Teams from the Loxahatchee Club of Jupiter, Fla., and Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, Pa., were the winners Sunday in the ninth annual The Invitational pro-amateur golf tournament played on three South Florida courses.
Loxahatchee, one of the host courses, won the low net title at 40 under par 176, scoring best ball scores of 64 at McArthur Golf Club on Friday and 66 on Saturday at Loblolly Pines Golf Club, both in Hobe Sound, before finishing at Loxahatchee.
The effort was led by professional Nick Serafino, who earned $1,800. His amateur partners were John Giamartino, Don Destefano and Jim Dolente. Each received a merchandise certificate worth $750. Serafino shot 215 on his own ball.
Oakmont topped the team low gross standings at 24 under par 192 with, in order, 69 at Loblolly Pines, 63 at Loxahatchee and 60 at McArthur. Grant Sturgeon, the pro, was joined by Jonathan Spatz, Malcolm Spatz and Terry Griffin. They received $750 in cash or merchandise prizes. Sturgeon had 213 after closing with a pair of 69s.
Alan Morin of Royal Palm Beach, an assistant at The Falls Country Club, Lake Worth but representing Terrace Park Country Club of Milford, Ohio, was the low pro at 13 under 203, earning $1,800. He shot 69 at Loblolly, 68 at Loxahatchee and 66 at McArthur.
There were 67 teams in the competition. The prize winners:
Team Low Net
176 – Nick Serafino, Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, Fla., with John Giamartino, Don
Destefano and Jim Dolente. Pro, $1,800; amateurs, $750, merchandise certificates.
180 – Alan Morin, Terrace Park CC, Milford, Ohio, with Steve Rentschler, Dave
Rentschler and Mike Hughes. Kris Rudy, Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, Fla., with Butch
Lenhard III, Bob Griffin and Robb Peglar. $1,400 and $625.
181 – Peter Busch, Shackamaxon CC, Westfield, N.J., with Mike Norton, Greg
Policano and Lee Hornstein. $1,100 and $550.
182 – Patrick Hawkins, Friars Head GC, Riverhead, N.Y, with Keith Gollust,
Roger Taylor and Michael Bertuch. Chris Dachisen, North Jersey CC, Wayne, N.J., with
Terry LaCorte, Bob Papa and Cary Edwards. $1,037.50 and $487.50.
183 – Grant Sturgeon, Oakmont, Pa., CC, with Jonathan Spatz, Malcolm Spatz
and Terry Griffin. Rodney Cook, Four Seasons Resort, Irving, Texas, with Paul Fulchino,
Joe Cleary and David Eisen. $995 and $445.
184 – Thomas Forte, North Jersey CC, Wayne, N.J., with Frank Fava Jr., Joseph
Fava and Anthony Fava. Frank Esposito Jr., Brooklake CC, Florham Park, N.J., with
Evan Katz, Jim Rizzolo and Dean Carras. Paul Alexander, Brae Burn CC, Purchase,
N.Y., with James Speiser, Marvin Zucker and James Anchin. Jim Smoot, Huntington,
N.Y., CC, with Richard Hanington, Bill Frazier and Ken McGuigan Jr. $837.50 and
$386.30.
185 – Lee Rinker, Emerald Dunes GC, West Palm Beach, Fla., with Joe Russo,
Doug Spooner and Frank Chirkinian Jr. Fred Harkness, Jonathan’s Landing GC, Jupiter, with Ben Thomas, Rick Clark and Bill Slater. Todd Binder, Whitetail Club, McCall, Idaho, with Troy Summers, David Peterschmidt and John Corbett. $500 and $320.
186 – Steve Barber, Craig Burn GC, East Aurora, N.Y., with Jim Cecchini, Randy Ferrino and Curtis Hain. Jim Corrigan, Longvue Club, Verona, Pa., with Bill Pietragalo Sr., Bill Pietragalo Jr. and Sean Sullivan. Waddy Stokes, Forest Creek GC, Pinehurst, N.C., with Terry Brown, Joe Lawler and Jim Tuck. $310 and $275.
187 – Lonnie Nielsen, Crag Burn GC, East Aurora, N.Y., with Jim Smith, Tom Lombardo and Jerry Jacobs. Gene Mulak, Vineyard GC, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., with Bill Campbell, Fritz Blaicher and Burke Ross. Greg Pace, Huntington, N.Y., CC, with Bernie Reynolds, Don Manfredonia and Jim Gallagher. $250 and $250.
188 – Ryan Garrity, The Dye Preserve, Jupiter, Fla., with Joe Marx, Dean Pichee and Pat Horan. Mike Gilmore, Piping Rock Club, Locust Valley, N.Y., with John Reese, Brad Weekes and Chi McClean. Jim Farrell, Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, with Robert Capazzi, Ken Bowden and George Damman. $212 and $212.
Team Low Gross
192 – Grant Sturgeon, Oakmont, Pa., CC, with Jonathan Spatz, Malcolm Spatz and Terry Griffin. $750 each, cash or merchandise certificates.
193 –Kris Rudy, Loxahatchee Club, Jupiter, Fla., with Butch Lenhard III, Bob Griffin and Robb Peglar. Patrick Hawkins, Friars Head GC, Riverhead, N.Y., with Keith Gollust, Roger Taylor and Michael Bertuch. $425 each.
196 – Alan Morin, Terrace Park CC, Milford, Ohio, with Steve Rentschler, Dave Rentschler and Mike Hughes. Steve Barber, Crag Burn GC, East Aurora, N.Y., with Jim Cecchini, Randy Ferrino and Curtis Hain. $150 each.
Low Pros
Alan Morin, Milford, Ohio, $1,800 69-68-66—203
Frank Esposito Jr., Florham Park, N.J., $1,500 68-70-69—207
Rodney Cook, Irving, Texas, $1,200 69-71-68—208
Tim Turpen, Hobe Sound, $1,200 64-71-73—208
Kris Rudy, Jupiter, $1,200 63-72-73—208
Jason Clark, Waterbury, Conn., $1,000 72-70-67—209
Lee Rinker, West Palm Beach, $990 69-70-71—210
Lonnie Nielsen, East Aurora, N.Y., $980 69-74-68—211
Patrick Hawkins, Riverhead, N.Y., $965 72-68-72—212
Mike Burke, Alpine, N.J., $965 70-68-74—212
Grant Sturgeon, Oakmont, Pa., $950 75-69-69—213
Mike Gilmore, Locust Valley, N.Y., $940 75-74-65—214
Matt Lucchesi, Jupiter, Fla., $916.70 68-76-71—215
Lee Stroever, Newburg, N.H., 916.70 75-68-72—215
Nick Serafino, Jupiter, Fla., $916.70 67-74-74—215
Tom Gleeton, Waterbury, Conn., $812.50 74-74-68—216
Mark Kirk, East Aurora, N.Y., $812.50 71-75-70—216
Jim Farrell, Jupiter, Fla., $725 70-78-69—217
Chris Dachisen, Wayne, N.J., $725 71-73-73—217
Mark Digiacomo, Hobe Sound, $725 68-73-76—217