GIOVANNELLI, LOWE, MURPHY GEORGE SCALES WINNERS

Matt Giovannelli, Tommy Lowe and Mike Murphy were winners at the George Scales Memorial which was played at The Country Club at Silver Spring Shores.

Giovannelli managed to keep his good play going as he fashioned a final round 1-under-par 71 to go with his 4-under-par 68 opening round and claimed the top spot in the Open Division by two shots over Sean Butscher and Aaron Dewitt, 139 to 141. Butch (71-70) and Dewitt (68-73) finished in a tie for second. Fourth place went to Martin Musgrave with a 143.

Going wire-to-wire in the Senior Division was Lowe as he put together a 74 to go along with his opening round 69 for a 1-under-par 143 and a four shot win over Bob Bailey (74-73) 147. Third place went to Steve Kline at 149 (75-74), Fourth was Bill Knapp (81-71) 142 and tied for fifth were Travis Wilemon and Dan Ogen at 153.

Tampa’s Murphy took the top spot in the Super Senior Division as he shot a final round 2-under-par 70 for a 2-under-par 140 total. Bill Zylstra was second with a 146 (73-73), third went to Richard Weber (73-75) 148. Tied for fourth were Andy Padova, Walter Himelsbaugh, Robert Parmar and Peter Guillette with 149s.

The entire field scores are under TOURNAMENT INFO/FINAL RESULTS – GEORGE SCALES

ALBRIGHT, GOODE, FRIED, CARLEY MOOT THOMAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Mother Nature was a little bit more forgiving during the final round of the 18th Moot Thomas Invitational as 104 of some top senior amateur golfers in the country finished up three days of competition at Ocala Golf Club. When the dust finally settled there were three first-time winners and a five-time winner.

Ocala’s Steve Albright made his tournament debut one to remember. Albright trailed the number one ranked senior in the country, Kevin Vandenberg by a single shot going into the final round. In the all-day head-to-head match Albright managed to overtake Vandenberg by shooting a 4-under-par 68. Vanderberg (NY) shot a 1-under-par 71. The final three-day tally was Albright 4-under-par 212 and Vandenberg 2-under-par 214. Finishing tied for third place was Chad Branton (GA) and Chad Ibbotson (Sanford) at even par 216. Tied for fifth were Dan Ogen (Dunnellon) and Gregory Seelinger (IL) at 211.

Winning the Super Senior title for the first time was Greg Goode (KS) when he posted a 3-under-par 69. His even par 216 was 2-shots better than runners-up Michael Jones (TX) and Marcus Beck (Tallahassee). Both players shot 218 totals with Jones shotting 71-74-73 and Beck posting 73-69-76. In fourth place was Tim Vigotsky (Palm City) at 221 (78-73-70). David Mears (Citra) finished alone in fifth place with a 222 total (77-72-73).

Marc Fried (OH) was another first-time winner capturing the Legends Division. His 6-under-par 210 total came on rounds of 71-69-70 and was two shots better than Robert Cunningham (St. Cloud) who shot 71-72-69 for a 4-under-par 212. Finishing in third place was Bobby Lunquist (Sanford) at 213 (72-69-72). Greg Osborne (PA) also finished under par with a 215 total on rounds of 72-73-70. Alone in fifth place was Bill Zylstra (Ocklawaha) at 218 (70-73-75).

Jim Carley (Ormond Beach) captured his fifth Moot Thomas title by shooting a five-under par 211 total edging Tampa’s Dick Clemens by a single shot. Carley shot rounds of 73-68-70 and Clemens shot 75-69-68. The low round of the day was put up by Ocala’s Berger Warner who shot a 6-under-par 66 to capture third place with his 2-under-par 214 (78-70-66). Tire for fourth were Pete Allen (NC) and Sam Robinson (Ponte Vedra) with 217’s. Allen shot 74-74-69 and Robinson shot 71-74-72).

For all the final scores see TOURNAMENT INFO/RESULTS/FINAL RESULTS – MOOT THOMAS

GRANT, ZITO, MURPHY CCO INVITATIONAL WINNERS

Justin Grant, Michael Zito and Mike Murphy were winners at the Country Club of Ocala Invitational.

In the Open Division it took a playoff hole for Grant to lay claim to the title. After regulation play Grant found himself in a tie with Sean Butcher at 2-over-par 146. Grant shot a 1-under-par 71 in the final round and Butcher shot a 2-under-par 70. Grant won the first playoff hole. Finishing third was Eoin Buckelew with a 150 (77-73). Fourth place went to Ty O’Shields at 151 and tied for fifth were Steve Kline and Daniel Wear at 152.

In the Senior Division Georgia’s Zito shot a 2-under-par 70 which gave him a 2-under-par 142 total and a two-shot victory. Finishing in second place was Thomas Lowe who finished the tournament at even par 144 (70-74). Third place went to Daniel Owen at 146 (76-70) and tied for fourth were Charles Kirk and Dough Jones at 147. This was the second tournament win in a row for Zito having previously won the Senior Division in The Memorial.

The Super Senior Division was a runaway for Tampa’s Mike Murphy as he shot his second straight 4-under-par 68 for a 136 total and a 9-shot win. Second place went to Steve Humphrey at 145 (74-71) and tied for third place were Tom Murphy, Peter Guillette and Berger Warner at 148.

For the entire field final scores go to: TOURNAMENT INFO/Results/FINAL SCORES – CCO INVITATIONAL

DORMAN WINS MARION MASTERS SENIORS AGAIN

Brent Dorman’s birdie barrage during the last round at Ocala Golf Club allowed him to leap over the rest of the field and capture his third consecutive Marion Masters Senior title.

