Steve Carter defeated Thad Hudgens in the finals 4 and 3 to win the 28th Florida State Mid-Amateur Championship at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Ocala
OCALA, FL (October 11, 2009)--Steve Carter defeated Thad Hudgens in the finals 4 and 3 to win the 28th Florida State Mid-Amateur Championship at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club in Ocala on October 8-11.
Steve Carter, of Saint Augustine, earned the 9th seed after posting a 71-74—145 in the stroke play qualifying to advance to match play. In the first round, carter defeated Alan Pope, of Orlando, 1 up. Carter then defeated Robert Koehn, of Winter Park, 5 and 4 in the Round of 16 and Andy Latowski, from Port Saint Lucie, 4 and 2 in the quarters. Carter advanced to the finals by defeating David Abell, from Jupiter, in the semifinals 2 up to secure his spot in the finals versus Thad Hudgens.
The final match went back and forth many times as Hudgens was 1 up through the first four holes until Carter birdied the 5th hole to square the match. Carter took his first lead of the day after winning the seventh hole, but Hudgen’s squared the match heading into the back nine by winning the par 4 ninth hole. Carter started to take command of the match on the back nine by winning the 10th, 12th, and 14th holes to go 3 up. Carter closed out the match by birdying the difficult par 3 15th hole for the 4 and 3 victory. This is Carter’s second Mid-Amateur Championship. Last year, Carter partnered with Andy Purnell to win the Mid-Amateur Four-Ball North Championship.
Thad Hudgens, of Longwood, went into match play as the 23rd seed. In his first round match Hudgens upset the tenth seed and the 2009 Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Champion Tim Hume, of Tampa, 3 and 2. Hudgens then defeated the 2005 Mid-Amateur Champion Jon Veneziano, of Eustis, 1 up in the Round of 16. In the quarters, Hudgens defeated the 1998 State Amateur Champion Dainel Owen, of Ocala, 2 up to face Stephen Anderson, of Hobe Sound, in the semifinals. Hudgens prevailed in a hard fought match 1 up to advance to the finals against Steve Carter.
Match Play Results
Round of 32
Wayne Mayo, Tallahassee (153) def. Tim Carpenter, Bonita Springs (141),2 and 1
Andy Latowski, Port Saint Lucie (147) def. Glenn Przybylski, Frankfort (147),3 and 2
Robert Koehn, Winter Park (145) def. Tim Murray, Tallahassee (151),2 and 1
Steve Carter, Saint Augustine (145) def. Alan Pope, Orlando (150),1 up
Ben Finley, Plantation (152) def. Matthew Giovannelli, Ocala (142),19 holes
Don Bell, Port Orange (147) def. Lawrence O'Brien, Sarasota (149),2 and 1
Andy Purnell, Jacksonville (151) def. Rod Armstrong, Jupiter (142),3 and 1
David Abell, Jupiter (146) def. Chris Berens, Mount Dora (149),8 and 6
Jeronimo Esteve, Miami (141) def. Jose Novo, Miami (152),4 and 2
Daniel Owen, Ocala (148) def. Joshua Anglin, Coral Springs (147),2 and 1
Jon Veneziano, Eustis (145) def. Ken Palladino, Dunedin (151),4 and 3
Thad Hudgens, Longwood (150) def. Tim Hume, Tampa (146),3 and 2
Thomas Murray, Orange Park (142) def. Shannon McWilliams, Tallahassee (152),4 and 3
Stephen Anderson, Hobe Sound (147) def. John Wegmann, Southwest Ranches (149),3 and 2
Duke Butler, Ponte Vedra Beach (143) def. Scott Jones, Orange Park (151),5 and 4
Kelly Gosse, Ocala (146) def. Jeff Neugebauer, Odessa (149),2 and 1
Round of 16
Andy Latowski, Port Saint Lucie (147) def. Wayne Mayo, Tallahassee (153),4 and 3
Steve Carter, Saint Augustine (145) def. Robert Koehn, Winter Park (145),5 and 4
Don Bell, Port Orange (147) def. Ben Finley, Plantation (152),19 holes
David Abell, Jupiter (146) def. Andy Purnell, Jacksonville (151),1 up
Daniel Owen, Ocala (148) def. Jeronimo Esteve, Miami (141),1 up
Thad Hudgens, Longwood (150) def. Jon Veneziano, Eustis (145),1 up
Stephen Anderson, Hobe Sound (147) def. Thomas Murray, Orange Park (142),2 up
Kelly Gosse, Ocala (146) def. Duke Butler, Ponte Vedra Beach (143),6 and 4
Quarterfinals
Steve Carter, Saint Augustine (145) def. Andy Latowski, Port Saint Lucie (147),4 and 2
David Abell, Jupiter (146) def. Don Bell, Port Orange (147),5 and 4
Thad Hudgens, Longwood (150) def. Daniel Owen, Ocala (148),2 up
Stephen Anderson, Hobe Sound (147) def. Kelly Gosse, Ocala (146),4 and 3
Semifinals
Steve Carter, Saint Augustine (145) def. David Abell, Jupiter (146),2 up
Thad Hudgens, Longwood (150) def. Stephen Anderson, Hobe Sound (147),1 up
Final
Steve Carter, Saint Augustine (145) def. Thad Hudgens, Longwood (150),4 and 3
About the Florida Mid-Amateur
36 holes of stroke play determine a 32-player match play bracket. Must be age 25 or older and be a member of the FSGA.
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