Northeast Florida Golf News – February 2026

JAGA Tournaments
•  Coastal Carolina U. senior Max Bengtsson fired rounds of 68-74-69—211 (-5) at Deerwood CC to capture the 10^th JAGA First Coast Amateur presented by the City of Jacksonville by five shots. One off the lead after two rounds, the 23-year-old Swede birdied three of his first seven holes the final day, led by four at the turn, then shot 36 on the back nine to cruise to victory. Finishing solo second was Roman Solomon of the U. of South Florida. Reigning JAGA Jacksonville Amateur presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners champion Danny Erickson of the U. of North Florida finished T4. The top finishers were awarded World Amateur Golf Ranking points. Bengtsson improved his ranking 120 spots, moving up to No. 732, his highest to date. For complete details, click HERE

2026 JAGA First Coast Amateur presented by the City of Jacksonville champion Max Bengtsson of Sweden and Coastal Carolina University

                  •  The Amateurs retained the Underwood Cup 15-9 in the 35^th playing of the Presidents Cup/Ryder Cup-styled competition between North Florida’s top Chapter professionals and amateurs. The Amateurs improved their Cup record to 20-12-3. Leading the way with undefeated records at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach were Lance Lacombe (3-0-0), Mike Smith (3-0-0) and Matt Saxton (2-0-1). For a complete recap, results and pictures, click HERE.

•  JAGA will kick off the spring with the JAGA Spring Four-Ball at Stillwater G&CC on March 23^rd. Entries are now open HERE.  The Four-Ball will be followed by JAGA’s longest-running event (since 1958), the JAGA Senior Amateur Championship on May 3-5, with Lennar coming on board this year as the event’s first presenting sponsor.

JAGA News

•  The 10^th annual Celebration of Golf Banquet presented by Circle K is a sellout. It’s Feb. 11, with the MacCurrach Family receiving the Deane Beman Award.

•  The process for member organizations to submit candidates for 2026-27 JAGA scholarships is underway. The deadline for submission is March 31^st. Interested sponsors and students can access the JAGA website to learn more about the process: https://jaxareagolf.org/scholarships/apply/#eligibility

Questions may be directed to Scholarship Committee chairman and Marsh Landing CC director Peter Karpen, pfkarpen@aol.com .

•  January donations to the JAGA Charitable Trust: $1,540 from San Jose CC and $650 from Marsh Landing CC/Marsh Landing MGA.

•  The election of 2026 JAGA officers was conducted at December’s Annual Meeting at Stillwater G&CC. Below is the official Officers picture – (left to right) Jim Loftin (Palencia Club) – VP-Administration; Jeff Johnstone (Sawgrass CC) – VP-Tournaments; Joe Cronauer (Sawgrass CC)/Secretary; John Milton(Jax Beach GC) – Treasurer; and Duke Butler III (TPC Sawgrass) – President.

2026  JAGA Officers

•  JAGA welcomed a number of new directors in 2025: Amelia River – Tim Pike; Blue Cypress – Pete Stutz; Cimarrone – Shane Phillips; Fleming Island – Charles Raulerson, Ray Raulerson, Jerry Jensen; Hyde Park – John Battersby, Garrett Bevill; Moore-Meyers Children’s Fund – Charles King;  Plantation – K.C. Caldabaugh; Royal St. Augustine – Marc Devany; San Jose – Steve Toney; Sawgrass – Dr. Tom Tomlin; Stillwater – Brian Harmen, Ryck Archambault; Unaffiliated – Tom Harman.
•  A reminder….if you designate JAGA as the beneficiary of your PLAYERS Championship tickets via “Chip In For Charity”, the JAGA scholarship program will receive $40 for every ticket purchased. Please consider this and share the message with your family and friends. Visit THEPLAYERS.com/chip-in and use code 363XOT
Another PLAYERS program you can get behind to support JAGA is “Birdies for Charity”. A minimum contribution of $20 makes donors eligible to guess the number of birdies that will be made during THE PLAYERS Championship. The person who guesses the exact number will have a chance to win $10,000. JAGA will receive 100% of every JAGA pledge, as well as funding from a bonus pool. To participate, click HERE Northern PGA Chapter News•  PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague stepped down from his position Jan. 7^th, citing the need to return to his hometown of Malone in upstate New York to care for his mother and mother-in-law. Sprague was general manager of TPC Sawgrass for seven years prior to being named the PGA’s CEO in January of 2025. He was the Association’s president from November 2014 to November 2016.

•  On Jan. 7^th, the Northern Chapter held its annual awards presentation event at TPC Sawgrass. There were 16 award categories. Below is the group photo of those who were in attendance and recognized. For the list of winners, click here (January NEWS) and scroll down to “Northern PGA Chapter News”.

Northern Chapter Award winners

                  •  It’s been quite a year of recognition for the Wes Tucker family. Not only did Wes receive two Chapter awards on Jan. 7^th (Golf Professional of the Year and Merchandiser of the Year/Public Category), his wife, Kathy, was named 2025 St. Johns County School District “Principal of the Year”. She is principal at Ketterlinus Elementary School in St. Augustine and has been since 2010.