In the 27th staging of this event, Dorman’s final round, a 4-under-par 68, gave him a two-day score of 1-under-par 143. The under-par score was the only one in the Senior Division and gave it gave Dorman a one-shot victory over runner-up Travis Wilemon. Wilemon shot back-to-back even par 72s. Third place went to Dan Ogen who shot 145 (72-73). Paul Irvin finished fourth with a 149 (75-74) and Lyle Livengood was fifth with a 150 on two rounds of 75.

In the Super Senior Division Robert Parmar shot a final round of 4-under-par 68 for a 1-under-par 143 to beat out Jeff Morley who shot 145 (73-72). In third place was Bill Zylstra at 146 (75-71) with Bobby Bryant finishing fourth with a 147 (77-70).

Tommy Lowe posted a 4-under-par 68 to pull away in the Silver Senior Division. Lowe’s even-par 144 was three better than Jim Sprung. Sprung shot a 147 on rounds of 77 and 70. Third place went to Ken Godwin (151) with Bill Wright and Scott Thul tied for fourth with 152.

Parmar won the Golden Seniors with Zylstra second. Berger Warner was third with a 148 (77-71), Jim Prendergast was fourth (155) and Jim Fuller and Lawrence Walsh were tied for fourth with 160 totals.

In the Legends Division, Mike Arminio blitzed the field shooting a final round of 4-under-par 68 and a two-day score of 144. Tom Stephenson ended up second with 157 and tied for third were Miles Anderson and Ron Russo at 159.

For all the final scores see TOURNAMENT INFO/Results/

CHIP SHOTS – Chris Henry made a hole-in-one during the first round at Silver Spring Shores. Mike Arminio made a double eagle during the last round on the par-five seventh hole at Ocala Golf Club.

Chairman Bobby Bryant congratulates MM Seniors winner Brent Dorman

MUSGRAVE, ZITO, MORLEY MEMORIAL WINNERS

The scoring conditions were ideal for the last round of The Memorial and the golfers took advantage at Eagle Ridge CC.

In the end Martin Musgrave triumphed in the Open Division, Michael Zito went overtime to win the Senior Division and Jeff Morley shot a strong round to pull away from the pack in the Super Senior Division.

Musgrave backed up his 6-under-par 66 opening round with a 3-under-par 68 for a 9-under 134 and his victory. With another superior effort, Justin Grant ended up in second place four shots behind Musgrave. Grant managed to shoot a 5-under-par 138 total on rounds of 68 and 70. Finishing alone in third place was Brad Knight (Sarasota) with a 144 (74-70). There was a three-way tie for fourth place with a 146 scores and they were: Asher Katz (Winter Haven) (76-70), Ty O’Shields (74-72) and Miles Albright (74-72).

It took overtime for Georgia’s Zito to lay claim to the Senior title. Zito opened the tournament with a 1-under-par 71 and shot a 72 to finish the 36 holes at even-par 143. Scott Thull closed with a 2-under-par 69 to catch Zito at 143 and off to a sudden playoff they went. Zito captured the title on the first hole with a par. Ending up in third place alone was Tommy Lowe as he posted a 1-under-par 70 for a 144 for the tournament. Tied for Fourth were Bob Bailey (76-73) and Bill Knapp (77-72) with 149 totals.

Morley shot the low round of the day to win the Super Senior title. Morley fashioned a 5-under-par 66 for a 5-under-par 138 for the event. Finishing in second place was David Mears who carved a 4-under-par 67 on the last day for a 3-under-par 140. In third was Leesburg’s Walter Himelsbaugh at 141 (69-72). Tied for fourth were Bobby Bryant (70-72) and Tampa’s Rich Weber (72-70) with 142s.

Dan Ogen won the Senior A Flight with a 153 total. Pete Guillette won the Super Senior A Flight with a 148 score.

For all the final results see: TOURNAMENT INFO/Results/FINAL RESULTS – THE MEMORIAL

ALBRIGHT/ALBRIGHT, IRVIN/SEARCY, PRENDERGAST/EASTON OCALA CUP WINNERS

Under ideal scoring conditions at Ocala Golf Club the golfers once again shot lights out in the Ocala Cup. The final round saw 16 of the 36 teams break par in this best-ball event.

Miles and Gray Albright ran away with the Open Division firing a 12-under-par 60 to go along with their opening round 61 which gave them a two-day score of 23 under-par 121. The Albright brothers’ 121 total put them eight shots clear of second place finishers Ben Locker and Ryan Letterly. The Locker/Letterly team shot an impressive 15-under-par 129. Finishing in third place was Zach Andrews and Martin Musgrave with a 9-under-par 135 total.

In the Senior Division there was a tie after regulation play between the teams of Paul Irvin/Bill Searcy and Mike Zito/Kyle Allen. Both teams shot identical rounds (63 and 67) for a 14-under-par 130 score and the match went to sudden-death. Irvin/Searcy won the match on the first playoff hole. Finishing in third place was Tommy Lowe and Scott Thul with a score of 133 (69-64).

Jim Prendergast and Jack Easton via an 9-under-par 63 blitzed the Super Senior Division field. Their 13-under-par 131 (68-63) score gave them a seven shot win. Tied for second were Richard Weber/Larry VanderBie and Andy Padova/Walter Himselsbaugh. Both teams finished at 6-under-par 138.

This was the last event of the year but it was the first event for the 2025 Marion County Golf Association’s Golfer of the Year.

For all the final scores see: TOURNAMENT INFO/Results/FINAL RESULTS – OCALA CUP

On behalf of the Marion County Golf Association, we would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.