Happy Mother’s Day!
Today, we celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures who make our game stronger both on and off the course. From introducing the next generation to golf, to supporting players, volunteers, and communities, their impact is felt throughout every fairway, clubhouse, and championship. On behalf of the Jacksonville Area Golf Association, we thank all moms for their dedication, encouragement, and love of the game. We wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day filled with joy, family, and maybe even a few birdies along the way.
Paul Tesori Captures 49th Florida Senior Open
On May 1st, St. Augustine resident and renown PGA TOUR caddie Paul Tesori topped 155 of the state’s leading professionals and amateurs to capture the 49th Florida Senior Open Championship at Mayacoo Lakes CC in West Palm Beach. In so doing, he became the first amateur to win the FSGA Senior Open since Mike Weeks in 2016.
With lots of leaderboard movement on the final day, Tesori sealed a two-shot victory with a birdie on the 16th hole and a clutch, par-saving six-footer on the home hole. He posted rounds of 68-67-70—205 (-8). Mayacoo Lakes played a shade over 6,500 yards all three days.
Steve Vecellio and Paul Scaletta finished tied atop the professional leaderboard, tied for second overall, each earning $8,750 from a total purse of $65,000.
Others from the First Coast who made the cut were Clint Avret (T19), Brad Adamonis (T9), Mark Spencer-a (T27) and Aaron Russell (T56).
In March, Tesori and childhood friend Chad James won the JAGA Spring Four-Ball at Stillwater G&CC.
Tesori gets back to work May 7-10 caddying for Webb Simpson in the PGA TOUR’s Truist Championship at Webb’s home club, Quail Hollow in Charlotte. He will then caddie for Jax Beach junior phenom Miles Russell at the Korn Ferry Tour event in Raleigh, N.C. on May 28-31.
For complete Florida Senior Open details, click HERE
JAGA Tournaments
• Tim Cobb of St. Johns G&CC collected his second JAGA Senior Amateur Championship presented by Lennar on May 5th at Stillwater G&CC. The 2020 champion fired 75-70-73—218 (+2) on a difficult layout to win by eight shots. Finishing T2 were the last two champions, Richard Ames (2024) and Brent Dietz (2025), and 2004 JAGA Jacksonville Amateur Championship presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners winner Ken Moody.
In the Super-Seniors (ages 60-69), three-time JAGA Jacksonville Amateur and former North and South Amateur winner Robert Goettlicher of the host club overcame Tim Iley with an eagle on the first hole of sudden-death.
In the Grand Seniors (ages 70+), Garry Blackwell added another JAGA Senior Amateur division title to his resume. His two-day total of 150 (+6) was seven shots better than defending champion Bruce Moskovciak and Paul Worley.
The Senior Amateur is Jacksonville’s oldest continuously played golf tournament, dating back to 1958. This was the first year of a three-year presenting sponsorship agreement with Lennar, owner of the host club and gated 55+ active adult community.
For complete results, click HERE
Tim Cobb, 2026 JAGA Senior Amateur presented by Lennar champion
• Registration for the greater Jacksonville area’s premier men’s amateur competition, the 65thJAGA Jacksonville Amateur Championship presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners, is open. Sawgrass CC will host the 54-hole stroke-play championship, July 19-21. The entry fee is $375. A certified USGA index of 2.9 or less is required. Entries are limited to those whose primary residence is in Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, Putnam, Columbia, Suwannee, and Baker counties. For eligibility details and to register, click HERE
• The next event on the JAGA schedule after the Senior Am is the North Florida Junior Golf Tour’s Greater Jacksonville Junior Championship, which JAGA helps sponsor. It is June 23-24 at Eagle Harbor GC. For details and entries, click HERE
• Entries for the First Coast Women’s Amateur presented by Brooks Rehabilitation open May 20th. The two- and three-day championship which offers World Amateur Golf Ranking points is July 20-22 at Jacksonville G&CC. For details and registration, click HERE
JAGA News
• JAGA’s May meeting will be at Queen’s Harbour G&YC on the 12th.
