:01/02/2012

Paula Reto successfully defends her Dixie Amateur crown

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.— Paula Reto cruised to a five-shot win over Thai teenager Moriya Jutanugarn on Monday to successfully defend her Dixie Amateur title at Heron Bay Golf Club.

Reto shot 13-under 275 (69-67-70-69) while Jutanugarn went 68-75-69-68. Jaye Marie Green of Boca Raton, Fla., finished alone in third another shot back (71-74-67-69), while England's Holly Clyburn (72-73-71-70—286) was solo fourth. Tied for fifth at even-par 288 were Madison Opfer of Plant City, Fla., and Madison Pressel of Boca Raton.

"I consider Heron Bay my home course, so that helped a lot," said Reto, who was born in South Africa but now makes her home in Coral Springs. "I just tried to stay focused and play my game; to play conservative, but good.

"Normally, my strength is my long game," said the 21-year-old Reto, a junior at Purdue University who did not start golfing until 2005. "But this week it was my putting that made the difference. The greens here were great; the whole course was in great shape."

Reto, who became the first back-to-back champion in women's Dixie history, said the win would give her increased confidence heading back into the collegiate season. "The Dixie is a lot bigger than most college tournaments, so it will be a big boost for me, especially this year with this field. There were a lot of great players here this week."

On Sunday, Diane Lang of Weston, Fla., solidified her reputation as one of the dominant senior golfers in the world, edging Lisa Schlesinger of Laytonsville, Md., by two shots to claim her third straight senior women's Dixie Amateur. Ivy Steinberg of Stouffville, Ont., finished third. Lang, a three-time U.S. Senior Amateur champion, has won the title every year since the division was established in 2009.

Almost 100 top female amateur golfers from 21 U.S. states and nine other countries were entered in the Dixie Amateur, one of the most prestigious championships in the world. The women's championship is played over 72 holes (Friday through Monday) with a 36-hole cut, while the seniors play 54 holes (no cut) from Friday through Sunday.

While the men's Dixie Amateur has been played since 1924, the women's division was instituted in 2002. Since then, it has featured world-class fields and an impressive list of champions who went on to make their mark on the LPGA.

The inaugural women's champion, future LPGA winner Meaghan Francella, narrowly defeated Paula Creamer, now an LPGA superstar. In 2007, the sensational Alexis Thompson won at the age of 12 before breaking onto the professional scene this year, becoming the youngest-ever to win on the LPGA and European women's tours at 16. (Her brother, Curtis, a freshman at Louisiana State University, won this year's men's Dixie Amateur on Dec. 22.) That same year, two-time Dixie champion Angela Park (2003, 2005) was named the LPGA's rookie of the year.

The Dixie Amateur is organized, conducted, and hosted by ClubLink (www.clublink.ca), one of the world's largest multi-course owners.

Click here for Women's Final Results

:01/01/2012

Diane Lang wins third straight senior Dixie Amateur

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.— Diane Lang of Weston, Fla., solidified her reputation as one of the dominant senior golfers in the world Sunday, edging Lisa Schlesinger of Laytonsville, Md., by two shots at Heron Bay Golf Club to claim her third straight senior women's Dixie Amateur championship. Lang, a three-time U.S. Senior Amateur champion, has won the title every year since the division was established in 2009.

Lang looked to be cruising to the trifecta Saturday when she held a six-shot lead over Schlesinger after two rounds. But when she had problems finding the fairways Sunday, the long-hitting Schlesinger took advantage, posting a 3-under 69, the low round of the tournament.

"I stumbled a bit on the last few holes and Lisa was closing fast but I managed to hang on," said Lang who shot 71-73-73—217 over the 54-hole championship. "I've been working on improving my swing with a new instructor since September. There's been a vast improvement in my iron play and putting, but my driver still needs a lot of work. I loved it here this week and I look forward to coming back next year to try to win a fourth time."

Schlesinger (76-74-69—219) finished 10 shots ahead of Ivy Steinberg of Stouffville, Ont., who was alone in third.

Click here for final results.

:12/22/2011

CURTIS THOMPSON POSTS HOMETOWN WIN AT DIXIE AMATEUR

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Hometown hero Curtis Thompson saved the best for last, shooting a 5-under 67 at the 7,234-yard Heron Bay Golf Club on Thursday to win the 81st Dixie Amateur by two shots over Daniel Berger of Jupiter, Fla.

Thompson's four-round total of 13-under 274 was four better than Motin Yeung of Orlando, Fla., who finished alone in third.

