JUPITER, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2012) -- The 18th
hole was decisive Sunday
as Scott Wilson of Palm Beach Gardens
and Marty Rifkin of Jupiter
fought back to win the 17th annual
Abacoa/Junior-Senior
Championship at Abacoa Golf Club.
Anders Johncke and Jimmy Key of
Palm Beach Gardens,
playing one group ahead of the leaders,
had just finished with 131
on a final round four-ball stroke play score
of 64, each counting four
birdies.
This forced Wilson and Rifkin, the
first round leaders, to
birdie the par-4 18th to pull even. Wilson
did, on a 60-foot putt, his
only birdie of the day, for 66. They had
opened Saturday with a
modified alternate shots score of 65.
Then the two teams went back to
the 18th tee to start the
playoff. In order, Johncke pushed his
second shot into the water
right of the green, Rifkin hit 5-iron eight
feet behind the hole and
Key’s approach landed in a bunker left of
the green. Key blasted out
to within two feet, Wilson two-putted for
par and Rifkin sank his
birdie putt for the win.
Rifkin made the team’s five other
birdies. “I should make a
few from the short tees,” he said, “but
Scott made some good par
putts when I was in trouble.”
The seniors, 50 years and older,
played the course nearly
400 yards shorter than the younger
players.
It was Wilson’s fifth Palm Beach
County Golf Association
victory, his third this year, and the second
county title for Rifkin. In
April, after Wilson won the International, a
Stableford points event
at Eastpointe, he paired with former
Rollins College teammate
Michael Blum to capture the Four-Ball while
Rifkin and Key
simultaneously topped the Senior Four-
Ball, both on the same day
at Bear Lakes.
“I’ve been able to find some good
partners,” Wilson said. He
won two PBCGA tournaments in 2011 and
is the reigning club
champion at Bear Lakes.
The PBCGA season is winding
down. The Tour Championship
is scheduled Nov. 2-3 at Bear Lakes.
Invitations will be extended
this week to the top 30 junior players and
15 seniors, based on
season-long points lists. The Sam Smidt
Cup, a match against area
club professionals, is tentative slated for
December, date and site
to be determined.
View results for Palm Beach Junior-Senior
ABOUT THE Palm Beach Junior-Senior
The first round will be Modified Alternate Shot
and the second round will be Better Ball.
Open to all PBCGA members. Two Man Teams
will consist of 1 senior player (50 or older)
and one junior player (49 or younger). Flights
will be determined by first round scores.
View Complete Tournament Information