LETSON CLAIMS WFGT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA OPEN AT OLD CORKSCREW

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Mark Iwinski & Doug Letson

The final round of the Southwest Florida Open, the latest stop on the West Florida Golf Tour (WFGT), played at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero this week (September 8 – 10), was a case of “come get me,” and Doug Letson was who the rest of the field had to go get.

Treacherously contoured 15th green

Anyone who knows anything about golf courses in Southwest Florida knows that Old Corkscrew is a track that tests even the skills of professionals of the highest proficiency, so catching a hot player with a three-shot lead would be no mean feat.

Doug Letson gets sandy on 14

Hot is precisely what Doug Letson of Tampa, Florida has been in 2014, and a three-shot lead is what he held after 69, 66 the first two rounds. I don’t think it’s a stretch of the imagination to consider three tournament victories and eight (seven top-five) top-ten finishes “hot,” do you? Oh, and did I mention that Old Corkscrew presents a serious golf challenge? Well, that didn’t mean much to Letson, who put the screws to Old Corkscrew for that course record 66 on the second day of competition.

Chris Kennedy-
photo courtesy of  Jason Dill

The almost 24-year-old Florida State alum, who turned pro in 2013, was up to the challenge, extending his three-shot lead to six with an even-par final round. In addition to his check for $3k, Letson picked up 30,000 “Order of Merit” points, and now sits second to Chris Kennedy of Sarasota, Florida (and Ice bucket challenge fame) in the current year Order of Merit race.

Doug putting from fringe on 17

Unfortunately for Letson, there’s only one event remaining in the Summer Tour Series, and he will not have played the required nine events to qualify for the Summer Tour bonus, which goes to the player with the most points over the 13 Summer Tour events.

Getting up & down on 18

However, the full season is winding down, and Letson is well within reach of Kennedy’s lead for the Order of Merit, for which he will be eligible. With the Summer Tour Championship next week and the season’s final major (2014 Sarasota Open) coming up later this month, finishing higher than Kennedy in both would go a long way toward Doug claiming the Order of Merit. But Kennedy is atop the standings for good reason, and I suspect he will have something to say about who earns the Order of Merit at season's end. Only time and strokes will tell.

Ross Hanson presents Jason Burstyn with winner's check at
TPC Prestancia- photo courtesy of WFGT

Those who were challenging Letson for honors at the Southwest Florida Open found Old Corkscrew quite uncooperative that final round. Nine players had broken par in Round 2, but only three managed to reach red figures on Day 3, and two of those were by just one shot. Miami native and 2013 University of Colorado graduate, Jason Burstyn made the best move of anyone chasing Letson, shooting 69 to claim low round of the day honors.

Jason Burstyn- photo courtesy of  www.dailycamera.com

With that 3-under round, Jason buffaloed his way up the leaderboard from 9^th at the start of the final round to a tie for 2^nd by the time the last putt had rattled the cup. His strong finish is no surprise as Jason has notched several top-10 finishes and a win on the WFGT this season. Unfortunately for Jason, he was 9 shots back when the final round began, and his -3 finish was not enough to catch Letson, who maintained his unruffled demeanor throughout the round.

Brad Brunner teeing off on 18

Brad Brunner of Tampa was the closest challenger to Letson coming into the final round, sitting just three back, and playing with the leader. However, Brad was one of the many players who were “Corkscrewed” on Wednesday, and finished with a 76. Given the scores on some of the holes Brad played, a 76 was a pretty good score to turn in... good enough to finish 5^th. One example of Brad’s resilience was Hole 15, where he put his second shot into the bunker short right of the green, only to card a birdie from the sand.

Dave Branshaw

The other two players who managed under-par rounds, Fort Myers Beach, Florida resident Kenny Goodykoontz (71) and Tampa’s David Branshaw (71), started the final round in 8^th (8 shots back) and 11^th (11 shots back) respectively, so they needed a much kinder, gentler Old Corkscrew than the one they faced on Day 3 to make up the required ground. Hopefully shooting the second best scores of the day was some consolation.

All was not lost for either though, since Goodykoontz moved up the leaderboard to 5^th and Branshaw to 8^th. Branshaw

Kenny Goodykoontz

also sits in 5^th position in the Order of Merit race, so every spot up the leaderboard for him is a plus. Tour President Christian Bartolacci noted that, based upon eligibility, despite being listed as 5^th, Goodykoontz is really 2^nd in the Summer Tour bonus race.

Dan "Da Man" Mazziotta

Two other players improved their positions in the top-5, and, considering their historical results, neither was a surprise despite not being fully pleased with their final round performances. Daniel Mazziotta of Fort Myers, Florida moved from 5^th into a tie for 2^nd with his final round 73, and Sam Chavez of Bradenton, Florida also moved into a tie for 2^nd from a tie for 3^rd with a final round 74. 

Sam Chavez

Chavez could have finished in solo second had he made a putt on 18, but a tie for second ain’t bad huh Sam? I'm sure you didn't feel that way when you launched that ball into the lake :). Both Chavez and Mazziotta have had several top-10 finishes on tour this season, but both are still seeking their first win of 2014. They’ve got time and opportunity over the next couple of months.

All in all, encountering the West Florida Golf Tour at Old Corkscrew was a gem of an experience. The golf was great, the venue awesome, and the people top-notched.

The staff at Old Corkscrew generally offer a pleasant experience, so that was not new, but our new acquaintance with WFGT officials, Christian and Ross was also quite positive. Steph and I are looking forward to our next encounter with the players and organizers of the WFGT.

Ross Hanson & Christian Bartolacci &
event champion Doug Letson

By the way, if you are a hacker like I am, who likes to put your skill level to the test, the WFGT also offers an Amateur Tour with a 13-event schedule. I’m not sure how to make time during tennis season to play any golf, much less compete, but the West Florida Am Tour surely has me thinking about it! Congrats to Doug Letson once again and thanks to all, especially the sponsors, who make it all happen. Until next….

T. A. & Steph