Dixie Amateur looking towards 'big year'
Dixie Amateur
Tournament Director
BY BILL VAN SMITH
SPECIAL TO THE
MIAMI HERALD
The Dixie Amateur is one of South Florida’s
oldest tournaments, going
into its 82nd year, and it will be run — and
aggressively run — by one of
South Florida’s youngest golf executives.
At age 24, Ben Derauf is unquestionably
young
and determined, and he
vows to upgrade the venerable event.
“This year is big for us,” Derauf said. “We
want
to get the Dixie Amateur
back up in the world class that it once
was.
There will be some serious
recruiting of players for the tournament.
Our
goal is to get some big
names back down here.
“We will absolutely move up in the
rankings.”
Last year, for the first time in memory, the
Dixie Amateur had some
competition as the inaugural South Beach
International Amateur was
held. The new South Beach tournament
made
huge inroads, receiving the
highest world ranking for any amateur
tournament in its first year and
also attracting U.S. Amateur champion
Kelly
Kraft, who won the event.
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.
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