Gosse wins Florida Senior Am for 1st FSGA individual title

Kelly Gosse won his first individual in a Florida State Golf Association championship on Thursday, but he needed the low round of the tournament to do it. For Gosse, that was a 2-under 70 at Southern Hills Plantation in Brooksville, Fla. It left him with the Florida Senior Amateur title.

“I’m very happy, very pleased with what I’ve done here,” Gosse said.

Gosse has won four FSGA Four-Ball titles, but never an individual title. He started out the day at Southern Hills strong with a bogey-free front nine that included three birdies. He made the turn at 3 under with a two-stroke lead over the rest of the field.

The Inverness resident ran into some trouble on the 12th hole. After hitting his drive onto the cart path, Gosse chipped the ball across the green and into the water. He chipped in from about 5 feet off the green to make bogey on the hole and remain at the top of the leaderboard.

“Making six there was probably the difference for me today,” Gosse said.

Gosse had back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes to take back the solo lead. A par on the final hole secured the two-stroke win for Gosse. He finished the championship at 2-under 214, the only under-par score in the field.

Jimmy Jones and Rick Woulfe tied for second place, finishing the championship at even-par 216. Jones made a run in the final round, starting the day with a 1-under bogey-free front nine. He took the solo lead with a birdie on the 14th. A bogey and double bogey on the 17th and 18th holes put him a tie for second place, finishing the day at even-par 72.

Woulfe posted an even-par front nine and headed to the final nine two strokes back of Gosse. He birdied the 18th hole to take a share of second place, finishing the final round at 1-over 73.