• Planning for the 2027 Celebration of Golf Banquet presented by Circle K and Pinnacle Financial Partners begins this month as the committee meets May 14 at Deerwood CC. The 11th annual banquet tentatively will be at Sawgrass CC in February. Damon Olinto of Deerwood is the new chair.
Northern PGA Chapter News
• Chapter members Hayes Farley (San Jose CC) and Andrew Lanahan (PGA TOUR Performance Center), along with former World Golf Village head pro Jake Etherton, now of the New England Section, were among the 312 PGA of America members who qualified for their association’s premier event, the PGA Professional Championship, played at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, April 26-29. Lanahan missed the 36-hole cut by one shot, Etherton by two and Farley by three. For complete scores, click HERE
• PGA Assistant Golf Professional Keith Weidemoyer has rejoined the staff at TPC Sawgrass. He spent the last two years at Colorado Golf Club after being at TPCS from 2021 to March 2024.
• The annual Match Play Championship is down to the end. The championship match in May pits No. 6 seed Justin Bardgett of the PGA TOUR versus No. 1 seed Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth of San Jose CC. Bardgett advanced by defeating Taylor McCorkle of Timuquana CC, 2&1 in the semifinals, while Connelly-Eiswerth upended P.T. Politan of GreatLife Golf, 3&2.
• Two from the local Northern Chapter of the North Florida PGA are candidates for office in the North Florida Section, which oversees four chapters in the northern half of the state. Wes Tucker of St. Johns GC is running for secretary and Stefan Brunt of Sawgrass CC is running for an at-large seat on the board.
• The Chapter’s next meeting is May 21 at San Jose CC followed by a Pro-Pro.
FSGA Tournaments / April & May
• 2002 JAGA Amateur Championship winner Steve Carter (T5) was Northeast Florida’s top finisher in the 65th Senior Amateur Championship at Aileron GC in Port Charlotte. Four other area players placed inside the top 25: T9 – Tim Cobb (St. Augustine), 13 – Mark Spencer (Jacksonville), T14 – Chuck Kirk (Middleburg) and T20 – Ken Moody (Ponte Vedra Beach).
• Christine Hunt of Ponte Vedra Beach became a four-time champion of the Women’s Super-Senior Amateur, winning by one shot in Ft. Myers. In the Senior Championship, Tama Caldabaugh, also of PVB, finished second, one back of Susan Cohn of Palm Beach Gardens. For more details, click HERE
• Marsh Landing CC came within two points of defending its 2025 Interclub Team State Championship title in the final at Aileron GC. Played in the Stableford format, Tampa’s Carrollwood CC had 362 points to 360 from Marsh Landing. The MLCC team was comprised of Bruce Barger, Trevor Stanton, David Anthony, Rick Catlett, Rick Theilen, Tom Alter, Tyler Gray and Lee Baggs. For more details, click HERE
• Four from Northeast Florida qualified for the 45th Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be at the Hobe Sound GC on May 7-10. The local qualifier was at King & Bear on April 22. The area qualifiers were Ryan Kyaw, Matt Glass, Alex Grote and Thomas Brennan. A very disappointed player was John Jackopic of West Palm Beach, who made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole and then made a quadruple bogie 9 on No. 16. He missed by two shots. The Mid-Am format is 36 holes of stroke play, followed by match play.
• The FSGA conducted a local qualifier for June’s U.S. Open on May 4th at The Plantation at PVB, with five advancing. Amateurs Landon Durham (67) and Lee Poppell (68) and pro Harrison Shih (68) grabbed the first three spots, while the four who shot 69 battled for the final two in a playoff, with Luke Guthrieand amateur Henry Robards coming out on top. Amateur Josemaria Gutierrez and pro Zach Reuland bowed in the playoff and are the first and second alternates, respectively. Click here for complete scores:
• Another qualifier will be held May 11th at Marsh Creek CC. There are a total of 110 sites hosting local qualifiers between April 20th and May 18th. Successful qualifiers advance to one of 13 final qualifying sites. The nearest to Jacksonville is June 8 at BallenIsles CC in Palm Beach Gardens.
