Jacksonville Senior Amateur champ Tim Cobb
A quick look at the leaderboard of the Jacksonville Senior Amateur shows five players under par, with one of them, Tim Cobb, posting 7-under to win by a single shot. But it doesn't tell the whole story. You've got to look deeper at Michael Vallencourt's final round card to see that.
Cobb's rounds of 69 and 68 at St. Johns Golf and Country Club were about as steady as you could ask for. The local resident (St. Augustine, Florida) only recorded two bogeys during the rain-shortened 36-hole event, both during the first round.
He closed out with a bogey free 68, a shot clear of Chad Branton (Cartersville, Georgia) and Michael Vallencourt of Orange Park, Florida. Branton was a major mover in the final round, reducing his 1-over 73 from Monday to a 7-under 65 that gave him a shot at the title.
Like Cobb, Branton was bogey free in the final round.
Michael Vallencourt
Vallencourt, coming off a 4-over 76 that left him near the middle of the pack in 19th place after Monday's round, went out in much better form on the front nine today - carding a 3-under 33 with four birdies against a single bogey at the par-4 7th.
But something clicked on the back nine, and it not only produced what likely is the round of Vallencourt's life, but a run of birdies that most players will never see.
After pars at Nos. 10 and 11, Vallencourt went on the birdie train. And that's the kind of train you never want to get off. He made birdie on each of the seven remaining holes to card a 10-under 62.
That's number not often seen in senior golf, but one that set the mark at 6-under for the final players to catch.
"It was just one of those times when you see the line AND you hit the line," said Vallencourt of his red-hot putter. "It was so much fun having everything come together... Even the ball with my granddaughter's face on it."
Branton and Vallencourt, finishing a full hour in front of the leaders, waited patiently to see if they might get a chance to playoff for the title.
But Cobb was steady as she goes. After a birdie on No. 13 got him the solo lead at 7-under, Cobb did what he had to do, parring in for a one shot win.
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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.
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