Eagle Harbor Golf Club
(Eagle Harbor Golf Club Photo)
JACKSONVILLE, FL (April 18, 2018) - On the strength of six birdies, retired Naval Station Mayport executive officer John Lobb captured his second Jacksonville Area Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship in three years on Wednesday at Eagle Harbor Golf Club in Fleming Island.
The Jacksonville Golf & Country Club member will have his name engraved on the Frank Rogers Trophy for the second time, having previously won the Senior Amateur at Windsor Parke Golf Club in 2016. First played in 1958, the championship for players age 50+ is believed to be the oldest continuously held golf tournament in North Florida. European Street Cafe returned in 2018 as the tournament sponsor.
Lobb, 54, posted a final-round 34-35-69 to claim a nine-shot victory over Michael Del Rocco (Jacksonville / San Jose CC), defending champion Bill Hardaker (Atlantic Beach / Timuquana CC) and Ken Dye (Ponte Vedra Beach / Jacksonville Beach Golf Club). The champion’s 3-under-par round followed a pair of 73s on Monday and Tuesday, producing a 1-under winning total of 215.
Lobb and Del Rocco were tied for the 36-hole lead at 2-over-par 146. Del Rocco slipped to 78 on the 6,500-yard Eagle Harbor layout in the final round. With birdies on the opening three holes, Del Rocco briefly jumped into the lead, only to be derailed when he played the next six holes in 6 over.
Defending champion Hardaker began the final round four shots off the pace. Playing in the final grouping with Del Rocco and Lobb, the Atlantic Beach resident who was a college teammate with Jerry Pate at Alabama posted nines of 39 and 35 for a 74.
SUPER SENIORS
Former JAGA Senior Amateur champion Billy Clements of St. Augustine won the Super Seniors division by two shots over another former Senior Am winner David Hawkins firing a 2-under score of 142. Clements aced the par-3 13th hole from 150 yards on route to his title. The Super Seniors layout played approximately 6,000 yards.
GRAND SENIORS
The Grand Seniors was also decided by two shots, with Brian Sachs of Newberry, Fla. besting Walt Martin of St. Augustine. Both the winner and runner-up recorded under-par totals for the two trips around the 5,500-yard set up. A second tournament ace was made by Dave Daly on Wednesday on the 117-yard par-3 4th hole.
Editors Note: Article by JAGAView results for Jacksonville Senior Amateur
ABOUT THE
Jacksonville Senior Amateur
Three-day 54-hole stroke play event with a Senior
Division (50+) and concurrent two-day, 36 hole
competitions for the Super Senior and Grand Senior
Divisions.
View Complete Tournament Information