No Seniority Needed for Alfieri's Victory
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — After one-hundred and forty-four senior amateurs teed off on Monday, one familiar face rose above them all to claim victory. In his first Senior Amateur
Championship appearance, FSGA Hall of Famer Joe Alfieri conquered the tough conditions to win by four strokes.
Round One
High winds and firm ground set the tone for the opening round of the Senior Amateur Championship, but with the sun beaming down, there was no better place to be than on the golf course.
Joe Alfieri set the pace early during the morning wave, making the turn at 2-under-par (69). A bogey on the 11th briefly dropped him to one-under, but he bounced back with a birdie on the 16th to finish at 2-under and claim the clubhouse lead as the afternoon rounds began.
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club provided very difficult green complexes, keeping scores in check throughout the day. The closest morning challenger to Alfieri was Alan Pope, who carded an even-par (71).
As the afternoon wave teed off, increasing winds added to the course’s difficulty. When the final putt dropped, Alfieri’s 2-under stood alone at the top, good enough for a two-shot lead heading into the second round. He was the only player in the 144-man field to break par.
Former champion Miles McConnell made a strong recovery after three consecutive bogeys on holes 3, 4, and 5, battling back to finish at even par and join the tie for second.
Alan Pope, Bob Mathers, and Miles McConnell all would share second place with even par (71), followed by Ryan Howison, Brad Steven, and former champion, Michael McCoy, who all turned in at 1-over (72).
Round Two
The course once again showed very little mercy today, with difficult green complexes turning every hole into a battle of precision. Only 62 players survived the test, advancing to the final round tomorrow, and still in the hunt for the Championship title.
The morning wave came and went and only one player was able to manage to put together an under-par score. David Czech would eagle the second hole on his way to a 1-under, 71. Czech would face adversity with bogeys on his 4th and 7th hole, but capped off his round with a clutch birdie on the 18th to finish in red figures. He now sits at 2-over total and will compete tomorrow during the final round.
Mike Finster was the closest behind Czech during the morning wave after a 1-over 72. Finster is five-over total, and well within the cut line. Meanwhile, Miles McConnell, who rallied late in Round 1 to finish tied for second, struggled in the tougher conditions and dropped back to 7-over. As the afternoon wave got their start, the projected cutline would sit at 14-over.
Yesterday’s leader, Joe Alfieri got his start at 2:05 PM. He would go on to bogey his first hole, but immediately buy it back with a birdie on the second hole, which would mark a trend during his second round. The 2024 Hall of Fame inductee would trade off birdie and bogeys on his way to a 2-under round, which had him lead the field by a demanding six strokes heading into the final round. Alfieri fired back-to-back rounds of 69, making him the only player in the 144-man field to post under-par scores on both days.
By sunset, the cut line moved to 15-over. David Czech and Alan Pope ended the day tied for second at 2-over, while Dave Bunker, Daniel Owen, Michael McCoy, and Ryan Howison shared third at 4-over.
Final Round
The wind finally settled at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club for the final round of the 64th Senior Amateur Championship, but it hardly mattered to Joe Alfieri. The 2024 FSGA Hall of Fame inductee had already done the heavy lifting. After two windy days on the Ocean Course, Alfieri stood alone as the only player in the 144-man field to post back-to-back rounds under-par.
Opening with matching rounds of 69, he built a six-shot lead heading into the final round, a margin that proved to be more than enough. This was Alfieri's first Senior Amateur Championship, and just his second start as a senior player, following a strong debut earlier this year at the Senior/Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship where he and partner Daniel DeBra finished in second place.
As the final round started, Alfieri held a sizable lead, but the field wasn’t ready to concede just yet. Trailing him were David Czech and Alan Pope, both sitting at 2-over for the Championship. The 2023 Senior Amateur Champion and past Walker Cup Captain, Mike McCoy, made an early charge, birdieing holes two and three to climb into a share of third, hoping to apply some pressure from ahead.
Meanwhile, Alfieri found trouble early when his second shot on the par-4 second hole landed in a greenside bunker, leading to a double-bogey that dropped him to 2-under for the championship.
But, no one was able to take advantage. As the players made the turn, Alfieri still held a comfortable four-shot lead. The closest pursuer was Czech, who turned in even-par on the front-nine.
Alfieri quickly erased any doubt on the back-nine, carding birdies on the 10th, 12th, and 14th holes to stretch his lead to eight strokes with just three holes to play. A double-bogey at the 17th added a bit of late drama, perhaps in homage to the most recent Masters Champion, with two double-bogeys on the scorecard during the final round, but by then, the outcome was no longer in question.
When play was complete and the scores were tallied, it was finally appropriate to say, it was Joe’s all along. Firing off rounds of 69-69-73 -- 211, he can now add a senior championship to his list of illustrious titles.
Brad Steven secured solo second with a strong final-round 68, while two past champions, Miles McConnell and Dave Bunker, shared third place.
