Dixie Amateur looking towards 'big year'

BY BILL VAN SMITH
SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

The Dixie Amateur is one of South Florida’s oldest tournaments, going into its 82nd year, and it will be run — and aggressively run — by one of South Florida’s youngest golf executives.

At age 24, Ben Derauf is unquestionably young and determined, and he vows to upgrade the venerable event.

“This year is big for us,” Derauf said. “We want to get the Dixie Amateur back up in the world class that it once was. There will be some serious recruiting of players for the tournament. Our goal is to get some big names back down here.

“We will absolutely move up in the rankings.”

Last year, for the first time in memory, the Dixie Amateur had some competition as the inaugural South Beach International Amateur was held. The new South Beach tournament made huge inroads, receiving the highest world ranking for any amateur tournament in its first year and also attracting U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft, who won the event.