Two significant senior championships will be played on the First Coast in the next two weeks.
The first will be the Jacksonville Area Golf Association's oldest tournament, the 68th JAGA Senior Amateur at the Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach. There will be three divisions of play (50-59, 60-69, 70 and older), with three rounds for the senior division and two for the other divisions.
Richard Ames is the defending champion. He shot 68 in the final round at Deerwood to come from eight shots back to win.
Ames and 13 other First Coast players are in the field for the Florida State Golf Association's 64th Senior Amateur, April 15-17 at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club Ocean Course.
The field of 144 includes area exempt players David Anthony, Clayton Brewer, Steve Horner, Brian King, Chuck Kirk, John Lobb, Ken Moody and Brad Rollinson.
Six more area players qualified at the King & Bear on April 2: Dave O'Haren (74), Brian Tennyson, Michael Del Rocco and Bart Abstein (75), and Ames and Steve Brugg (76).
The field will be cut to the low-60 plus ties for the final round.
R.J. Nakashian of Palm Beach Gardens is the defending champion.
Longtime golf volunteer Billy Drake passes
He was a familiar face in the Hyde Park pro shop and a volunteer with the Jacksonville Area Golf ...