•  2025 Northern Chapter Rolex Senior Player of the Year Bob Wallace is leaving The Palencia Club to take a position with The IMG Academy’s golf program in Bradenton.

•  Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth of Fleming Island and a teaching professional at San Jose CC, finished second in the 2025 Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year race. Sandra Changkija of Lake Nona G&CC in Orlando became the second two-time winner of the prestigious national award (2022), sharing that distinction with Connelly Eiswerth (2023, 2024).

•  3-way tie at Chapter Pro-Pro – The Northern Chapter PGA’s opening 2026 event was a Pro-Proat Timuquana with 38 two-player teams and three pairs tied for first place.
At 66 were the San Jose duo of Stephanie Connolly Eiswerth and Hayes Farley of San Jose, Tyler Gray of Marsh Landing and Jason Duff of San Jose, and Michael Mattiace of UNF with Mark Tullo of Deerwood.
The Chapter’s next event will be the seeding qualifier (32 spots available) for the first round of the Match Play Championship on Feb. 23 at Deerwood. The event stretches out through mid-June.

•  Deerwood CC teaching professional Mark Tullo captured his home country’s Chile Open for the third time (2005, 2006, 2008) while there during the holidays. Past winners include Gary Player (1980) and Roberto De Vicenzo (1961). Tullo attended North Carolina State on a golf scholarship and graduated with a Business Management degree. He has performed well in local Chapter competitions and was a Professional team member in the 2025 Underwood Cup.

Chile Open winner Mark Tullo of Deerwood CC

PLAYERS Championship
The PLAYERS is next month, and fans will see some changes and additions.
Here are some of them, according to tournament executive director Lee Smith, who spoke at last month’s JAGA meeting at San Jose:

•  The field is reduced from 144 to 120, part of the overall Tour plan for 2026. “This means that we have a much better chance of finishing rounds on the day they start, instead of running out of daylight and bring players back the next morning to finish the round.”
• While the layout is virtually untouched from last year, some spectator mounds have been reshaped, and corridors have been widened to allow better movement.
•  A spectator app will be available. It’s similar to GPS-based apps such as WAZE and fans can get routes to specific places on holes, concession stands and restrooms.
• The annual Military Appreciation Concert will again be March 11 and additional tournament-sponsored concerts will be nightly at the nearby Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, with shuttles available from TPC Sawgrass. Rapper Ludacris will headline the MAC concert.
•  Wi-Fi in the stadium area around the 17^th hole has been improved.

The competition rounds will be March 12-15, and the usual best-of-the-year field will be present, including defending champion Rory McIlroy and ’25 PGA TOUR Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler.
PLAYERS tickets are available through the JAGA website. A portion of those purchases will go to the JAGA Charitable Trust to help fund scholarships. Click HERE & use code 363XOT

PLAYERS Championship executive director Lee Smith at JAGA’s Jan. 6^th directors’ meeting

Club News

•  With Roman O’Rourke departing for a new position in Austin, Texas, Clint Avret is the new director of golf at Jacksonville G&CC, effective Jan. 27^th.  A Bolles School graduate, Avret headed the golf professional staff at Timuquana CC from 2005-2020 and worked in the synthetic turf industry the last five years. See “Did You Know?” at the end of NEWS for more on Clint.

New Jacksonville G&CC director of golf Clint Avret

•  With new ownership at Palencia, Heritage Group has named Derron Deraney as the club’s new general manager. He comes from Eagle’s Landing CC, near Atlanta.•  Amelia National G&CC recently completed a $15 million project (March 17 to November 15). It was overseen by original architect Tom Fazio. First opened in 2006, the renovation included new grassing of fairways, tees, greens, and rough, and refined holes for improved playability and more efficient maintenance.  Specifically, the greens and bunkers were totally rebuilt, the putting green increased four times in size, and the short-game area improved. Also, a new maintenance facility is under construction.

•  The Golf Club at South Hampton will be closed starting in April for renovations. Reopening is set for October. The range and clubhouse will be open with limited hours.

•  After more than 10 years at The Yards, general manager Mike Miles is stepping back from his day-to-day duties and turning things over to former assistant general manager Derek Pridham, effective this past Jan. 1^st. Miles will remain in a senior advisor role. Prior to The Yards, Pridham spent seven-and-a-half years with Topgolf, assisting with openings at several of their locations around the country and one in Thailand.

Other News

•  The committee of the First Coast Women’s Amateur presented by Brooks Rehabilitation announced that dates for the 2026 championship are July 20-22 at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club. Nancy Cox won the overall championship last summer at Sawgrass Country Club. Entries will open on the JAGA website on May 20^th.

•  Miles Russell keeps on impressing. The 2026 FSU commit from Jacksonville Beach placed T2 (71-69) in the fog-shortened Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest GC in Sea Island, Ga. Southern Methodist University senior Williams Sides triumphed. According to the World Amateur Golf Ranking’s Power Method, the Jones Cup field strength was third best of late, only behind the U.S. Amateur and the Western Amateur.

