Tomlinson Wins Florida Azalea

March 20, 2011 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

- AJGA file photo

JD Tomlinson held on to his 36-hole lead to win by two shots over Chris Bray

PALATKA, FL (March 19, 2011) -- JD Tomlinson of Gainesville, and the University of Florida, held on to win the 2011 Florida Azalea Championship with scores of 67-65-71--203. Flagler College Senior Chris Bray stayed close to Tomlinson but his three-day total of 70-66-69--205 came up two strokes short. Florida Gator alum Duke Butler had the round of the day with a 65 that gave him solo third (69-72-65--206. Tomlinson was a two-time Gainesville Sun player-of-the-year and top 10 junior golf in the U.S. when he fulfilled a dream by signing with the Florida Gators in November of 2010. Complete scores with prize money can be found at the link at the bottom of this story. A bit of tournament history follows. ABOUT THE FLORIDA AZALEA AMATEUR Begun in 1958 as a two-man team tourney, the Azalea field has over the years boasted players who have gone on to greatness at the next level. Tommy Aaron, who teamed with Dan Sykes for the 1960 Azalea team title, went on to win the 1973 Master’s championship. Bob Murphy, winner of back-to- back Azalea titles while playing for the University of Florida golf team in 1965-66, was an 11 time winner on tour and is currently a golf analyst for NBC. More recently, there’s 1997 Azalea champ, Ryuji Amada, who currently is one of the PGA’s up-and-coming stars, having won almost $2 million since earning his card in 1999. Leading the list of those not winning the Azalea is Arron Oberholser. The winner of the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach, Oberholser was runner-up to Palatka’s Sean Pacetti in the 1998 Azalea. Another strong field is expected for this year’s tournament, as the top 20 finishers will earn points toward the Golf Week/Titleist amateur rankings. The 180-man Azalea field will be competing in one of six flights. Entry fee is $210 and includes cart, breakfast, dinner and prizes. Winners in each flight are guaranteed a minimum of $500 value in prizes. -- Florida Azalea Tournament Committee

Results: Florida Azalea

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	J.D. Tomlinson	Gainesville, FL	300	67-65-71--203
2	Chris Bray	St. Augustine, FL	200	70-66-69--205
3	Duke Butler IV	Ponte Vedra Beach, FL	100	69-72-65--206
4	Charlie Bull	, England	100	67-70-70--207
5	Greg Mergel	Allenwood, NJ	100	67-65-76--208

View full results for Florida Azalea

About the Florida Azalea

The Florida Azalea was started in 1958 as a two-man team tourney. The field has, over the years, boasted players who have gone on to greatness at the professional level. Tommy Aaron, who teamed with Dan Sykes for the 1960 Florida Azalea team title, w...