who came in at 2-
under 286.
ABOUT THE
Dixie Men's Amateur
Historic Florida amateur golf tournament
that
is
open to former Dixie Amateur champions,
tournament committee invitees and
qualifiers for
major amateur championships.
The Dixie has a traditionally strong
field due to college break, and a
past-champions list that includes many PGA
Tour
players as well as top-ranked amateurs.
72-hole stroke play
championship with a 54 hole cut down to 66 players
and ties. The field
limit will be 108 players. Played
at Eagle Trace Golf Club. Apply for
an invitation at
www.dixieamateur.com.
View Complete Tournament Information