•  The Len Mattiace Foundation’s annual “Party of the Year” is fast approaching – Sat., Feb. 28^th at Murgado Automotive Group (Butler Blvd. at I-95) – but some tickets remain for sale. All proceeds go to the Foundation’s STOP THE BULLYING CAMPAIGN, aimed at supporting 50 middle school students in Duval, St. Johns and Clay counties.
Corporate sponsorships offering either 46, 36 or 32 tickets and rounds of golf on the TPC Stadium Course with the host are available, as is a package of 16 tickets. Also available is a two-ticket package for $500. If you wish to support Len, contact: Jaycie.LMF@gmail.com

Len Mattiace Foundation / Stop the Bullying Campaign

JWGAFlight winners in the Christmas tournament at Deerwood were:
1^st – Shan Giordano, Christ Hunbt, Therese Quinn, Lou Tenarvitz.
2^nd – Paula Fairley, Maggie Finch, Joli Dwyer, Kathy Vigue.
3^rd – Susan Mackert, Pattie Jenkins, Nancy Keating, B.J. Hayden.
4^th – Sach Price, Chi Daniels, Barbara Jacobi, Dannette Coleman.
5^th – Judy Kontny, Cynthia Herberger, Beatriz Coles, Susan Rodgers.FSGA Tournaments

•  Top area finishers in the Winter Series event at Innisbrook Resort (Island Course) in the Senior division – Billy Lodise (3^rd), Steve Pitts (4^th), Charles Kirk (T10).

•  Mark Spencer won the Winter Series event/Senior division (6,348 yards) at WGV-Slammer & Squire (144) by one over Rocky Fraleigh. They were followed by fellow locals Bart Abstein (4^th), Jeff Kaufman (5^th), and Bryan Benton and JAGA VP-Administration Jim Loftin (T6).
In the Super-Senior division (6,091 yards), David Anthony (146) was four better than fellow JAGA director Bill Hardaker. Brad Rollinson was T3 at 151 with several others.

•  Tama Caldabaugh of Ponte Vedra Beach partnered with Carolina Hart of Juno Beach to place fifth in the Middle Division (5,457 yards) of the 79^th Women’s International Four-Ball at Golden Ocala.

•  Therese Quinn of Jacksonville battled the elements (76-78—154) to win the Women’s Winter Series championship division at WGV-King & Bear by nine shots on Feb. 2-3. Other area players Tama Caldabaugh, Lou Tenarvitz and Jody Clark, finished 4^th, 6^th and 8^th, respectively.

High School Honors

                    Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island HS and Sofia Rivera of Beachside HS were named Times-Union First Coast boys and girls players of the year, respectively.

Mawhinney, a senior who is headed to Vanderbilt in the fall, captured the award for the third year in a row. He won his high school district and regional individual titles this fall. Then, after leading Fleming Island to Florida state team titles in 2023 and 2024, the Golden Eagles and Mawhinney came up one shot short in the team and individual titles this past fall.
Rivera became only the fourth player from the First Coast to win a state individual championship last November, doing so comfortably, by four shots. Only a junior, Rivera plans to play her college golf at Indiana University where she’ll major in business. Many hours spent with and inspiration from her uncle, two-time PGA TOUR winner Russell Knox, lifted her game. Her improvement “has been nuclear over the past couple of years,” Knox said. “She has a burning desire to improve.” It doesn’t hurt that her mother, Maria, was a pro tennis player.The All First Coast boys first team included:

The All First Coast girls first team included:

College Golf

Most of the college golf programs with local ties kicked off their spring seasons in late January/early February. Below are the results of those teams who played.
In March (7-9), many of the best teams in men’s college golf will compete in the UNF-hosted The Hayt tournament at Sawgrass CC. The field includes: UNF, Alabama, Auburn, UNC-Charlotte, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Liberty, Louisville, LSU, North Carolina, South Carolina, USF, Texas Tech, UCF and Virginia.

*Top-five finishes

Did you know?
Highly respected San Jose CC director of golf Todd Bork has been at the club 26 years. Congratulations, Todd….and thanks for all you do for JAGA and golf throughout Northeast Florida!

Golf was not the sport newly appointed Jacksonville G&CC director of golf Clint Avret (see note in “Northern PGA Chapter News”) was focused on in college. Instead, his attention was spent on colliding with receivers as a defensive back for Georgia Southern U. Clint earned a Business Management degree from GSU, where he was a fraternity brother of Pablo Creek GC’s Richie Bryant. It was after college that he took up golf. Obviously athletic, a golf career soon followed, beginning on Hilton Head, S.C., working at clubs Port Royal, Colleton River and Belfair, before relocating to West Virginia and the Pete Dye GC. In 1999, he returned to Colleton River as the head professional. Six years later, he was recruited to come home to Jacksonville and take the Timuquana CC head job. In his limited idle time, Avret loves to surf. Congrats and best wishes, Clint, on your new position at JG&CC!

Northeast Florida Golf News is written and edited by JAGA directors Fred Seely (Timuquana CC) and Jeff Adams (TPC Sawgrass).Photos: Credit “JAGA” unless otherwise noted.

Reporting from Garry Smits’ Florida Times-Union “Golf Notebook” is used in NEWS.