"That was a lot of fun, but I have to say there was some pressure," said Thompson, who turned 19 just nine days ago. The Louisiana State University freshman was cheered on by a sizeable gallery that included some golfing buddies and "my whole family…Mom, Dad, my grandparents, brother [Nick, a professional golfer], Lexi…everybody."

"Lexi" is more formally known as the phenomenal Alexis Thompson, who this year, at the age of 16, became the youngest ever to win on the LPGA and European women's tours. She also won the women's Dixie Amateur in 2007 at the age of 12, so she and Curtis now are the first sister-brother duo to win this prestigious title.

It was the first major amateur victory for Thompson, who went into the Dixie Amateur ranked 263rd by World Amateur Golf Ranking, the official rankings of the USGA and R&A.

"I never enter an event thinking I can't win," said Thompson, whose first-round 69 left him six shots back of leader Sebastian Pinzon of Bogota, Colombia. While Pinzon ballooned to 81 in the second round and was never again a factor, Thompson methodically posted matching 69s in the second and third rounds, leading each day by a single stroke.

"Going into today, I just concentrated on keeping the ball in play. The turning point, really, was when I bogeyed No. 6 but then made a 30-footer for birdie on 7, and then birdied 9 and 10."

While the final two rounds were played at Heron Bay, former site of the PGA Tour's Honda Classic, the field was split during the first two days between Heron Bay and the East Course at Woodlands Country Club. Both clubs are owned by ClubLink, which also organizes and conducts the Dixie Amateur. Although the weather all week was sunny and warm, the gusty winds took their toll. Eighty players out of the starting field of 240 survived the 36-hole cut that came at 4-over par or better.

"This is the third time I've played in the Dixie, and this is by far the best," said Thompson. "Everything, from the pace of play and how we were treated, was a lot better overall."

With the victory, Thompson joins an impressive list of champions who went on to PGA Tour success, including Hal Sutton, Ryuji Imada, Brandt Snedeker, Andy Bean, Bruce Fleisher, Lanny Wadkins, Nolan Henke, Len Mattiace, and Jesper Parnevik. Two-time defending champion Peter Uihlein did not compete this week as he has declared his intention to turn professional next month.

The men's Dixie Amateur, first played in 1924, is ranked 12th in the world by scratchplayers.org and is designated as one of the "majors" of amateur golf by amateurgolf.com. More than two dozen of the top 500 male amateurs in the world, according to the WAGR, from 32 U.S. states and 18 other countries competed in this year's Dixie Amateur.

The women's and senior women's divisions of the Dixie Amateur start Friday, Dec. 30, at Heron Bay with almost 100 of the world's best amateurs in the field.

CONTACT: John Gordon, 647-202-6644, jgordon@clublink.ca

Click here for final results.

:12/10/2011
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Ron Carter of Monticello, Ind., saved par from a greenside bunker on the final hole on Dec. 10 to win the Dixie Amateur senior men’s title by one shot over his close friend Bob Stephens of Indianapolis, Ind.

Carter’s six-under total came on rounds of 71-69-70—210 while Stephens (73-67-71) registered the low round of the tournament on the par-72, 6,611-yard course at Heron Bay Golf Club on the second day.

Dick Anderson of Bluffton, S.C., was third and Rick Woulfe of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was fourth. Woulfe had won the previous three Dixie senior titles and six in total since 2000.

Pat Vincelli of Stuart, Fla., won the super senior title for golfers 65 and older by three strokes over Gary Shimmin of Okatie, S.C.

Carter, 61, a soon-to-be retired insurance agent and winner of the senior Porter Cup in September, did not make a bogey Saturday and had 10 birdies and four bogeys in the 54-hole tournament

"I had three or four putts today that just stopped a revolution or two short of the hole," he said. "I don’t think I missed a fairway all day and only one green, at 18," where he sank the decisive six-foot putt, his biggest par-save of the day, he said.

Vincelli, who followed an opening-round 78 with 69-70, eagled the par-5 14th hole with driver, 3-iron and a 25-foot putt and added three birdies and two bogeys. "The first round was a nightmare but I played well the last two days," he said.

A retired human resources executive, he trailed by five strokes after the first round but by only one the second day. He made three birdies and a bogey Saturday. Vincelli was runner-up in two Florida State Golf Association events the last two years.

The event was the first of four divisions of the historic Dixie Amateur to be played this month. The men’s division, ranked 12th worldwide among amateur tournaments, will be played Dec. 19-22, and the women’s tournament takes places Dec. 30-Jan.2, coinciding with the senior women Dec. 30-Jan. 1.

Click here for full-field final results.