• The Women’s Four-Ball Championship is May 30-31 at Black Diamond Ranch GC.
Other Tournaments
• Sofia Rivera is going to Riviera! The 17-year-old Beachside HS junior topped 70 other golfers to take the top spot in the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Sugar Mill CC in New Smyrna by two shots. She posted 69-70-139 (-5) to become the youngest First Coast product to qualify for a U.S. Open, moving ahead of David Duval (1990 U.S. Open at age 18; T56). Rivera won the FHSAA Class 3A state individual title last fall and was the 2025 Times-Union First Coast girls’ player of the year. She plans to attend Indiana University. The Women’s Open is June 4-7 at Riviera CC in the Los Angeles area.
• Winners of the 69th Azalea Amateur tournaments played in March at Palatka GC were: Amateur– Lance LaCombe of Jacksonville; Senior Azalea – Joe Alfieri of Lutz; and Junior Azalea/Boys – Ambrose Kinnare of St. Augustine/Tocoi Creek HS and Junior Azalea/Girls – Sophia Cavanagh of St. Augustine/Nease HS. Kinnare, who won the Boys title by five shots, also finished T3 in the Amateur.
Boys’ contestant Rafael de Carvalho of Ponte Vedra Beach recorded golf’s rarest of feats when he had a hole-in-one from 278 yards on the par-4 13th hole at Palatka. He tied for 8th.
For Azalea Amateur and Senior Azalea results, click HERE
For Junior Amateur Boys and Girls results, click HERE
• 17-year-old homeschooled amateur Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach made his third cut in six Korn Ferry Tour starts at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Sarasota. With scores of 69-68-74-67–278 (-6), he placed T62.
• On April 5th, Fleming Island HS freshman Sophia Moody won her second Florida Junior Tour event of the year, the Jacksonville Beach (GC) Open. She shot rounds of 71 and 65 (a personal best) to win by two shots.
Florida Junior Tour winner Sophia Moody of Fleming Island HS
Credit: Florida Times-Union
17-year-old Jacksonville junior standout Lucas Gimenez
Credit: Facebook
The team of Jim Knutzen, Mike Vallencourt, Brady Dougan and Mark Rutland won the scramble event with a 16-under-par 56. The net winners were Tommy Fletcher, Dan Curran, Bill Dahlenburg and Phil Rachel at 54. More than 100 players participated.
The 2027 event will be played April 12 at Marsh Landing CC.
(L-R) – John Tucker IV, Nancy Kelly, Rufus Dowell, Vernon Kelly and Deane Beman.
• A bit of old news, but the 2026 Masters didn’t disappoint. But what else is new!? In case you missed it, here is the final leaderboard with all its ebbs and flows….
Other News
• The Len Mattiace Foundation’s “Party of the Year” raised $108,000 for its STOP THE BULLYING campaign. The fundraiser, held on Feb. 28th at Murgado Automotive Group/Bentley Dealership, was backed by 350 guests, 11 corporate partners and 55 volunteers. The STB campaign supports 50 middle school students in Duval, St. Johns and Clay counties. Mattiace is a Nease HS graduate who went on to become a two-time All-American at Wake Forest University, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, and 2003 Masters runner-up in a playoff.
• According to the American Junior Golf Association’s website, Ponte Vedra Beach golfer Phillip Dunham plans to attend the University of Alabama, beginning this fall. The Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings have Dunham at No. 10.
• Active golfers are well aware that preferred tee times are getting harder to come by. Last month, NEWS shared a National Golf Foundation report about surging growth for golf. It suggested golf participation could soon reach 50 million. For details of that report, click HERE
• With Tiger Woods’ personal matters taking him out of the running for 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, Jacksonville’s Jim Furyk was tabbed to lead the American team for the second time (2018, France). The last team the 17-time PGA TOUR winner captained was the victorious U.S. squad in the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal. Furyk has been a Ryder Cup vice-captain four times.
