First Coast has two big days of golf with Underwood Cup at Deerwood Sea Best at Atlantic Beach

Posted by author January 31, 2025 Golf

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It will be a busy two days of golf on the First Coast Feb. 3-4.

The 34th Underwood Cup Matches will be held at the Deerwood Country Club, matching a team of amateurs against Northern Chapter PGA professionals.

At the north end of the beaches, Jacksonville University will host the Sea Best Invitational at the Atlantic Beach Country Club.

In both cases, the events are on the move.

The Underwood Cup had been held at the Timuquana Country Club from its inception in 1992 to 2022. It moved to San Jose in 2023, then went back to Timuquana last year and is being held at Deerwood for the first time. The Sea Best had been at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley since 2008 before moving north on A1A.

The professional team has won the last two Underwood Cups, the first time it won back-to-back since 1996-97. Mike Broderick, Deerwood’s head pro, and Michael Del Rocco, a San Jose member are the captains for the second year in a row.

Six four-ball and six foursomes matches will be held on Feb. 3, followed by 12 singles matches on Feb. 4. The pros need 12 points to retain the Underwood Cup and the amateurs need 12.5 points to wrest it away.

Two pro players who made the team, Jennifer Borocz and Jake Etherton, will be unable to play and have been replaced by Marshall Collins and Rob Lee.

In addition to the host Dolphins, the Sea Best field will include Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw, Lipscomb, Louisiana Tech, North Alabama, Queens, Texas A&M, UCF, North Carolina-Wilmington and USC-Upstate. The Florida Gators will be sending three players to compete as individuals.

Drive, chip and putt registration opens

Registration for the Augusta National Drive, Chip and Putt competition is now open, with local qualifying beginning for junior golfers from 7-15 years old in May. Players can register at drivechipandputt.com.

Local qualifiers will be conducted on June 2 at the Sea Island Club Retreat Course on St. Simons Island, Ga., June 5 at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, and on July 10 at the St. Johns Golf Club.

This will be the 12th year of the skills competition, which is free and available in all 50 states. Local qualifying will be held at 357 sites.

Qualifiers will advance to subregional sites in July and August and regional qualifiers in September and October. The TPC Sawgrass will host a regional on Sept. 6, with other qualifiers at Pinehurst, Whistling Straits, Pebble Beach, Hazeltine National and Valhalla.

The top 80 players, 40 boys and 40 girls in four age groups, will be play in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National on April 5, 2026.

Calling the shot

Joe Pesek, a retired developmental pediatrician at Hope Haven Clinic, was playing the Starke Golf Club recently and his group had a wait on the tee of the par-3 second hole.

While waiting he remarked to his playing partners that he had made a hole-in-one at No. 2 before, one of two aces he’s had at the course.

Make it three. When the green cleared, Pesek took one swing with his 5-hybrid from 120 yards and the ball went into the hole for his 12th ace lifetime, and fifth since his retirement.

Pesek went on to shoot 79, beating his age by three shots.

JU wins Pablo Creek Cup

The Jacksonville University men’s golf team won three of the first four matches and defeated Georgia Southern 8.5-7.5 in the Pablo Creek Cup. The victory was highlighted by a 5 and 4 rout by Daniel Montalvo and Brandon Lohr. Montalvo, Jackson Klauk and Jack Neill won singles matches. … The JU women’s team finished fifth in the Sea Best Intercollegiate at the San Jose Country Club at 9-over, with Susana Olivares tying for fourth at 3-under. Florida won the team title at 5-under and Mercedes Aldana of South Alabama and Louisa Gauthier of Florida Gulf Coast were co-medalists at 5-under.

FSGA results: Therese Quinn-Lin Culver win in Ocala

Therese Quinn of Jacksonville and Lin Culver of Palm Coast shot 1-over 147 to win the Florida State Golf Association Women’s Winter Series Four-ball at the Country Club of Ocala. Tama Caldabaugh of Ponte Vedra Beach and Susie Keane of Orland (151) tied for fourth. … Jeff Kaufman of Ponte Vedra Beach (10-over, senior division) and John Milton of Jacksonville (8-over, super-senior division) both finished solo third in the FSGA Winter Series at the King & Bear. Chuck Kirk of Middleburg (155) was a shot behind Kaufman in fourth and St. Augustine residents Tim Cobb (158), Billy Lodise (159) and Graham Leary (161) finished among the top 10. Harry Black of St. Augustine (156), Brad Rollinson of Ponte Vedra (157) and Bill Hardaker of Atlantic Beach (158) were among the top 10. … Benny Ossi of Ponte Vedra was turned back on the second playoff hole in the Florida Junior Tour Palm Harbor Open in Palm Coast by Reed Abednour of West Palm Beach after they tied at 1-under 143 in the boys 11-12 division. Honor Donaldson of St. Augustine (153) tied for third in the girls division. … Ethan Grossman of Jacksonville (141) finished second by two shots to Joseph Carroll of Tampa in the FJT Hawkstone Open boys 16-18 tournament. Jack Cole of Jacksonville (147) tied for fourth and Lily Chiang of Jacksonville (145) was solo fourth in the girls division.