LIVE SCORING: Dixie Senior and Mid-Master Invitational

December 6, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Rick Stimmel and Steve Humphrey are back in the field to defend their 2023 Senior and Super Senior titles, respectively.

With December brings one of the top amateur events of the season to Florida.

The Dixie Senior and Mid-Master, as well as the Women's Dixie Amateur and the Men's Dixie Amateur, will head to Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla., over the next three weeks.

The first event is the Dixie Senior and Mid-Master from Dec. 5 to Dec. 7. The event consists of three divisions: the Mid-Master, the Senior, and the Super Senior.

In 2023, Tim Eckberg won the Mid-Master Division by two shots at 1-over, Rick Stimmel won the Senior Division by six shots at 2-under, and Steve Humphrey won the Super Senior Division by eight shots at 5-under.

Stimmel is ranked No. 16 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings, while Humphrey is ranked No. 4 in the AmateurGolf.com Super Senior Rankings.

The senior version of the Dixie Amateur Championship added a Mid-Master division starting in 2019. 54-hole stroke play event with no cut. Mid-Master (ages 40- 54), Senior (ages 55-64) and Super Senior (65+) Divisions. The tournament has long drawn some of the country's top senior golfers to South Florida -- Doug Hanzel (2013-2014, 2017), Brady Exber (2012), and Rick Woulfe (an amazing 7 titles, his latest in 2015) are among the past champions.

The Dixie Amateur, which originated in 1924, was played at the old Miami Country Club. Florida has always been a golf destination, and the tournament attracts a strong field of talented amateur players.

Early winners of the Dixie Amateur included Frank Stafaci, Earl Christianson, Frank Perpich, Al Besselink, Bill Hyndman III, and future Masters Champion Doug Ford. With the closing of the Miami Golf Club in 1953, the Dixie was discontinued until 1962.

The Dixie Amateur has been played continuously since 1962 at various courses in South Florida, including The Links at Key Biscayne and the Golf Club of Miami. During this time, the tournament really began to attract the very best players in the United States, and several players won before graduating to the PGA Tour. Champions include Andy Bean, Bruce Fleisher, Lanny Wadkins, Nolan Henke, Len Mattice, and Jesper Parnevik.

In 1990, the Dixie Amateur was moved to the Bonaventure Resort. During this time period, the tournament was moved to December and held during the Christmas break. This move allowed a greater number of collegiate golfers to participate, and the strength of our field grew substantially.

In 1997, a senior division was created for players 55 years and older. This increased exposure and attracted an even stronger field of senior golfers. Steve Earsley of Stuart, Florida, won the inaugural event and repeated as Champion in 1998.

In 2002, the women's division was added and has consistently attracted the finest female amateurs in the world. The inaugural women's champion, Meaghan Francella, narrowly defeated Paula Creamer, now an LPGA superstar. The 2007 women's champion, Lexi Thompson, became the youngest winner of an LPGA tournament in 2011 at the age of 16.

The 2009 Dixie Amateur saw the addition of the first Senior Women’s Dixie Amateur Championship.

In 2011, ClubLink acquired the Dixie Amateur and renewed its emphasis on providing the best possible experience for all contestants. The women's, senior women's, and senior men's divisions are now played at Eagle Trace Golf Club, a premier ClubLink property.

In 2019, a Mid-Master division for players aged 40- 54 was added to the Senior tournament, allowing more players to experience the Dixie.

Results: Dixie Senior & Mid-Master

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Chad Ibbotson	Sanford, FL	700	68-72-75=215
2	Rick Stimmel	Pittsburgh, PA	400	72-75-69=216
3	Glenn Przybylski	Frankfort, IL	300	73-69-75=217
4	Chad Branton	Cartersville, GA	300	77-74-67=218
5	Robert Spino	New Franklin, OH	300	74-71-74=219