• UGA grad Russell Henley made a strong run at last month’s Masters Tournament. A final-round 68 moved the Macon native into a tie for third place, his best-ever finish at Augusta National.
Russell and JAGA share one thing in common – both are supported by Pinnacle Financial Partners (formerly Synovus). And two years ago, when Pinnacle became presenting sponsor of the JAGA Jacksonville Amateur Championship, Henley participated in a welcoming message to tournament contestants.
Russell Henley on the 18th green at Augusta National.
Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images
Jessica Porvasnik
Credit: LPGA
Josiah Foster at Jax Beach GC
More Local TOUR Residents
Last month NEWS highlighted a list of 24 PGA TOUR members who call TPC Sawgrass home. Several other veteran TOUR winners who live in the area and have both TPCS and other club affiliations were not listed. They include; Deane Beman, Jonas Blixt, Bob Dickson, Matt Every, Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Russell Knox, Billy Kratzert, David Lingmerth, Blaine McAllister, Mark McCumber, Vijay Singh and Leonard Thompson, and PGA TOUR Champions winner David Eger.
College Golf / April
• The UF men’s (No. 2) and women’s (No. 3) teams are as strong as any two programs combined in the country.
• Auburn’s Jackson Koivun ran away with the SEC Championship individual title, winning by seven shots. It was his third consecutive SEC Championship title, and sixth win in eight starts this season, which includes the UNF-hosted “The Hayt” in March at Sawgrass CC. The Tigers won the team title by six over Florida. They bowed out in match play, losing to Ole Miss, 3-2, in the semifinals. Koivun has been No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking since June of last year.
• Named to their respective All-ASUN teams were: First team – Brianna Castaldi and Kaitlyn Schroeder of UNF; Second team – Brandon Lori of JU and Danny Erickson of UNF; Third team – Filippo Serra of UNF; and All-Freshman team – Luke Balaskiewicz of UNF. Beachside HS graduate and Florida Gulf Coast sophomore Nolan Harper earned a spot on the first team.
The UNF Ospreys won the ASUN Women’s Golf Championship by 27 shots in Dothan, Ala.
Credit: ASUN Conference
The Flagler women’s golf team claimed their seventh Peach Belt Conference Golf Championship at King & Bear GC in St. Augustine.
Credit: Flagler College
NCAA Championship – D-I / Men
· The six Regional fields (12 teams, 6 individuals) were announced on May 6th on Golf Channel.
· Regionals will take place May 18-20. UF (No. 1 seed) and FSU (No. 5) will play in Columbus, Ohio. UGA (No. 5) will play at home in Athens.
· The top five teams and each region’s low individual will advance.
· The National Championship will take place May 29 – June 3 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
NCAA Championship – D-I / Women
· The six Regional fields (12 teams, 6 individuals) were announced on April 29th on Golf Channel
· Regionals will take place May 11-13. UF, FSU and UNF will play in Tallahassee, Fla. The top five teams and select individuals will advance. Trinity Beth of UGA secured an individual selection and will play in the Ann Arbor, Mich. Regional.
· The National Championship will take place May 22-27, also at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
The top four D-II women’s teams from the South Regional will advance to the D-II NCAA Championship at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, May 12-16.
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.
ABOUT JAGA
Established in 1954, JAGA celebrates its 72nd year in 2025. It is a not-for-profit corporation of approximately 40-member golf facilities located in Northeast Florida. JAGA’s mission is to promote golf, community and goodwill through tournaments and related events and activities. It conducts or supports 12 tournaments, including six championship events and six others that feature team formats. JAGA has a charitable arm that manages a scholarship program which currently provides college funding for 62 area students. Since its inception in 1974, the Trust has awarded over $2.5 million in scholarships to more than 475 students.
Anyone interested in receiving JAGA’s monthly “Northeast Florida Golf News” and announcements about JAGA and its tournaments for free via email may do so by clicking here or going to the JAGA homepage (www.jaxareagolf.org) link that reads “Subscribe to JAGA Email”.